Introduction
Rising from the banks of the Neva River on Zayachy (Hare) Island, the Peter and Paul Fortress is the historic nucleus of St. Petersburg and one of the city‘s most iconic landmarks. This mighty citadel was the first structure erected in St. Petersburg, personally ordered by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 to secure Russia‘s hold on the Neva River delta and defend against Swedish attack.
While the fortress never ended up serving its intended military purpose, it played a central role in St. Petersburg‘s development and bore witness to many pivotal events in the city‘s history. Today, this fascinating complex is one of St. Petersburg‘s top tourist attractions, drawing over 2 million visitors annually to explore its museums, churches, and centuries of history within its stone walls.
Founding and Early History
On May 16, 1703, Peter the Great laid the first stone of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the first step in his grand vision of establishing a new, modern capital on the Baltic Sea. The original citadel, named the Sankt-Piterburkh Fortress, was constructed of dirt and timber under the direction of Swiss-Italian military engineer Domenico Trezzini.
The fortress was laid out in a unique hexagon shape, with six curtain walls connected by six huge bastions named Gosudarev (Sovereign‘s), Menshikov, Zotov, Trubetskoy, Naryshkin, and St. John‘s. The tsar even personally participated in the construction work. By November 1703, the fortifications were complete.
However, Peter soon realized that a more substantial fortress would be needed and ordered the citadel rebuilt in stone. The work was carried out between 1706-1740, again under Trezzini‘s supervision. The new stone walls were up to 39 feet (12 meters) thick and ranged in height from 29-49 feet (9-15 meters).
During the early years of construction, the fortress on Zayachy Island was essentially the entirety of St. Petersburg. Around 300 soldiers and builders lived within the fortress walls, as did Peter the Great himself in a modest wooden house. It was from the Peter and Paul Fortress that Peter oversaw the construction of his new city.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral
In 1712, the wooden Church of Saints Peter and Paul inside the fortress was consecrated. By 1732, a larger and grander cathedral was completed to take its place – the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the first stone church in St. Petersburg.
Trezzini designed the cathedral in the early Baroque style characterized by Russia‘s distinctive "octagon on cube" church architecture. The cathedral‘s glittering three-tiered iconostasis and the soaring 404-foot (123-meter) needle-thin golden spire, topped by an angel holding a cross, make it one of St. Petersburg‘s most recognizable landmarks.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral holds even greater significance as the final resting place for nearly all the rulers of the Russian Empire. In 1715, Peter the Great buried his beloved elder sister Maria in the cathedral. His own tomb was added in 1731, and over the next two centuries, all Russian emperors and empresses up to Alexander III were interred there, with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI.
The remains of Russia‘s last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were finally laid to rest in the cathedral‘s St. Catherine Chapel in 1998, 80 years after their execution by the Bolsheviks. With the addition of their remains, the cathedral now contains a total of 41 graves.
A Fearsome Political Prison
Despite Peter the Great‘s intentions for the fortress to defend St. Petersburg from attack, it never ended up seeing military action. The Swedes were defeated before ever reaching the city. Instead, the fortress took on a grimmer role – as a political prison for high-ranking and important prisoners of the state.
The first prisoner confined in the fortress was Peter the Great‘s own son, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, who was accused of treason and held there in 1718 before his death after torture in the Trubetskoy Bastion. Over the next two centuries, the dungeons housed many more notable political prisoners, including:
- Artemy Volynsky – statesman executed for treason in 1740
- Wilhelm Küchelbecker – poet and Decembrist revolutionary
- Grigory Danilevsky – writer and political dissident
- Fyodor Dostoevsky – novelist held before his exile to Siberia
- Nikolai Chernyshevsky – writer and revolutionary democrat
- Leon Trotsky – Marxist revolutionary and Soviet politician
- Maxim Gorky – author and political activist
Conditions in the prison were notoriously harsh, with prisoners kept in solitary confinement in small, damp, and cold cells. Dostoevsky, who was imprisoned for eight months in the Trubetskoy Bastion in 1849 before being exiled to a Siberian labor camp, described the experience of solitary confinement as "moral torture."
