Kronstadt

Understand

thumb|350px|Naval Cathedral 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.

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 (in 2013).

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

See

300px|thumbnail|Peter The Great

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.

Sleep

thumbnail|Kronstadt Tide Gauge