The Peter and Paul Fortress (Russian: Петропавловская крепость, Petropavlovskaya krepost) is a historic and iconic landmark in Saint Petersburg, Russia, located on Zayachy (Hare) Island in the Neva River delta. Founded on May 27, 1703, by Peter the Great, it is the city’s original citadel, established to defend against Swedish forces during the Great Northern War (1700–1721). Designed by Swiss-Italian architect Domenico Trezzini, the fortress is a star-shaped bastion complex centered around the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, which houses the Romanov dynasty’s tombs. Beyond its military origins, it served as a political prison, mint, and ceremonial site, and since 1924, it has been the State Museum of the History of Saint Petersburg, showcasing the city’s founding and imperial legacy. Its Petrine Baroque architecture, strategic Neva location, and multifaceted history—spanning defense, incarceration, and culture—make it a cornerstone of Saint Petersburg’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic center.
The Peter and Paul Fortress was conceived as the foundational act of
Saint Petersburg, marking Peter the Great’s ambition to secure Russia’s
Baltic frontier and establish a new capital to rival European cities. In
1703, during the Great Northern War, Peter captured the Neva delta from
Sweden, choosing Zayachy Island for its strategic position controlling
river access to the Baltic Sea. On May 27, 1703 (May 16 in the Julian
calendar), Peter laid the fortress’s foundation, naming it after Saints
Peter and Paul, his patron saints, aligning with his vision of a
Christian, Europeanized Russia. The date is considered Saint
Petersburg’s founding, celebrated annually as City Day.
Initially
built with earth and wood under engineer Jean Lambertus, the fortress
was vulnerable to attack. From 1706 to 1740, Domenico Trezzini oversaw
its reconstruction in stone, creating a six-bastion star fort, a design
inspired by French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The
fortress’s bastions—named Gosudarev, Menshikov, Zotov, Golovkin,
Trubetskoy, and Naryshkin—honored Peter and his allies, with Menshikov’s
bastion reflecting Alexander Menshikov’s role as governor-general.
Completed in 1740, it never saw combat, as Sweden’s defeat in 1721
rendered it obsolete militarily, a fate shared with many European
fortresses of the era.
The fortress’s role quickly diversified.
By 1712, it housed the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, designed by
Trezzini as the Romanov necropolis, with Peter I’s burial in 1731
establishing its imperial significance. From 1718, the Trubetskoy and
Alekseevsky Bastions became a political prison, detaining figures like
Tsarevich Alexei (Peter’s son, tortured and killed in 1718), Fyodor
Dostoyevsky (1849), and Leon Trotsky (1905), earning it the moniker
“Russia’s Bastille.” The Mint, established in 1724, produced Russia’s
coins until 1996, while the Commandant’s House and Engineers’ House
served administrative functions. The fortress also hosted scientific
experiments, such as weather observations and rocket launches, signaling
time and floods.
During the 1917 Russian Revolution, the fortress
was a Bolshevik stronghold, with its garrison supporting the October
Revolution, a role paralleling the Finland Station’s revolutionary
significance. The Soviet era saw its conversion into a museum in 1924,
though the cathedral remained a necropolis, with Nicholas II’s family
reinterred in 1998. The Siege of Leningrad (1941–1944) caused minor
damage from shelling, repaired in the 1950s, and the fortress’s
resilience mirrored that of St. Nicholas’ Naval Cathedral. Post-1991, it
became a cultural hub, hosting exhibitions, concerts, and the daily noon
cannon shot, a tradition since the 18th century, akin to Edinburgh
Castle’s One O’Clock Gun.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is a stellar example of Petrine Baroque
architecture, blending military functionality with aesthetic elegance,
designed by Trezzini to reflect Peter’s Europeanizing vision. Covering
5.7 hectares, the hexagonal star fort features six bastions connected by
curtain walls, surrounded by a moat and the Neva River, creating a
formidable yet picturesque silhouette. Its red-brick and granite
construction, with white stucco accents, aligns with the Twelve Colleges
and Menshikov’s Palace, contrasting with the neoclassical Tavrichesky
Palace.
