CRONSTADT

CRONSTADT, or KRONSTADT, a strongly fortified sea-port town of Russia, and the great naval station of the Russian fleet in the northern seas is situated on the island of Kotline (frequently also called Cronstadt, from the town), at the head of the Gulf of Finland, 20 miles west of St Petersburg, in N. Lat. 59. 59. 26.; E. Long. 29. 46. 30. The population in 1849 was 25,120; but it varies considerably at different times of the year, and in summer generally amounts to about 50,000. The island of Kotline is in general outline an acute triangle, 7 miles in length by about 1 in breadth, with its base towards St Petersburg, and its apex extending obliquely seawards. The eastern or broad end is occupied by the town of Cronstadt; and $1\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$ miles from the western point of the island is the lighthouse of Tolboochin or Tolbeacon. The streets are regular, and in general well paved; but the houses, with the exception of those belonging to government, are chiefly of one story. The town was originally built of wood, and wooden structures are still numerous; but such buildings are now forbidden by law, and the majority of the houses are now built of brick and plastered. Cronstadt is divided into two parts—the Morskaja chast, sea district, and the Koopacheskaja chast or commercial district—and into four subdivisions. Of the two canals which traverse the town, that of St Peter, constructed of granite, is 2160 feet long by about 30 yards wide. It communicates between the Merchant and Middle Harbours, and is in the form of a cross, of which one arm communicates with a dock where ten ships of the line can be repaired at once. The Catherine canal, 1880 fathoms in length, communicates with the Merchant Harbour, and thus enables vessels to take their stores, munitions, &c. directly from the store-houses. Between the two canals stood the old Italian palace of Prince Menshikoff, the site of which is now occupied by a large building used as a school for pilots, and educating above 300 pupils. Among the other public buildings may be mentioned the extensive naval hospital, the civic hospital, arsenal, admiralty, cannon and ball foundry, custom-house, barracks, the exchange (a square range of shops), and the club-house; containing also a seminary in which soldiers' and sailors' sons are educated at the expense of government. The house of Peter the Great is still standing, and serves as a country residence for the military governor; and the garden still contains a few of the trees planted by his royal hand. On the south side of the town there are three harbours, formed artificially by means of piles supporting a superstructure partly of timber and partly of granite, and mounted with guns. The Western or Merchant harbour is capable of containing 600 vessels. Its western flank is formed by a mole running for a distance of 1000 yards in a direction nearly at right angles to the approach, and joining the land fortifications, which here traverse the breadth of the island. Opposite the fort of Cronslott this mole takes a new direction, running for nearly a mile almost parallel to the north side of the island, and separating the Merchant and Middle Harbours from the Little Roads. It has three bastions, on the first of which stands Fort Menshikoff, mounting forty-four 8 and 10 inch guns, in four tiers of casemates. The flank towards Cronslott is pierced with loop-holes for musketry on each of the three lower tiers. The Middle Harbour is used chiefly for the fitting out and repairing of vessels, the hulls being generally built at St Petersburg and brought here for equipment; and attached to it there are excellent docks, with pitch and tar works, powder-magazine, &c. The War Harbour, at the end of the Middle Harbour, is of a rectangular

form, about 900 yards in length by 350 in breadth. It has two bastions at the extreme end, and two on either flank; those on the west having their salient angles truncated, and an opening left in them for the passage of ships. On the northern side of the island the passage is impracticable, except for very small craft, being obstructed by rows of piles and large masses of stone extending from the island to Lisi Noss on the mainland. The southern channel is the only practicable passage from the Gulf of Finland to St Petersburg, and it is strongly defended on both sides by forts and batteries. The principal of these are Forts Alexander, Risbank, Peter, Cronslott, and that of Menshikoff already mentioned. The Great Road is commanded by Forts Alexander and Risbank, about 1600 yards apart. The former, on the left side of the passage, consists of a front with 4 tiers of embrasures, and two flanks of 3 tiers each, and a rear-wall mounted with guns en barbette. It is built of blocks of granite on a foundation of piles in 18 feet of water, and commands the road by one hundred and sixteen 8 and 10 inch guns, all in casemates. Fort Risbank, which was not finished last year (1853), on the opposite side, is also of granite, resting on a foundation of piles in 16 feet of water, and is armed with tiers of guns of the heaviest calibre. Farther eastward, on the left, is Fort Peter, or Citadel Fort, with three towers or bastions joined by two curtains; the first commanding the approach to the rear of Fort Alexander, while the second and third sweep the main channel. These bastions have twenty-eight guns in casemates, and twenty-eight guns above en barbette: the curtains have no casemates, but mount twenty guns en barbette. To the right of the Little Road is Cronslott, an irregular pentagon, originally built by Peter the Great. It presents to the sea a low line of timber casemates, forming a battery of forty guns placed à fleur d'eau, and disposed in the half of each of two bastions with a connecting curtain. All this work, however, has been destroyed, and last year (1853) the piles had been driven on which a granite fort was to be built, which by this time (Oct. 1854) is probably complete. The mole forming the western flank of the Merchant Harbour mounts seventy guns, besides twelve mortars; and the channel, between Cronslott and the mole, is only 250 yards wide. Almost all vessels bound for St Petersburg touch at Cronstadt, and those drawing more than 7 feet of water load and unload here; the goods being conveyed to and from the city in lighters. Vessels of 10 feet draught have, however, been known to go up with high water. The port is ice-bound during the winter months, from November to April. Cronstadt was founded by Peter the Great in 1703.