The Kremlin in the center of the city of Belozersk in the Vologda region rises like a majestic earthen rampart, surrounded by a moat. On the map, it resembles a slightly rounded triangle. This monument of defensive architecture, which served as a fortress, storage, and prison, has lost its military significance. The Beloozersky Kremlin is the only defensive structure that has survived to this day, telling the story of the Russian people.

History of Creation

The Kremlin was built in the 15th century by order of Prince Ivan III as a fortification and a symbol of the strengthening of the Russian state. Its history is inextricably linked to Belozersk, the place for whose protection it was erected.

Cradle of the Russian North

Belozersk, one of the oldest Russian settlements, celebrated its 1050th anniversary in 2012. It is first mentioned in the "Tale of Bygone Years" in 862: "And three brothers were chosen... and the eldest, Rurik, settled in Novgorod, while another, Sineus, on Belozero..." Archaeologists believe that the settlement originated in the 10th century, as confirmed by excavations. Originally, Belozero was located on the right bank of the Sheksna River, but was later moved to the left bank. In the 14th century, the city was deserted due to an epidemic, but was restored in 1363-1364 on the shores of Lake Beloe, where it is located now.

Castle on the Northern Borders

Belozersk was situated equidistant from Moscow and Novgorod. The surrounding swamps and forests made access difficult, rendering it impregnable. Alexander Gvanyini described Belozero as a place protected by nature. Russian princes used Lake Beloe as a refuge in dangerous times. For example, Ivan III hid his family and treasures here during the "Great Stand on the Ugra." In 1487, after taking the title of "Sovereign of All Rus," Ivan ordered the construction of a new Kremlin to protect the prince's treasury.

How the Beloozersky Kremlin Was Built

Construction began with the digging of a moat, from which the rampart was piled up. It was reinforced with a wall of logs, towers, and wooden structures. In the 15th century, the fortress was a powerful fortification with a rampart one and a half kilometers long and up to thirty meters high. Around the rampart was a moat about sixty meters wide. Inside were courtyards, churches, and monasteries, as well as ponds and wells for extinguishing fires.

Kremlin Towers

The fortress was protected by eight combat towers. Five of them were blind: Spasskaya, Ozadskaya, Ilyinskaya, Lugovaya, and Petrovskaya. Three towers had gates: Pokrovskaya, Bogoslovskaya, and Ilyinskaya. The towers were armed with hand cannons and guns, but none of them have survived.

Fortress-Prison

Belozersk was used as a place of exile. In 1487, relatives of the Kazan Khan Alegama were exiled here, and in 1502, Khan Abdul-Latif. Prince Vasily Kholmsky was imprisoned here in 1508, and Kazan Khan Shah-Ali from 1533 to 1535. In 1560, Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky was exiled to Belozersk, but his confinement was comfortable.

Great and Sad Events

Until the 17th century, Belozersk remained safe, but in 1612, Polish-Lithuanian invaders captured and plundered the city. The Kremlin was restored but not modernized. Over time, it lost its defensive significance, and in 1758, the wooden structures were dismantled.

Our Days

Today, only the rampart, moat, artificial ponds, and some buildings, such as the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, have survived. It houses the iconostasis "Revelation of John the Theologian." The temple is a historical monument and is managed by the local history museum. In May, the "Night of Museums" project takes place, allowing for a closer acquaintance with history. The old Belozersk rampart still impresses with its size, as seen in photographs by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky from 1909.