Daugavpils Fortress, also known as Dinaburg Fortress or Dvinsk Fortress, is an early 19th century fortress in Daugavpils, Latvia. It is the only early 19th century military fortification of its kind in Northern Europe that has been preserved without significant alterations. [1] The construction of the fortress began in 1810 by decree of Tsar Alexander I of Russia, in the atmosphere of increased tension before Napoleon's invasion of the Russian Empire in 1812. Construction of the fortress, due to Napoleon's invasion, lengthy delays, serious floodings and slow construction work, was fully completed only in 1878.
The Mark Rothko Art centre is located in the former Artillery arsenal.
About 10,000 workers built the fortress in two shifts. In 1812, the fortress was attacked by a detachment of the French Army of 24,000 men. The fortress was still under construction and was defended by 3300 men with 200 cannons. The fortress was a significant modern military centre of the Russian Empire, for a long time being a defense base of the western frontier of the Russian Empire. The direct route taken by Russian nobles and Royalty from St. Petersburg (then capital of the Russian Empire) to Europe led right through the city of Daugavpils (then named Dinaburg), and Daugavpils Fortress was the place of rest for many nobles including tsars Alexander I, Nicolas I, Alexander II, Alexander III and Russia's last tsar Nicolas II. [2]
Latvian independence was officially recognised by Soviet Russia in 1920, and between 1920 and 1940 the fortress became home of the Latvian army. During World War II, the camp for Soviet prisoners of war Stalag 340 was set up by German army in the fortress. [2] The fortress' Baroque Jesuit church constructed from 1737 to 1746 was destroyed during the War.
In 1948–1993, the fortress was home to the Daugavpils Higher School of Military Aircraft Engineering (DVVAIU). In 1998 the fortress came under the authority of the State Real Estate Agency of Latvia. In 2004 the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia decided to sell the fortress either in parts or as one whole. The fortress's future remains uncertain. [2]
The Daugavpils Jesuit Church was built in the 1670s on the site of the today's fortress. [3] The first, small wooden (or wood and masonry) church was replaced ca. 1730-1746 by the large, Baroque masonry church. [3] In the 19th century it was turned into Orthodox church and in the interwar period it served as a Lutheran garrison church. [3] In 1944 it was destroyed and the ruins were completely demolished in the 1950s. [3]
"God Save the Tsar!" was the national anthem of the Russian Empire. The song was chosen from a competition held in 1833 and was first performed on 18 December 1833. It was composed by violinist Alexei Lvov, with lyrics written by the court poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It was the anthem until the February Revolution of 1917, after which "Worker's Marseillaise" was adopted as the new national anthem until the overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution of the same year.
Daugavpils is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region of Latgale, and those to the south lie in Selonia. It is the second-largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some 230 kilometres northwest and is the ninth most populous city in the Baltic states.
Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly was a Russian Field Marshal who figured prominently in the Napoleonic Wars.
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The Western Russian fortresses are a system of fortifications built by the Russian Empire in Eastern Europe in the early 19th century. The fortifications were constructed in three chains at strategic locations along Russia's western border, primarily to combat the threat of Prussia and Austria-Hungary, and to establish Russian rule in new western territories. By the late 19th century the fortifications were obsolete and the system became defunct by the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917.
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The Imperial Russian Army or Russian Imperial Army was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of regular troops and two forces that served on separate regulations: the Cossack troops and the Muslim troops.
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a Roman Catholic parish church in the city of Grodno. It was founded by Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania before 1389 during the Christianization of Lithuania. Because of its founder, it was commonly referred to as Vytautas' Church. Rebuilt as a Gothic church around 1494, it was one of Grodno's principal Catholic churches until the post-World War II Soviet occupation. It was used by the Russian Orthodox Church since 1804 for roughly a century after the Catholic church was confiscated by the Russian Tsar. It was given back to the Roman Catholic Church during the interwar and World War II, except during the Soviet occupation of 1940–1941. Neglected in the aftermath of World War II, it was finally demolished in 1961.
Dinaburga Castle, also known as Vecdaugavpils or Vecpils, is a castle located in Naujene Parish, Augšdaugava Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia, east of Daugavpils. It is strategically situated on a high bank of the Daugava River. It was built between 1273 and 1277 by the Livonian Order, and destroyed by Russian troops before 1577. Nowadays, fragments of the foundation are exposed.
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