Russia’s own man-made island fort, Fort Alexander

Located just off the coast of the Gulf of Finland from the Baltic Sea, Fort Alexander stands tall on its own man-made platform full of historical secrets and wonders spanning decades.

It was built in the mid-1800s, in order to guard St. Petersburg’s coastal areas. Contrary to what people would expect, the fort was not built on an existing island, but was completely constructed on a man-made foundation. The foundation is supported by a set of beams, that are installed into the sea floor.

The base of the fort is constructed out of concrete, sand and granite. The actual fort is made up entirely of brick and granite and consists of a main oval-shaped building, with a courtyard in the middle. The fort was built purely as defensive measure and was a preemptive effort in case of an attack. However, despite its purpose, the fort has never been involved in any direct military combat.

In the 1900s, the fort was the repurposed as a research base for the plague. Russian scientists found this isolated location ideal, in order to conduct investigations on infectious diseases like cholera, tetanus and the bubonic plague. The scientists experimented on horses to create serums and vaccines to cure different diseases.

The forts isolated location proved to be an advantage. Researchers, who were on the front-line to investigate various infectious diseases, eventually contracted the disease themselves and would have spread it to the public, if they had not been isolated.

In the 1980s, the medical research finally cease at the fort. It was abandoned and turned into an urban exploration site. Across the decades the abandoned fort full of mystery and history became a spot for young thrillseekers to explore. It even became host to raves in the later decade.

Nevertheless, Fort Alexander has definitely seen a lot of activity from various incidents throughout its existence. And till today, much of the fort is preserved and intrigues explorers to investigate the history behind it.

Fort Alexander is located in the Gulf of Finland which is north of St. Petersburg, Russia. It’s near the Kronstadt military installation. Visitors can explore the fort, by crossing over the frozen ocean during the Winter. If you’re visiting and intend to go there during the warmer seasons, you need to travel to the fort by ship.