Smolensk is an old Russian city that regularly suffered from its European neighbors because of its geographical location. During the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov, the Smolensk Kremlin was erected. This fortification is unique in many ways. For a long time, the fortress was considered the largest and most reliable in all of Europe.
The history of the construction of an impregnable fortress
In 1596, the construction of a stone fortress in Smolensk began. The main architect of the project was Fedor Savelyevich Kon. It was this architect who supervised the construction of the Moscow Kremlin around the White City. As conceived by the author, the new fortress was to surpass all those that existed in our country before. Thanks to the competent organization of work and the efforts of thousands of workers, the Smolensk Kremlin was completed and put into operation a few years after the foundation was laid. The total length of the fortress walls is about 6.5 km. At that time, fortifications were being built in many cities. Usually they were modest in size, ordinary peoplesettled behind the walls. In the event of an attack by enemies, the entire population of the city took refuge in the fortress and began to defend. Things were quite different in Smolensk. The new fortress wall encircled the entire city, there were no settlements outside its perimeter.
Description and scheme of the Smolensk Kremlin
Initially, the fortress walls formed a complex irregular closed figure, one side of which stretched along the Dnieper. The Kremlin had 38 towers, 7 of which were travel towers (had gates). The thickness of the walls was 4-6 meters, in some places their height was 16 meters. Additionally, the fortress was protected by an earthen rampart and a moat. The main gate had a lifting mechanism. The Smolensk Kremlin was a real miracle of engineering. Its walls had three levels of combat: plantar, middle and upper. For its time, this is an important invention of military architecture.
Smolensk fortress in military history
In 1609, Sigismund III advanced with an army of about 22,000 soldiers to Smolensk. The defense of the city was headed by the local governor M. B. Shein. The forces were initially unequal, since the defenders of Smolensk numbered only about 5,000 people. But, despite this fact, the city did not give up for 20 months. During the siege, the soldiers of Smolensk demonstrated valor and courage. The stocks of food and firewood were gradually running out, and mass diseases were noted due to unsanitary conditions. In the spring of 1610, 150 people died every day, but the defenders of the city were not going to give up. Smolensk Kremlin was busyattacked only in the summer of 1611. In 1654, after the Russian-Polish war, the fortress was returned to the Russian kingdom. The Smolensk fortress was significantly damaged during the Patriotic War of 1812. The Kremlin lost 8 towers, but some sections of the walls could still be used for defense.
Preserved towers
Once the fortress in Smolensk boasted 38 towers. Only 17 of them have survived to our time. The Volkov Tower (Volkhovskaya, Semenskaya, Strelka) was rebuilt during the restoration in 1877. The fate of the Kostyrevskaya (Powder, Red) tower is similar. The building, erected after complete destruction, has been restored today, and there is a functioning cafe inside. The Luchinskaya Tower, or Veselukha, is one of the most favorite places for the citizens to relax. An incredibly picturesque view of the surroundings opens from its foot. The following towers of the Smolensk Kremlin have survived to this day in various states: Pozdnyakova (Rogovka), Gorodetskaya (Orel), Avraamievskaya, Za altarnaya (Belukha), Shembelevka, Zimbulka, Voronin, Nikolsky Gates, Makhovaya. Gromovaya is of the greatest interest for tourists - it houses a branch of the historical museum, and Donets, near which you can see memorials dedicated to the defenders of the city in 1812 and 1941-1945. The Kopytitsky Gates have been preserved almost in their original form, they got their name in honor of the road along which the herds were driven out to pastures before the construction of the Kremlin. Bublaika's tower is also unusually named. According to legends, sound signals were given from it when approachingopponents. On the site of the Pyatnitsky Gates today stands the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built in 1816. Another new building in the Kremlin is the Kassandalovskaya Tower, which today houses a museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. A temple was erected on the site of the Dnieper Gate in 1793, and today a Sunday school is open here.
The main attraction of Smolensk today
From the great Smolensk fortress, only 17 towers and fragments of walls have survived to this day. While walking around the city center, tourists have the opportunity to accidentally stumble upon the preserved elements of an ancient fortification. The Smolensk Kremlin, whose history is closely intertwined with the history of our state, is recognized as a monument of Russian architecture of the 16th-17th centuries. It has been restored several times, but there is no talk of a complete restoration of this building yet. The surviving towers are in a different state, some of them are museums for tourists, others are some kind of public and commercial organizations. It is worth noting that even in their current state, the walls of the Smolensk Kremlin look amazing. Be sure to visit this unique attraction in person during your trip to Smolensk.
