“A cold wind whispers through the crumbling brick. This is Fort Żaliwickiego also known as Fort Jasińskiego one of the Warsaw Citadel’s forts.
Built between 1835 and 1836 it was among the first fortifications of the Citadel. It served as the Citadel’s foremost defense. Larger than the other surrounding structures it was crucial to the city’s protection.
Its name honors Lieutenant Julian Żaliwicki. He fought for the Russians. He was severely wounded during the November Uprising. He died in Paris and was buried here on December 6 1835.
The fort was a remarkable structure of earth and brick. It had two powerful brick gun emplacements. A wet moat and a brick counterscarp surrounded the fort. Legends speak of a secret tunnel beneath the Vistula River connecting the fort to the Citadel itself. But those stories remain unconfirmed.
The fort survived well into the latter half of the 20th century. During the Polish People’s Republic it housed ZOMO barracks. ZOMO stands for Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej the Motorized Reserves of the Citizen Militia. Between 1976 and 1977 the southern gun emplacement underwent renovations thanks to the ZOMO units. A plaque commemorates their efforts. The police later took over the buildings. They used the fort to house their mounted units.
A housing development for police officers was built nearby in 2001. Some fort structures remain. Yet the construction disregarded preservation rules. This damaged the precious historic site and its layout. Plans once existed to integrate the fort into the new housing development. The idea was to create a park and recreation area. The fort’s shape and historical features would have been preserved. This approach was similar to the preservation of Fort Szcza-M in Warsaw’s Rakowiec district.
In 1975 the fort was added to the register of historic monuments under the name Fort Jasińskiego. The fort’s esplanade influenced the design of 11 Listopada Street. The street was renamed Esplanadowa Street.
Fort Jasińskiego stands as a testament to Warsaw’s history. It is a reminder of its resilience and struggles. It’s a place where the echoes of past battles and political upheavals linger in the very stones.”