Peter the Great's Naval Fortress on Naissaar

On Naissaar Island, you will find the structures of Peter the Great's Naval Fortress, which demonstrate the island's role in the former defense system of Tallinn and the entire Gulf of Finland. After the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Tsar Nicholas II ordered the construction of new coastal fortifications on the Baltic coast. Naissaar became one of the most important strongholds of the naval fortifications, and artillery batteries with the greatest firepower were built here.

Battery 10B housed a giant rotating gun platform. The gun barrel was 14 meters long, with a firing range of up to 30 km, and each shell weighed about 500 kg. The battery's command post was the highest defensive structure in the entire naval fortification. Battery 10A consisted of 2 two-story armored turret bases connected by an approximately 200-meter-long sand embankment. A railway ran under its cover, protected from enemy fire.

The structures can be explored with a flashlight, but caution is advised during the visit, as these are historical military sites.

Access to Naissaar from Tallinn is seasonal by boat, fast launch, or sea taxi.