- Koporye
Koporye ( _ru. Копорье; _sv. Koporje) is a historic village ("selo") in
Leningrad Oblast ,Russia , located about 100 km to the west of St. Petersburg. It contains some of the most impressive medievalruins in Russia.The first wooden
fortress in the area of Koporye was built by theTeutonic Knights in 1240, only to be destroyed byAlexander Nevsky the next year.The second fortress was built in stone by Alexander's son Dmitry Alexandrovich in 1280. Enraged by the prince's independence, the
Novgorod ians razed the fortress two years later.Meanwhile the Swedes took advantage of this and occupied the banks of the Narova river. The Novgorodians had to restore the stone fort in 1297. Koporye was the strongest stronghold in the region and survived numerous attacks during the
Swedish-Novgorodian Wars .After Novgorod's incorporation into
Muscovy , the fortress was strengthened and rebuilt to withstandcannon fire. Most extant structures belong to that period. Russian forces surrendered Koporye during theLivonian War but regained it under theTreaty of Tyavzino .During the
Time of Troubles Koporye was attacked by 2,500 Swedes, ten times more than the defenders. The Russian garrison had to surrender, and Koporye remained Swedish until 1703, known as Koporje or Caporie/Capurien, a residential town of the "län " of Caporie, constituting an important part ofSwedish Ingria .In 1703, during the
Great Northern War , a major Russian army underBoris Sheremetev regained Koporye, which was defended by 80 Swedish soldiers under the commandant, Captain Wasili Apolloff. Huge gaps in the walls from the disastrous fire of the Russian artillery may still be seen.Despite some repairs undertaken in the 19th century, the fortress survives in a ruined state. Also ruined is the 15th century Church of the
Transfiguration within the fortress.External link s
* [http://enlight.ru/camera/106/index_e.html Photos of Koporye]
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