Bobruysk Fortress

Babruysk Fortress is an early 19th century fortification in the Belarusian city of Bobruisk. The old fortress on the high right bank of the Berezina River is perfectly integrated into the surrounding landscape and has a glorious history. It played a major role in two wars – the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, and also served as a political prison for a long time.

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Highlights

By 1812, the Bobruisk fortress covered an area of 120 hectares and was considered the largest in Europe. Reflecting the attacks of Napoleon’s troops, the defenders of the citadel put up 300 guns against the enemy and managed to hold the French siege for about 4 months.

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During the Nazi occupation in Bobruisk fortress there was a concentration camp for prisoners of war, in which 40 thousand soldiers and officers died. When the war ended, the country did not need the old fortress, and it was decided to demolish it. However, the walls of casemates and redoubts could not be destroyed even with the help of dynamite. For some time the fort stood in desolation, and then it was turned into a tourist object.

Nowadays, the Bobruisk fortress has the status of a historical and architectural monument of national importance. It is in a semi-destroyed state. About 50 buildings have been preserved on the territory – redoubts, soldiers’ barracks, parts of earthen ramparts and Jesuit church. Excursions and archaeological excavations are conducted here.

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History of the construction of the Bobruisk fortress

Bobruisk fortress is often referred to as “Catherine’s Fortress”. However, such a name is erroneous and does not reflect historical realities. After the second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russia’s borders moved westward, and Catherine II drew attention to the strategically important location of Bobruisk. The Russian empress planned to erect a military citadel here, and in the last years of her reign, barracks, ammunition depots, and a hospital were built in Bobruisk.

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However, construction of the fort began only in 1810, during the reign of Emperor Alexander I. War was approaching, and Bobruisk together with Dinaburg (modern Daugavpils) were to cover the long defense line from Riga to Kiev, a length of 1200 km. Bobruisk was assigned an important role. It was supposed that in case of enemy attack from the west, it would become a rallying point for Russian troops.

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The idea of erecting the Bobruisk fortress on the banks of the Berezina River belonged to the military engineer Theodore Narbut and engineer-general Count Karl Opperman. The project prepared by them was approved by the sovereign in June 1810, and the large-scale construction began.

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First, the city with a 400-year history was wiped off the face of the earth. No old buildings were left here, except for the base of the Jesuit church, which became a warehouse for ammunition. The inhabitants of the city were evicted to the surrounding lands, offering them free timber so they could build themselves new homes.

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Bobruisk fortress grew very quickly, and thousands of serfs and soldiers worked on its erection. Building materials for the citadel were supplied from different parts of the country, so by the end of 1811 on the high bank of the river appeared a system of brick forts, connected by earth ramparts up to 10 meters high. The new fortress had passages dug underground and camouflaged trap pits called “wolf mouths.”

The fort in 1812

The fortress of Bobruisk was very well equipped. Its defenders were supplied with a year’s supply of ammunition and half a year’s supply of food. Here applied the most advanced military technology, so when Napoleon’s troops attacked Russia, the citadel 4 months withstood the siege of the French. In addition, in early July 1812, the fortress provided one and a half thousand new soldiers to the units led by General Bagration.

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Bobruisk fortress “grew” in front of the enemy unexpectedly, as the French expected to see only a small medieval town on the Berezina. Napoleon’s General Jan Dombrowski feared to take the powerful fort by storm and preferred a long siege. In November 1812, when the Russian army advanced, the Bobruisk fortress was liberated.

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History of the fortress in the 19th century

After the end of the Patriotic War, the Bobruisk fortress was modernized several times. It included a fortified fort, named “Friedrich Wilhelm” in honor of the Prussian emperor. Wooden buildings were replaced with stone ones, and underground tunnels were deepened and extended towards the forest so that the garrison could quickly evacuate in case of danger.

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After the suppression of the Decembrist uprising in 1825, the military fortress was turned into a political prison. Rebels against the authorities were punished here, and some participants of the December uprising were the first to be sent to hard labor.

The prisoners of the Bobruisk fortress were kept in small egg-shaped stone cells, where it was impossible to assume a natural body position. Many of them, after serving a few days in this way, were rendered insane by the agony they endured. Russian writer Alexander Herzen described the prison as “terrible” and said that imprisonment on the Berezina was much worse than Siberian exile.

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Bobruisk fortress during the Great Patriotic War

German units took possession of the old fort in the summer of 1941 and set up a concentration camp for prisoners in it. Soviet soldiers and officers were regularly tortured and shot here. In early November 1941, the Nazis set fire to part of the fortress, and during the fire 7000 prisoners died.

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Tourist information

The territory of the Bobruisk fortress is located in the Leninsky district of the city, between Karl Libknecht and Massonov streets. Semi-destroyed buildings have been partially restored, but most of them are in a ruinous state, so you should move around them with caution.

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On the territory you can see nine redoubts, a bastion with casemates, Opperman’s tower, about two dozen administrative buildings and sodden earth ramparts.

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The fact that the whole country participated in the construction of the fort can be seen by visiting the eastern gate of the Bobruisk fortress. There is an inscription on them: “From the Caucasus … this was delivered to the land of Belarusians. April, 27th day of 1811.”

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How to get there

Bobruisk fortress stands on the eastern outskirts of the city, 800 m from the railway station “Berezina”. It is not difficult to reach the old fort on foot along Yermak and Karl Libknecht streets. In addition, the Bobruisk fortress can be reached by buses № 11 and 11A (stop “Shop”).

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