The Fort Constantin (Fort Grand Duke Constantine, Fort Konstantin) () was a coastal

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

that covered southern waters of the fortified city of

Kronstadt Kronstadt (, ) is a Russian administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg, port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal cities of Russia, federal city of Saint Petersburg, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg, near the head ...

, Russia. The city is located on the

Kotlin Island Kotlin (; ) is a Russian island, located near the head of the Gulf of Finland, west of Saint Petersburg in the Baltic Sea. Kotlin separates the Neva Bay from the rest of the gulf. The fortified city of Kronstadt is located on the island and form ...

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. Currently the fort has no military use, the structures are in disarray, and the transport and tourism company tries to develop the territory as a tourist destination. История форта Константин
(History of Fort Constantin)"Who Will Protect Forts of Kronstadt?"
Морское наследие, Issue 4, 2015, pp. 30-35

History

In 1807 Emperor

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825. He ruled Russian Empire, Russia during the chaotic perio ...

signed a decree to additionally fortify Kronstadt expecting a war with Great Britain. The construction started in 1808. The initial

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

of the battery was made of pine timber filled with sand and stone, for speed. It was made in two levels, hence the historical name "Double Southern Battery (Двойная Южная Батарея).

History

References

Further reading