Fortress Walls and Bastions: The star-shaped design, with
six protruding bastions, maximizes defensive angles, inspired by
Vauban’s fortifications like Lille’s citadel. Each bastion, 100–150
meters wide, is named for Peter’s allies, with Gosudarev (Sovereign)
symbolizing his leadership. The walls, 10 meters high and 5–6 meters
thick, are faced with granite, quarried from Karelia, and topped with
embrasures for 500 cannons, though only a few were installed. The
Naryshkin Bastion, hosting the noon cannon, is a visitor highlight, with
panoramic Neva views. The Petrovsky Gate, the main entrance, is a
Baroque triumphal arch with a pediment and relief of Peter as a warrior,
sculpted by Konrad Osner in 1717, evoking Roman arches like Lisbon’s
Aqueduct Gate.
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul: The fortress’s
centerpiece, this cathedral (1712–1733) is a Petrine Baroque
masterpiece, with a 122.5-meter golden spire topped by an angel, the
city’s tallest structure until the 20th century. Its rectangular nave,
gilded iconostasis by Ivan Zarudny, and 41 Romanov tombs, including
Peter I and Nicholas II, make it a necropolis rivaling Westminster
Abbey. The spire, rebuilt in 1858 by Konstantin Thon with a metal frame,
and the 2001 carillon of 51 bells add architectural and sonic grandeur,
distinguishing it from the fortress’s utilitarian walls.
Key
Buildings:
Commandant’s House (1743–1746): A red-brick Baroque
residence for the fortress commander, it now houses exhibitions on Saint
Petersburg’s history, with restored 18th-century interiors, including
tiled stoves and parquet floors, akin to Menshikov’s Palace.
Engineers’ House (1749): A functional building for fortress engineers,
it hosts temporary exhibits, with simpler decor reflecting its secondary
role.
Trubetskoy Bastion Prison (1872): A grim, red-brick complex
with 69 cells, it displays artifacts from political prisoners like
Dostoyevsky and Trotsky, its stark interiors evoking the Bastille,
unlike the opulent Literary Café.
Mint (1724–1996): A neoclassical
annex by Antonio Porto, it produced coins and medals, now housing
numismatic exhibits, complementing the fortress’s administrative legacy,
similar to the Twelve Colleges.
Grand Ducal Vault (1896–1908): A
separate building by David Grimm and Leonty Benois, it holds 60
non-reigning Romanov tombs, with simpler sarcophagi than the
cathedral’s, accessible via a gallery, adding to the necropolis
narrative.
Surroundings: The fortress occupies Zayachy Island, a
750x400-meter oval surrounded by the Neva, with granite embankments and
a moat enhancing its defensive aesthetic. The cobblestone courtyard,
with Mikhail Shemyakin’s 1991 Peter I statue—its distorted proportions
sparking debate as a “weird” element—offers a central gathering space.
The Neva’s Kronverksky Strait, crossed by the Ioannovsky Bridge (1703,
rebuilt 1952), connects the fortress to the Petrograd Side, with views
of the Winter Palace and Rostral Columns. The beach along the fortress
walls, used for sunbathing in summer, adds a modern, casual contrast to
its martial history, unlike the formal Tauride Gardens.
The
fortress’s Petrine Baroque style, with its red-and-white palette and
geometric clarity, reflects Peter’s Dutch and Italian influences,
contrasting with the Gothic Revival Chesmenskiy Palace or the Russian
revival Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Its star-shaped layout,
while militarily obsolete, remains a visual icon, enhanced by the
cathedral’s spire, a beacon akin to the Rostral Columns’ torches.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is a multifaceted symbol of Saint
Petersburg’s founding, imperial power, and cultural resilience, with a
significance that spans several dimensions:
Petrine Foundation:
As the city’s birthplace, the fortress embodies Peter the Great’s vision
to create a European capital, securing Russia’s Baltic access. Its
founding on May 27, 1703, marks Saint Petersburg’s origin, celebrated
with festivals, paralleling the Kunstkamera’s role as Peter’s scientific
legacy. The cathedral’s Romanov tombs, housing Peter I to Nicholas II,
cement its imperial centrality, unlike the Tavrichesky Palace’s later
political focus, making it a physical and symbolic anchor for Russia’s
modernization.
Political Prison: The Trubetskoy Bastion’s role as a
prison from 1718 to 1921, detaining figures like Alexei, Dostoyevsky,
Trotsky, and Lenin’s brother Alexander Ulyanov (executed 1887), marks it
as a site of political repression, akin to the Bastille or Tower of
London. Its grim history, from tsarist torture to Bolshevik
incarcerations, adds a dark tourism layer, as noted in haunted contexts,
contrasting with the Literary Café’s literary allure. The prison’s
exhibits, detailing prisoners’ lives, offer a sobering counterpoint to
the cathedral’s imperial grandeur.
