Shlisselburg (Fort Oreshek)

Travel Stories - Russia

Fort-Oreshek-Shlusselburg-Shisselburg-Island-WW2-stronghold-Red-Army-Russia-Ladoga-lake

introduction

At half past nine we are in a big bus that takes us from St. Petersburg in 40 minutes to the strange name Shlisselburg which originally comes from the German name key city. After about three quarters of an hour we get off the bus at the final stop in what turns out to be the center of the city.

The street and the square is full of holes and is now filled with puddles because of the rain. There are a number of buses waiting along the road and some kiosks. We walk over a small bridge and look at the old locks. In parallel, we look at the wide Neva river that we have just passed in the direction of the famous Ladoga lake. In a small park there is a whole collection of guns and other weaponry. We walk along a canal which is a tributary of the Neva along old wooden houses and dilapidated halls.

We ask a man who’s fishing here how to get to the fort what we see further up. Of course it is exactly on the junction of the lake and the river. We have to walk back, he says and then take a boat. We walk back along the river and arrive at the pier where we buy a ticket for the boat return. At 11:00 there is another boat (every half hour). Fifteen minutes later the engine is started and we leave with another three people on board. The sky is gray and it starts to rain in a gentle way.

History of Fortress Oreshek

On September 8, 1941, the Germans conquered the city of Shlisselburg and advanced eastward along the south side of Lake Ladoga. From that moment on, the link between Leningrad on the one hand and the rest of the Russia on the other hand was only possible by air and water (the lake).

Air transport was almost impossible due to the lack of aircrafts and the force majeure of German aircraft and anti-aircraft guns. Until the frost came and the lake froze Russian ferries went up and down the lake to transfer goods and people. The most horrible time for the inhabitants of the besieged Leningrad began. An ice rink was constructed from side to side, 30 km long, to supply the city, but it was constantly shot at and was extremely short. Until the end of April, the "way of life" would be the only way to help the non-evacuated people in Leningrad. Between September 1941 and March 1943 more than a million people were evacuated from the city. On June 18, a 35 km long pipeline was built in record time; an electric pipeline was also installed in autumn.

The fort of Oreshek, very strategically located north of Shlusselburg on an island, was never conquered by the Germans which led to big frustration by the Germans and Hitler. Due to the location of the fort and the presence of Russians, Leningrad could not be completely shut off. On 8 October 1941 the fort garrison was supplemented with additional troops. In the 498 days that the fort was surrounded, thousands of German bombs were thrown at the old Tsarist fortress and largely destroyed.

The Russians not only retained the fort but also caused large losses in personnel and ammunition among their attackers. On 18 January 1943, the Russians managed to recapture Shlusselburg by attacking the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, thus forcing the breakthrough of the encirclement. The Russian soldiers in the Oreshek fort helped. A narrow corridor was formed and in record time a train track was laid down that was soon called the "road to freedom". A new train bridge of over one kilometer was also built just under the watersurface over the Neva, so more goods could be transported.

Another bridge followed 500 meters to the south over which military goods were transported. The bridges had to be constantly protected for the ice. The construction of all these bridges was carried out under constant artillery fire from the Germans. On 11 September 1943 the direct road could be used between Kobona and Schlusselburg. Ferries, bridges, roads and rails were constructed, which reversed the encirclement of Leningrad.

Visiting the fort

The exteriors of the high outerwalls and the towers have been renovated; we see that from miles away. Within 10 minutes we stand on the quay on the islandfort and pay the woman in the cash register the 200R entrance fee. We are happy to put our big bags in a shelterhouse for the time we are here. In the courtyard we first see the bright blue Pepsi parasols and a house for souvenir items.

What a shame. In the middle is a red brick ruin with a large black monument in it. This would be on top of a mass grave of 24 Russian soldiers. There are also some very large guns machine guns including information panels. Especially on the city (Shisselburg) side, the buildings have been completely destroyed. It is a miracle that the Russian defenders have sustained the battle here. We walk through a stone gate and have a view of the city on one side, while on the other side we can look up a large part of the gigantic Ladoga lake. The lake measures approximately 220 by 83 kilometers (width).

The average depth is 51 meters and the deepest point - in the northwestern part - is 230 meters below the waterline. There are about 660 islands in the lake. Until WWII the border between Finland and Russia ran through Lake Ladoga and the road over the frozen Lake Ladoga was the only way for contact between the surrounded Leningrad and the outside world in the winters during WW2. Along the Way of Life, 1.3 million people were evacuated and the city was supplied. During the Second World War, the Finns lost the north bank with the city of Sortavala and the Valaam Monastery, which was formalized in 1947 by the Paris Peace. Today, the Finnish-Russian border is 25 kilometers north from the lake.

We walk a bit along the outside of the wall, past one of the corner towers and are now at the back of the fort where there is a small beach. Here we see large freight ships pass with sand and other stuff. Pete is pampering in the water while I am going to look at the reinforced cornerspot where the canon foundations are still standing and bunker parts. We enter the fort again through a different gate and enter a cellar under the fort. There is a kind of museum with clothing, photos and old stuff from Tsarist times.

Some tour groups have arrived and it has started to rain very hard. We quickly walk past some information panels and climb the high fort walls for a good panorama over the courtyard. It is time to go back to Shisselbur by ferry.

Fort-Oreshek-Shlusselburg-Shisselburg-Island-Ferry-Russia-Ladoga-lake

tips & advice (2016)

The bus stop is located in the center of the city near the narrow bridge to the oldest part (the real castle so I presume) of the city where also the market is situated. Also here is the old lock and the port where the ferry goes to Fort Oreshek.

Shlisselburg - Saint Petersburg: bus 575 regularly goes to Saint Petersburg. Price is 70R and the journey takes exactly 40 minutes. End of the line is metro station Dybenko.

Next to the bus stop is a great local eatery where you can eat chicken and chips at a very reasonable price. You can also sit outside on the terrace. Nearby is a restaurant with a large wooden terrace where you can also sit inside. Here you can order a good piece of meat - shashlick. It is located near where the market is normally located.

Name: Starhouse

Address: Yekanoba 14

Price: 1500 R (double)

Phone nr. : 8 (921) 964 33 11; 8

Website: www.star-club.ru

Content:

Located in the oldest part of the city within walking distance of the bus stop and the ferry to the fort Oreshek this is a very good option. Very professional receptionist, clean and well functional toilet and shower and room. The latter is small (economic) but everything is in it except for a towel. She has about 10 different rooms with in different price ranges.

Shlisselburg (Fort Oreshek)

Travel Stories - Russia

introduction

Visiting the fort

tips & advice (2016)

see also:

LANDEN: