Citadel Pillau
Citadel Pillau
The history of the Pillau fortress began in 1543, and several warehouses were built at that time. In 1550-1600, attempts were made to build primitive defensive structures in the form of ditches and ramparts. But they used to be quickly filled with sand.
In the summer of 1626, the Swedish king Gustav ll Adolph faced the military action from Livonia to Prussia. On 6 July his troops occupied Pillau. The king set out to create a military base there, a foothold for the war with Poland. He commanded to build fortifications.
After the Swedes left Pillau in 1636, the fortifications were further constructed by Elector George Wilhelm, the then ruler of Prussia. But at first he had to redeem from the Swedish king what had already been done. The first time the construction was led by the Dutchman Matthias Wentz, then he was replaced by the talented fortifier Abraham von Dohna. As a result, a star-shaped fortress was established. She had five bastions, curtains and a ditch filled with water.
Water used to be supplied from the lagoon along a specially constructed fortress channel. Inside the citadel placed were barracks, a powder cellar, an arsenal, a grain warehouse as well as some premises for the commandant and officers. In the courtyard of the fortress, a church was built to serve the garrison.
In 1642, Pillau was visited by the Great Elector Frederick William. He has far-reaching plans to create his own navy.
In 1657, the military governor of Pillau ordered to cut down all the trees in half the territory of the spit and thereby improve the view of the area. The ill-considered actions resulted in the uncontrollable movement of sand and the risk to the fortress to be buried under it. It took many years to continuously fight against the elements.
On 18 October 1662, the Great Elector Frederick William arrived in Pillau with a two-thousand army. He hurried to Koenigsberg to suppress the rebellion of the Kneiphof oppositionists led by the sworn Jeromeus Roth.
The days of visiting Pillau by the Russian tsar Peter I in 1697 and 1711 are still commemorative for the inhabitants of the port city.
In 1725, after the unification of several villages, the town of Pillau was officially registered. Its coat of arms is divided horizontally in half. The upper part is painted red. the lower one - in azure. On the border of Heaven and Earth a silver-coloured sturgeon with a golden crown on its head are placed.
From 1758 to 1762, Pillau was occupied by the Russian troops. The old port facilities were modernised and some new ones were built.
In 1790 and later, around the middle of the 19th century, the fortress underwent major upgrading by preserving its original star shape.
In 1793, for the elimination of sandy disasters, it was necessary to plant trees and cover with clay between the mountain Pfuntbude and the citadel. The struggle against the elements was carried on until 1836.
In 1804, the mountain Pfuntbude was half-dug. In 1807, the French troops attempted to seize the fortress but they managed to get to Pillau only in 1812 due to Prussia’s being forced to agree.
In 1813, under the onslaught of the Russian troops, the French hastily left the citadel on the ice of the lagoon.
In 1913, 5,203 merchant vessels passed through the port of Pillau.
Since 1921, Pillau had become the base of the German fleet on the Baltic Sea.
During World War II, fighting for Pillau was particularly cruel. The Soviet troops entered Pillau on 25 April 1945. They blocked the fortress which continued senseless resistance. Only by the end of the day on 26 April, the fascist garrison capitulated.
The city of Baltiysk became the naval base of the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Navy. The fortress is still managed by sailors but there are intentions to turn it into a museum complex.
The information obtained from the publication Fortresses and Castles of East Prussia. Editor: S.V. Suprunova