The Imperial Fortress

Everyone has heard of Pskov as a medieval fortress, but few people know that back in 1915 Pskov was to become the last fortress of the Russian Empire, the last barrier for the Kaiser troops rushing to Petrograd. Hundreds of thousands of workers under the leadership of military engineers erected thousands of wood fortifications near the city. Now these fortifications, abandoned and forgotten, scattered in forests and fields, but even 100 years later they amaze with their size and scope of construction.

What awaits us:

Our tour will begin at the railway station of the city of Pskov, where the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II signed his abdication, and where the Russian Empire actually ceased to exist. Further, during a short sightseeing tour of the city, we will visit the places where the various institutions of the Northern Front were located, and above all its headquarters, in whose offices the fate of the empire was largely decided.

Further, during the trip outside the city (30 km on the asphalt highway, transfer is not included in the price), we will talk about what events on the fronts of the First World War led to the decision to build the Pskov (fortified) district and why the war led to the fact that the classical fortified fortress ceased to exist as a form of fortification.

Having reached the pine forest, we will begin to inspect the remains of the fortifications of the Pskov (Izborsk) position, which was part of the Pskov (fortified) district. We will inspect part of the infantry stronghold, which includes trenches and infantry shelters, and then move a little further and inspect the heavy batteries for 9- and 11-inch mortars, which have concrete gun bases. During the inspection, we will talk about what tasks were assigned to the positions, how and by whom they were built, what engineering and tactical solutions were used in the construction of structures. Then we will talk about what kind of service the positions ultimately served and whether they were used for their intended purpose, as well as what events were supposed to take place here in February 1918, but did not occur.