The originally wooden fortress at Shlisselburg was built in the mouth of the Neva river in 1323 though there was another fortification there before it. At the time it was called Oreshek, after the island it stands on. Oroshek means nut, the island being nut shaped.
In 1352 it was rebuilt in stone. It was taken by Sweden in 1611 during the Ingrian War. During the great Northern War it was recaptured by Russia and renamed Shlisselburg, from the German meaning key fortress. Peter the Great considered it to be the key to Ingria (a historical Baltic region).
There's a whole area of history there that I know little about. At least I've heard of Peter the Great.
"Nut-shaped"? What the heck is nut-shaped? ;)
ReplyDeletePeter the Great was a nut case, some say...
Rasputin was drowned in the Neva. Another oreshek.
@Max, various things come to mind as far as nut shaped is concerned. Small dogs? I don't know, that's what I was told.
ReplyDeleteLol @ "nut-shaped." Great, great collection, wow!!
ReplyDeleteInteresting history! I love things like this that belonged first to one country, then another, then another. My grandfather and great-grandfather were born in the same town but in two different countries!
ReplyDeleteHow intriguing, Emm!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting. I did a cruise once that stopped in St. Petersburg, Russia for fifteen hours - on the 4th of July. It was very moving - a little group of musicians, in front of the Hermitage, played every U. S. song possible, including things like "Georgia" and
ReplyDelete"Stars Fell on Alabama".