Kronstadt

Kronstadt (Russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtádt) is a city of 44,000 people (2018) and military seaport on Kotlin Island, off Saint Petersburg, in the Gulf of Finland.

Understand
Kronstadt was founded by Emperor Peter the Great in 1704 as a maritime fortress and naval base on Kotlin Island. The name "Kronstadt" was invented by Peter the Great, and in German means "Crown City".

The port is ice-bound for 140–160 days in the year, from the beginning of December to April. A very large proportion of the inhabitants are sailors.

The Kronstadt Sea Fortress used to be considered the most fortified port in the world. Kronstadt still retains some of the "forts", small fortified artificial islands. Others were destroyed or recycled during the construction of the Saint Petersburg Flood Prevention Facility Complex, a brand new dam of protective structures, which connects the island to the shore and is part of the federal city's Ring Road. There used to be 42 such forts in line between the southern and northern shores of the Gulf of Finland. Some fortifications were inside the city, and one was on the western shore of the Kronslot Island (on the other side of the main navigational channel).

Until 1998, Kronstadt was a closed city, from then on it became a touristic attraction with free access to its territory. The exception is Kronstadt military harbor, and the territories of various military units stationed in the city and surrounding area. The architecture of the city center and city walls mostly dates from the first half of the 19th century.

In the 1970s and 80s, modern neighborhoods were built on the outskirts of the city.

By train
There is no direct rail service. The nearest station "Oranienbaum-I» in Lomonosov, which can be reached from the Baltyskaya station in St. Petersburg.

By car
Kronstadt is part of the Ring Road (CR) around St. Petersburg, which connects Kotlin island from the northern coast of Gulf of Finland, near Sestroretsk, and the southern coast, near the Little Izhora. To St. Petersburg through the Mountain Village, 35 km; to the metro station "Prospect Veterans", 60 km.

By bus
From St. Petersburg to Kronstadt there are several routes:


 * from metro station "Chernaya Rechka" - shuttle K-405;
 * from metro station "Staraya Derevnya" - shuttle K-510 and bus 101
 * from metro station "Prospect Prosvescheniya" - shuttle K-407
 * from rail station "Oranienbaum" - Bus 175

By boat
It's very easy to arrange waterborne transport to/from SPb, there are several operators. Contacts:


 * passenger pier Kronstadt: Ammunition per. 5, +7 (812) 311-33-17
 * passenger pier University: Coal Street., 14 g / d of Art. "Orienbaum-I», +7 (812) 422-87-21
 * trucking companies: JSC "Passenger Port", St. Petersburg, Obukhov Defense, 195, +7 (812) 262-50-88, central office +7 (812) 262-62-51

Get around
Kronstadt is small and compact enough to navigate on foot, but there are social and internal lines of buses. Route numbers of extensions are the letters "CD". The fare of ₽25 (in 2013).


 * 1Co - Leningrad pier - MAKAROVSKAYA gate.
 * 2KR - Leningrad harbor - Fort Schantz.
 * 3KR - Leningrad harbor - block 19B.

See




Among other picturesque public buildings, are the naval hospital, the British seamen's hospital (established in 1867), the civic hospital, admiralty (founded 1785), arsenal, dockyards and foundries, the school of marine engineering, and the English church.