Imperial Necropolis: The Cathedral
of Saints Peter and Paul, with 41 Romanov tombs and the 1998 reinterment
of Nicholas II’s family, is a shrine to Russia’s dynasty, chronicling
triumphs and tragedies. The reinterment, attended by President Boris
Yeltsin, was a post-Soviet act of reconciliation, mirroring the
Spaso-Konyushenny Church’s restoration, though debates over Nicholas
II’s canonization reflect ongoing tensions, similar to the Finland
Station’s Lenin legacy. The Grand Ducal Vault’s 60 tombs further enrich
this narrative, distinguishing the fortress from purely military sites
like the Chesmenskiy Palace.
Architectural Milestone: Trezzini’s star
fort and cathedral set a precedent for Saint Petersburg’s Petrine
Baroque, influencing Menshikov’s Palace and the Twelve Colleges. The
122.5-meter spire, taller than Moscow’s Ivan the Great Bell Tower (81
meters), symbolized Russia’s ascendancy, a theme echoed in the Alexander
Column’s 47.5-meter height. The fortress’s UNESCO World Heritage status,
as part of the city’s historic core, underscores its global value,
though its martial design contrasts with the romantic Gothic of the
Chesmenskiy Palace.
Cultural Hub: The fortress’s role as a museum
since 1924, with exhibitions in the Commandant’s House, Trubetskoy
Bastion, and Mint, chronicles Saint Petersburg’s history, complementing
the Zoological Museum’s scientific focus. The noon cannon, fired daily
from Naryshkin Bastion, is a cultural ritual, akin to the Palace
Bridge’s draw, while carillon concerts and summer festivals, like jazz
events, add vibrancy, paralleling the Sheremetev Palace’s music
evenings. The Shemyakin statue, with its eerie proportions, enhances its
weird appeal, aligning with haunted narratives like the Bronze
Horseman’s ghost.
The fortress’s survival through the 1917
Revolution, Siege of Leningrad, and Soviet secularization, like St.
Nicholas’ Naval Cathedral’s resilience, underscores Saint Petersburg’s
endurance. Its multifaceted roles—fort, prison, necropolis, mint, and
museum—distinguish it from single-purpose landmarks like the Rostral
Columns, making it a microcosm of the city’s imperial, revolutionary,
and cultural history.
As of 2025, the Peter and Paul Fortress is the State Museum of the
History of Saint Petersburg, open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (until
8:00 PM on Thursdays, closed Wednesdays for the cathedral). Located at
Peter and Paul Fortress 3, Zayachy Island, it is accessible via metro
station Gorkovskaya (10-minute walk) or tram from the Palace Embankment,
with the Ioannovsky Bridge linking it to the Petrograd Side. A general
fortress ticket costs ~750 rubles ($7.50 USD), including the Cathedral
of Saints Peter and Paul (~550 rubles, $5.50 USD separately), Trubetskoy
Bastion Prison (~250 rubles, $2.50 USD), and Commandant’s House (~200
rubles, $2 USD), with discounts for students (~350 rubles, $3.50 USD)
and free entry for children under 7. Audio guides in English (~300
rubles, $3 USD) and guided tours (~5,000 rubles, $50 USD for groups) are
available, offering deeper context than the limited signage at sites
like the Zoological Museum.
Visitors typically spend 2–3 hours
exploring, with the cathedral’s gilded iconostasis, Romanov tombs, and
bell tower views (rare tours, ~1,000 rubles, $10 USD) as highlights. The
Trubetskoy Bastion Prison, with its stark cells and prisoner artifacts,
draws history buffs, while the Commandant’s House’s city history
exhibits appeal to general tourists. The noon cannon shot from Naryshkin
Bastion, fired daily, is a must-see, with crowds gathering for its
thunderous ritual, praised in Tripadvisor reviews (4.5/5 from ~2,000
reviews) for its “historical thrill.” The fortress’s cobblestone
courtyard, Shemyakin’s Peter statue, and Neva beach offer photogenic
spots, especially during white nights (late May to early July), when the
spire glows against the twilight, akin to the Rostral Columns’ torch
lightings.
