Ivangorod Fortress

For a fortress in Poland known as Ivangorod Fortress in the past, see Dęblin.
The Narva river, with the Ivangorod Fortress in Russia on the right, and the reconstructed Hermann Castle in Estonia on the left.
View of Ivangorod Fortress from the opposite riverbank in Narva, Estonia
Ivangorod Fortress on the Narva river

Ivangorod Fortress (Russian: Ивангородская крепость; Estonian: Jaanilinna linnus; Votic: Jaanilidna) is a castle in Ivangorod, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It was built in the 15th century. It is located on the east bank of the Narva River, which currently forms the international border between Russia and Estonia, across from the city of Narva in Estonia.

Ivangorod Fortress was established during the reign of Ivan III in 1492, intended to reaffirm Muscovy's access to the Baltic Sea and to form a bulwark against the Teutonic Order, being built opposite the powerful Teutonic Hermann Castle. The fortress eventually grew into the town of Ivangorod, and the structures of the fort were gradually expanded and strengthened.[1] Ivangorod Fortress was controlled by Sweden after the end of the Livonian War in 1583, changing hands numerous times during conflicts and border shifts over the following centuries. Following World War I, the fortress was used as a prisoner of war repatriation camp from 1920-21. After World War II, the fortress returned to permanent Russian rule through the Soviet Union. Ivangorod Fortress is now a museum and a tourist attraction.

  1. ^ Nossov, Konstantin (2012). Russian Fortresses 1480-1682. Osprey Publishing. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-78096-984-8.