Island of the week: Fort Alexander

Discover the man made island that housed both plague doctors and ravers…

Cultural Overview

Chumnoy Fort (Чумной форт in Russian) was built in 1703 in the Gulf of Finland, near St. Petersburg and Kronstadt. Perched on a set of powerful beams and made of layers of concrete, sand and granite, its mission was to protect the land from invaders.

Luckily, none of the 100 canons guarding the shore ever had to fire against an attacker, so Fort Chumnoy remained empty until 1897.

After a thorough refurbishment, the fort became a research facility focused on the study of the plague disease. Work was hazardous and there were three pneumonic and bubonic plague cases among the staff members in 1904 and 1907 resulting in two fatalities.

After 1917, the fort became the property of the Russian Navy, which maintained storage facilities and a repair shop there. By 1983, it was stripped of its fixtures and abandoned to become… a popular location for rave parties and thrill enthusiasts!

Administrative Divisions

You will find Fort Alexander at the following address: Kronshtadt, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 197760

Formerly called Leningrad and Petrograd, Saint Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city after Moscow. It has the status of a federal city, which is a title given to certain cities in Germany, Switzerland, the Russian Federation, India and the United States.

Russia has 3 federal cities: Moscow, St.Petersburg and Sevastopol.
The federal city of Saint Petersburg is divided into eighteen districts, which are in turn subdivided into municipal okrugs, municipal towns, and municipal settlements.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Atlas Obscura
Warhistoryonline
Wikipedia (St-Petersburg)