The fortress hosts cultural events, including carillon
concerts, jazz festivals, and historical reenactments, listed on
ppsmuseum.ru, enhancing its vibrancy, like the Literary Café’s music
evenings. Exhibitions in the Engineers’ House, such as a 2023 display on
Petrine shipbuilding, rotate regularly, complementing the Mint’s
numismatic collection. The beach, used for sunbathing, adds a quirky,
modern contrast, noted in haunted and weird contexts, though summer
crowds can overwhelm, per reviews. Boat tours from the Palace Embankment
(~1,000 rubles, $10 USD) offer stunning Neva views of the fortress,
similar to Menshikov’s Palace’s riverfront allure.
Nearby
attractions include:
Kunstkamera (1 km), with macabre curiosities.
Rostral Columns (1.2 km), naval beacons on the Strelka.
Menshikov’s
Palace (1 km), a Petrine Baroque residence.
Cathedral of Saints Peter
and Paul (within the fortress), the Romanov necropolis.
Tripadvisor reviews praise the fortress’s “stunning views” and “rich
history” but note summer queues and occasional Russian-only guides, a
challenge shared with the Finland Station. The cathedral’s services
(e.g., June 29, Saints Peter and Paul) require modest dress (headscarves
for women, no shorts), and the fortress’s open spaces ensure
accessibility, unlike the restricted Chesmenskiy Palace. The museum’s
high curatorial standards, akin to the Hermitage’s Menshikov branch,
make it a top draw, though its prison’s grim history adds a dark tourism
layer, resonating with haunted narratives.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is a triumph of Petrine Baroque, its
star-shaped design and cathedral spire embodying Peter the Great’s
martial and cultural ambitions. Trezzini’s blend of Dutch functionality
and Italian elegance, seen in the Petrovsky Gate and cathedral’s nave,
set a precedent for Saint Petersburg’s architecture, influencing the
Twelve Colleges and Menshikov’s Palace. Its 122.5-meter spire, a
technical marvel, surpasses Moscow’s Ivan the Great Bell Tower,
symbolizing Russia’s ascendancy, a theme echoed in the Rostral Columns’
naval prows, though its fortress setting adds a defensive gravitas
absent in open-air monuments like the Alexander Column.
Historically, the fortress’s evolution from citadel to prison,
necropolis, and museum mirrors Saint Petersburg’s shift from a military
outpost to a cultural capital, paralleling the Tavrichesky Palace’s
imperial-to-parliamentary arc. The Trubetskoy Bastion’s prison history,
detaining revolutionaries like Dostoyevsky, adds a dark counterpoint to
the cathedral’s imperial tombs, a duality absent in the single-purpose
St. Nicholas’ Naval Cathedral. The 1998 Nicholas II reinterment, a
post-Soviet reconciliation, aligns with the Spaso-Konyushenny Church’s
revival, though debates over Romanov canonization reflect tensions
similar to the Finland Station’s Lenin legacy.
Architecturally,
the fortress’s star fort, while militarily obsolete, is a visual icon,
its granite walls and moat evoking European citadels, though its
red-brick aesthetic is less ornate than the Winter Palace’s Baroque
exuberance. The cathedral’s interior, with its gilded iconostasis,
rivals the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood’s mosaics but
prioritizes restraint, reflecting Petrine aesthetics. The loss of
original bells and minor wartime damage, repaired meticulously, raise
authenticity questions, akin to the Blagoveshchensky Bridge’s steel
upgrades, though the 2003 spire restoration is exemplary.
Culturally, the fortress’s spire and noon cannon are Saint Petersburg
icons, featured in art and media, like the Literary Café’s Pushkin lore,
but its prison and Shemyakin statue add a weird, haunted layer,
resonating with the Kunstkamera’s macabre exhibits. Its central
narrative—Peter’s legacy and Romanov history—overshadows secondary
stories, like the serfs who built it or the Mint’s economic role, which
could enrich its dark tourism appeal. The lack of interactive displays,
unlike the Hermitage’s digital guides, and occasional Russian-only
signage, noted in reviews, hinder engagement, a challenge shared with
the Zoological Museum, though audio guides and tours mitigate this.
Ethically, the fortress’s glorification of Peter and the Romanovs,
tied to serf exploitation and autocracy, risks sanitizing history, a
critique applicable to the Chesmenskiy Palace’s Chesme victory focus.
Highlighting the prison’s political prisoners or serf labor, as
suggested for Menshikov’s Palace, could balance the narrative, aligning
with modern trends seen in the Sheremetev Palace’s Akhmatova Museum. The
fortress’s accessibility, unlike the restricted Tavrichesky Palace,
democratizes its heritage, but its summer crowds and fortress layout can
overwhelm, requiring strategic planning.