Kiev fortress

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kiev fortress (Ukrainian: Київська фортеця, Kyivs’ka fortetsia; Russian: Киевская крепость; Kievskaya krepost’) is a generic name for the 19th century fortification buildings situated in Ukrainian capital Kiev (Kyiv), that once belonged to western Russian fortresses. These structures (once a united complex) were built in the Pechersk and neighbourhoods by the Russian army. Now some of the buildings are restored and turned into museum called the Kyiv Fortress, while others are in use of various military and commercial installations.

Having lost their military importance in 20th century, buildings continued to be used as barracks, storage and incarceration facilities. However, some of them played independent historical roles. The Kosyi Kaponir ("Skew Caponier") became a prison for the political inmates in the 1900s–1920s and was later turned into a Soviet museum. Now it is the center of the modern museum. A small fortress built in 1872 on the legendary Lysa Hora (Bald Mountain) in 1906 became a place of executions for convicted political inmates. It is now a landscape reserve and part of the museum complex.