Fort Alexander

“Is that it?” a visitor might ask, gazing out at Fort Alexander. Fort Alexander rises from the Gulf of Finland, an imposing oval of granite and brick. It’s a captivating sight, this fortress on an artificial island, also known as the Plague Fort. Fort Alexander was commissioned by Emperor Nikolay I in 1845. It was named for his brother, Emperor Alexander I. The fort’s creation was a feat of engineering. Builders drove over 5,500 twelve-meter piles into the seabed. They then layered sand, concrete blocks, and finally, granite slabs, creating a foundation for the brick and granite fortress. Fort Alexander was intended to protect the waterways to St. Petersburg, alongside other fortifications like Fort Peter I and Fort Kronshlot. Ironically, the fort never saw battle. It played a passive role in the Crimean War, deterring the British and French fleets with its imposing presence and the surrounding minefields. By the late 19th century, advances in artillery made Fort Alexander obsolete for military purposes. It was struck from the military register in 1896. However, Fort Alexander’s story was far from over. The fort began a new, more secretive chapter in 1897. It became home to a research laboratory dedicated to studying the plague. The isolated location made it ideal for this dangerous work. Scientists worked within its walls, developing plague serums and vaccines. The work was perilous, as evidenced by the two plague-related deaths among the staff in 1904 and 1907. The laboratory closed in 1917. Fort Alexander was briefly used by the navy before being abandoned in the 1980s. Today, Fort Alexander stands as a silent sentinel in the Gulf of Finland. It’s a reminder of a complex history, encompassing both military might and scientific endeavor. It’s a place where ambition met obsolescence, and where the fight against disease played out within the very walls designed for war.