Why is Oreshek Fortress nicknamed the ‘Russian Bastille’?
The fortress on Orekhovy Island at the source of the Neva River near St. Petersburg was built by the Novgorodians in the mid-14th century.
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.
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’.
Now, the fortress houses a museum and you can reach it by boat from Shlisselburg.
