Bomarsund
Bomarsund | ||
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The ruins of Bomarsund |
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Creation time : | 1832 | |
Conservation status: | ruin | |
Geographical location | 60 ° 12 '44 " N , 20 ° 14' 18" E | |
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Bomarsund was a Russian fortress on the Åland Islands in the northern Baltic Sea .
history
Construction of the fortress
The Åland Islands became part of the Russian Empire together with Finland in 1809 . In 1830, after 18 years of planning, construction of the fortress began, against which the then British Foreign Secretary and later Prime Minister Palmerston protested in vain. The fortress was seen as a strategic point for dominating the northern Baltic Sea, with the British and Swedes viewing the fortress as a potential threat to their trade and interests in the region.
destruction
During the course of the Crimean War , the fortress was destroyed in 1854 by a superior Anglo-French fleet. The fort's garrison had hundreds of guns, but the defenses on the land side were weak. In addition, the entire fortress was not even half finished.
On August 7, 1854, the Allied forces were assembled:
- British under Admiral Charles Napier ,
- French under Admiral Parseval-Deschênes
- approx. 12,000 landing troops under General Baraguay d'Hilliers
The Russian troops under General Bodisco capitulated on August 16, 1854, over 2,200 Russians were taken prisoner. After the islands were occupied, the Bomarsund fortress was blown up, and bricks were reused in buildings such as the Uspensky Cathedral and the Alexander Theater in Helsinki. In France and Great Britain, after this victory, there was hope that Sweden would join their alliance. The Swedish press warned against accepting the “ Danaer present ” from the Åland Islands in exchange for entering the war. Sweden remained neutral.
The first winner of the Victoria Cross , Charles Davis Lucas, received this award for his service in the fighting for Bomarsund. In 1854 a coal mine in Northumberland was called Bomarsund, and the place that has emerged there since then bears the name to this day. The mine itself was closed in 1965.
Prohibition of new construction
The Russians were not allowed to rebuild after the war: the Åland Convention of March 30, 1856 between Russia, Great Britain and France prohibited the construction of fortifications and naval bases as well as the stationing of troops on the islands. The agreement was part of the Paris Peace . British Prime Minister Palmerston told the House of Commons that this arrangement would create a barrier between Russia and the rest of Northern Europe.
Today the complex is a tourist destination. A visitor center with a museum is being planned. Every year in August the Bomarsundtage takes place with a historical market.
Web links
- The ruins of Bomarsund (English)
- The English and Finnish Bomarsund (English)
- Bomarsund Fortress on Burgenwelt.org (German)