Today, visitors can tour the former prison in the Trubetskoy Bastion, see the cramped cells where these luminaries were once held, and learn about the experiences of political prisoners through historical exhibits.
Military and Industrial Uses
In addition to its role as a prison, the fortress also served important military and industrial functions. The fortress housed a garrison of up to 3000 soldiers in the 18th century. It was the site of the St. Petersburg Mint, one of only two mints in the Russian Empire (along with Moscow), which produced coins, medals, and armor.
The fortress also housed an arsenal producing and storing artillery and arms. The Arsenal building, still standing today, was one of the largest industrial structures in 18th century St. Petersburg and one of the most advanced arms manufacturing facilities in Europe at the time.
Soviet Era and World War II
Following the February Revolution in 1917, the Provisional Government released all political prisoners held in the Peter and Paul Fortress. After the October Revolution later that year, the fortress was seized by the Bolsheviks and used to hold prisoners of the new regime, as well as to execute and bury numerous victims of the Red Terror.
In 1924, the fortress was converted into a museum. Many of the former prison cells were opened to the public as exhibits on the history of political repression and revolutionary movements in Russia.
During the 900-day Siege of Leningrad in World War II, the fortress was a key defensive position and took heavy damage from German artillery and aerial bombing. Many artifacts were destroyed or looted. However, the fortress never fell to the Germans and continued to return fire until the blockade was lifted in January 1944.
The Fortress Today
Following the war, the damaged structures in the fortress were reconstructed and restored. It was again opened to the public as the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg in 1954 and became one of Leningrad‘s (St. Petersburg‘s) most visited tourist attractions in the Soviet era.
That popularity has only grown since the fall of the Soviet Union, with the fortress welcoming a record 2.4 million visitors in 2019. In addition to the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the prison museum in the Trubetskoy Bastion, the fortress is home to several other attractions:
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The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg: Housed in the former Commandant‘s House, Artillery Armory, and Engineering Building, this massive museum chronicles the history of the city from its founding to the present through exhibits of art, artifacts, photographs, and documents.
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The Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology: Located in the former gas dynamics laboratory building where Soviet rockets were developed in the 1930s, this museum houses a collection of Soviet-era rockets, engines, space suits, and other space exploration equipment and memorabilia.
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The Museum of Architecture and Urban Planning: Showcases photographs, diagrams, and models related to the architectural history and development of St. Petersburg.
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The St. Petersburg Mint Museum: Examines the history of minting technology and the production of coins, medals and medallions in Russia from the 18th century to today. The museum is located in the historic Mint building where coins are still produced.
The fortress also frequently hosts temporary art exhibits, festivals, concerts, and a variety of other cultural events and activities. It‘s a popular place for locals to stroll and sunbathe on the sandy beach beneath the fortress walls in summer.
The Peter and Paul Fortress has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Historic Center of St. Petersburg since 1990. Between 2010-2020, the fortress underwent an extensive 3.4 billion ruble ($45 million) renovation to shore up the structures‘ foundations and restore the walls, bastions, and gates.
As of 2023, single admission tickets to the Peter and Paul Cathedral cost 600 rubles ($8), while combined tickets granting access to all the fortress‘s museums range from 450-750 rubles ($6-$10). Guided tours are available in Russian and English. The museums are closed on Wednesdays and hours vary seasonally, so it‘s best to check the official website before planning a visit.
Conclusion
More than just a military citadel, the Peter and Paul Fortress has stood at the heart of St. Petersburg for over 300 years, bearing witness to the tumultuous sweep of the city‘s history. From imperial Russia to revolution, war, and beyond, the fortress has weathered it all to become one of St. Petersburg‘s most enduring and iconic landmarks.
Within its impenetrable stone walls lies a microcosm of the city‘s history and culture, a testament to St. Petersburg‘s resilience and glory. For any visitor looking to uncover the rich layered past of Russia‘s cultural capital, the Peter and Paul Fortress is the perfect place to start.
