Vladikavkaz Fortress, Military fortress in Vladikavkaz, Russia.
Vladikavkaz Fortress is a stone structure built at the entrance of Darial Gorge with multiple bastions along its defensive walls. The fortification combines semi-bastions and five-sided bastions in its design.
The fortress was built in 1784 under orders from Catherine the Great to protect the strategic route connecting Georgia with the Russian Empire. This establishment marked the beginning of Russian control over this key Caucasus passage.
The fortress contains an Orthodox church built under Catherine the Great's orders to acknowledge the religious practices of the region's inhabitants. This structure demonstrates how the Russian administration sought coexistence with the local population.
The fortress sits along the historic Georgian Military Road, which runs through the Caucasus Mountains and traverses the region. Visitors can explore the surroundings and access other points of interest along this famous route from here.
The name Vladikavkaz means 'I own the Caucasus' in Russian and reflects the empire's territorial ambitions of that era. This naming choice reveals much about the political intentions behind establishing the settlement.
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