Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-10
COMMANDS SEA ROAD
TO RUSSIAN CAPITAL
Kfonstadt, Scene Of Recent Revolt
Interestingly Described by Geo.
graphic Bulletin.

In q war geography puiietih TIC
National Geographic Society gives the
following information about the forti-
ned city Of Kronstadt, where rebel
Russians attempted to set up q sepa-
rate government: ....
"Ths Malta Of the Baltic is the name
given to Kronstadt and the small Is
land of Kotlin which 1t occupies, but
q more appropriate name would pc
the Gibraltar OF Petrograd,' for the
supposedly impregnable fortress com.
mands the sea avenue to the great
Russian capital
The Island OF Kotlin, which Is a
little more than seven miles long and
. mile and q quarter wide. lies at the
in the fresh water discharged by the
River Neva- To the west is the Gulf
'Kotiin was first fortified in 1903 by
from the Swedes, but 1t was not until
seven years later that the great mon
arch laid out the town Of kronstadt
and began the systematic erection Of
ZEN are said to have been employed
In this work, but it was not completed
until the reign of Peters daughter
Intersected by Canals.
The town. which had population
Of $4,000 at the beginning of the world
war. is intersected by two waterway
lhe Canal of Peter the Great. begun in
a7z1. but not completed until thirty
one years later. and the Catherine
esanai constructed in i1s2; ~. Between .ts,ss n
palace Of Prince Menschikoff. one of
the most picturesque figures in all Rus
sian history. Born of the most humble
parents. Menschikofr at the age Of
~ cal In r,,aa MI in -
streets Of Moscow when he attracted
the attention Of Lefort, Peter the
Greats favorite. On the death Of the
latter Menschikoff succeeded to the
place Of honor with his sovereign and
served him energetically. 1t is said Of
Msnschikon that he could drill a reg
iment, build frigate. administer a
province and decaPitate q rebel with
Peter ne became the virtual ruler Of
Russia during the brief reign of Pc
tors widow. Catherine I. A turn Of
the wheel of fortune finally cast him
largely acquired through corruption.
was conflscated, and he and his family
were exiled to Siberia, where he died
In 1923.
Spends Fifteen Years on Defenses.
'The modern Notifications Of Kron-
stadt were designed in large measure
whose system of earthworks enabled
Sabastopol to resist the siege of the
French and English allies for 349 days
during the Crimean war. Todleben de-
voted fifteen years to Kronstadt's de-
lenses. profiting by his wide experience
at Sebastopol. The Notifications are in
the main low. thickly armored earth
works with large caliber Krupp guns
There are three we'll equipped harbora
tho naval. middle and commercial.
Guarding the approach to Petrograd
which Is nineteen miles to the east
Kf6nstadt IL also the chief station OF
Russia's Baltic feet
while the city has some trade in iron,
hemp. max. tar and oil. it Is handicap
ped to some extent commercially by the
fact that the harbors are icebound from
December to April. During these win
ter months the place Is decidedly dreary
in Appearance.
'Peterhof, a town Of $4,000 inhabit-
ants, founded by Peter the Great in
III and famous for it's imperial palace
built in imitation Of Versailles, lies to
the southeast of Kronstadt distance
of ten miles.
During the summer season in peace
times passenger steamers ply between
Kronstadt and Petrograd with ferry
boat frequency. the trip requiring an
hour and half"