An hour's drive from St. Petersburg, on a small island of the Gulf of Finland, stands the Vyborg Castle - a stone fortress of the 13th century. It is much older than the northern capital of Russia and is the same age as Vyborg. The castle is unique for its history and the degree of preservation of the original construction. The stages of construction, completion and reconstruction of fortress walls and towers became a reflection of the history of this region and the formation of the northwestern borders of the Russian state. Many tourist routes lead to the castle, festivals and concerts are held here, excursions are constantly held.
The history of the Vyborg castle
Conquering new lands, the Swedes, during the 3rd Crusade, chose an island in the Strait of Finland, on which a prison of the Karelian tribe had long been located. To occupy a strategic position on the Karelian land, the Swedes destroyed the fortification of the indigenous inhabitants and built their guard fortress - a stone tetrahedral (square in diameter) tower surrounded by a wall.
The place for the new fortress was not chosen by chance: the towering position on a granite rock gave dominance over the surroundings, a lot of advantages for the military garrison when examining the lands, while defending and defending from the enemy. In addition, there was no need to dig a ditch, the water barrier already existed. The choice of the building site was very wise - the fortress successfully ensured the safety of Swedish merchant ships and never surrendered during a siege.
The tower got its name in honor of St. Olaf, and the town, formed inside the fortification and further on the mainland, was called the "Holy Fortress", or Vyborg. This was in 1293. The founder of the city, like the Vyborg Castle itself, is considered the Swedish Marshal Knutsson, who organized the seizure of Western Karelia.
A year later, the Novgorod army tried to regain the island, but the well-fortified Vyborg castle survived then. He did not give up for more than 300 years, and all this time he was in the possession of Sweden.
So, in 1495, Ivan III laid siege to the city with a large army. The Russians were confident of victory, but this did not happen. History has preserved the legend about the "Vyborg Thunder" and the sorcerer-governor, who ordered to carry a huge "hellish cauldron" under the vaults of the only tower left by that time. It was filled with an eerie solution of gunpowder and other flammable substances. The tower was blown up, the besieged once again won the battle.
Frequent sieges, sometimes with fires and the wishes of the changing Swedish governors, contributed not only to the restoration and restoration of the walls, but also to the construction of new office and residential premises, as well as watchtowers with loopholes. In the 16th century, the fortress took on the appearance that we see today; in the following centuries, changes were insignificant. Therefore, the Vyborg Castle won the status of the only fully preserved medieval monument of military architecture in Western Europe.
Once again, the Vyborg Castle decided to return to Russia Peter I. The siege of the fortress on the Castle Island lasted two months, and on June 12, 1710 it surrendered. As the Russian borders were strengthened and other outposts were built, the importance of Vyborg as a military fortress was gradually lost, a garrison began to be located here, then warehouses and a prison. In the middle of the 19th century, the castle was taken out of the military department and began to be reconstructed as a historical museum. But it opened only in 1960, after the city was part of Finland in 1918 and returned to the USSR in 1944.
Description of the castle
The Castle Island is small, only 122x170 m. From the coast to the island there is the Castle Bridge, which is hung with locks - the newlyweds attach them to the railings with the hope of a long family life.
From afar one can see the tower of St. Olaf with a height of 7 floors, the thickness of its lower walls reaches 4 m. In the basement and on the first tier, supplies were kept, prisoners were kept, on the second tier lived the Swedish governor and his people. A 5-storey main building of the fortress is attached to the tower, where previously there were living and ceremonial rooms, knights' halls, and the upper floor was intended for defense.
The castle tower was not connected with the outer wall, which had a thickness of up to 2 m and a height of up to 7 m. Of all the towers of the outer wall of the Vyborg Castle, only the Round and Town Hall towers have survived to this day. Most of the wall collapsed during numerous sieges, shelling and battles. Along the outer perimeter of the former fortress, part of the residential buildings where the military garrison was located has been preserved.
Museum "Vyborg Castle"
Of particular interest among tourists when visiting the fortress is the observation deck, which is located on the top floor of the St. Olaf tower. Everyone who wants to climb the steep staircase climbs 239 steps, having the opportunity to touch with their hands the history itself - the stones that remember the numerous sieges, the bravery of soldiers, bitter defeats and glorious victories.
From the windows of the intermediate floors, you can see the surrounding view: the buildings of the fortress, city buildings. The ascent is not easy, but such a stunning panorama opens from the observation deck that all difficulties are forgotten. The waters of the Gulf of Finland, a beautiful bridge, the multi-colored roofs of city houses, the domes of the cathedral are asked to be photographed. The general view of the city evokes comparison with Tallinn and Riga streets. Guides advise to look into the distance to see Finland, but in fact, a distance of more than 30 km will hardly allow this. To preserve its historical value, the tower and observation deck have been closed for reconstruction since February 2017.
We advise you to look at the Mir Castle.
The museum constantly renews its expositions: the already popular ones expand, new ones open. Permanent exhibitions include:
- expositions about the industry and agriculture of the region;
- an exposition dedicated to the beauty of the nature of the Karelian Isthmus;
- an exposition telling about the life of the city during the Second World War.
The largest influx of tourists to Vyborg is observed during the days of historical festivals. The Vyborg Castle hosts knightly tournaments, master classes on teaching some kind of craft, for example, archery, or medieval dances. In mass tournaments, a reconstruction of real battles is carried out, where both foot and equestrian knights in armor participate.
Medieval minstrels play on the territory of the fortress, fire shows are held, and dressed-up heroes invite spectators to dances, involve them in games. Separate entertainments await young guests, who in a playful way also get acquainted with the history of this region. The city comes to life during festivals, fairs and evening fireworks are held in it. But even on ordinary days in the museum, anyone is allowed to reincarnate as a medieval knight, squire. Girls try their hand at antique embroidery, and boys - in weaving chain mail. Also, the Vyborg castle hosts sports competitions, film festivals, rock concerts and jazz festivals, and opera performances.
Any resident of Vyborg will show the direction and address of the fortress: Zamkovy Island, 1. You can get to the island by the Fortress Bridge from 9:00 to 19:00, admission is free and free. But the museum is open only at certain times, it is open every day, except Mondays, and it is open from 10:00 to 18:00. The ticket price is low - 80 rubles for pensioners and students, 100 rubles for adults, children enter for free.
