Why is Oreshek Fortress nicknamed the ‘Russian Bastille’?

Then, it belonged to the Swedes, until, in 1702, it was finally conquered by Peter the Great, who renamed it Shlisselburg (literally "key-city").

Under him, it received powerful defensive fortifications. The entrance to the fortress is located at right angles to the walls, which made it difficult to use a battering ram. From the inside, the entrance openings were closed not only with gates, but also with lowering metal grates. There were also moats with water and palisades around the fortress.

Alexandrovy AG (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Since the 1720s, it was a prison for political convicts. Among them were Peter's first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina and the brother of revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. Because of this, the Oreshek fortress is sometimes nicknamed the ‘Russian Bastille’.

Alexei Danichev/Sputnik

Now, the fortress houses a museum and you can reach it by boat from Shlisselburg.

Petr Kovalyov/TASS

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