Menshikov Bastion, Military bastion at Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Menshikov Bastion is a defensive structure within Peter and Paul Fortress featuring two-story casemates built from brick with granite fortifications facing the Neva River. The walls form a substantial enclosure that overlooks the water and controls access to the harbor entrance.
Peter the Great laid the first stone of this stone structure in 1706, replacing a wooden construction from 1703. The bastion developed during the city's founding years as part of a strategic defensive line along the Neva.
The bastion takes its name from Alexander Menshikov, one of the most powerful men in the Russian Empire under Peter the Great. The structure still shows traces of its role as a center of power and defense in the young city.
The bastion is accessible via stairs and pathways within the fortress complex and can be explored on foot. Visitors should note the uneven surfaces and proximity to water, especially during colder months.
During a restoration project in 2012, construction equipment damaged historical bricks and 18th-century archaeological findings through moisture exposure. This work revealed how vulnerable the site is and the challenges in preserving old structures.
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