Photo "Karosta. Latvia. Northern Forts"

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Karosta. Latvia. Northern Forts

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Vandraren Mikhail add to favorites

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Around the city was built a system of forts and fortresses on the orders of Alexander III in 1894-1908, replete with numerous fortifications, artificial canals and gunpowder cellars. But today it’s just history-preserving stones, whose power is gradually giving way to the onslaught of the surging sea waves and a gale. In August 1914, the First World War began. Shortly before its beginning, Nicholas II, in order to reveal his peacefulness to the whole world, ordered to blow up the concrete forts of Libava Fortress. Thanks to this wise decision, the troops of Kaiser Wilhelm already by 1915 came close to Riga.
This place may seem familiar to you - they filmed Moonsund based on the novel by V. Pikul. It is a pity that today this battery has not been preserved in its original form, even in the same as it was shown in the film. In the early 90s, an unexploded 500-kg bomb was found in this area. Latvian sappers found it impossible to transport the bomb and stuck it in the corridor of the nearest battery, where the bomb was detonated. The explosion was very strong, the entire front of the battery, facing the sea, fell off.
The fort still stands, but the sea is steadily winning back - year after year, stone by stone. 

published:

mon 21 Oct 2019 19:32

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