Kronshtadt

In the first half of the 20th century the Kronshtadt "Commune" aimed to break the monopoly of the Communist Party and to give back to peasants the right to use their land freely; the revolt lasted two weeks, seriously jeopardizing Lenin's hold on power, but was finally bloodily repressed. Tellingly, the streets of Kronshtadt are still named after Marx and Lenin, and the town still seems to live in the past, as if to hold on to the mighty era of the Soviet military machine. Despite being in dire condition, Kronshtadt is proud of its naval pedigree. Its significance was gradually diminished by the development of St. Petersburg throughout the 19th century, but there are still military and scientific vessels using its harbors. Off the shore of Kotlin Island are several forts that were constructed during the Crimean War (1853-56). The most interesting of these is Fort Aleksandr, which in the 19th century was turned into a laboratory to research the bubonic plague. These days it's a favorite stop-off point for yachters sailing either from Kotlin Island or St. Petersburg; it also hosts the occasional evening dance in summer. One of Kronshtadt's highlights is its Church of Seamen (Morskoi Sobor), built between 1902 and 1913 by Vassili Kosyakov—the finest example of neo-Byzantine architecture in Russia. Other sights include the Gostinny Dvor (one of Kronshtadt's first buildings and now a department store in need of renovation), the Summer Garden, and the Menshikov Palace, now a club for the island's sailors.