KRONSTADT, a naval port of the Russian S.F.S.R., situ ated on the island of Kotlin (Finnish Retusari or Rat Island) in the narrow bay in which the Gulf of Finland terminates, in 59° 59' N., 49' E. The waters to the north of the island are not navigable for large ships. To the south a sand bank stretches along the coast of Oranienbaum, so that the channel for large ships is close to the island, and forms the only way to Leningrad, which can be easily reached from Kronstadt. Fortifications are erected on the Oranienbaum coast, also, so that ships enter between forti fications to the north and south.
Since the Baltic countries have become independent, the strate gic impotance of Kronstadt has greatly increased, the coast of Finland being only I 5 km. and that of Estonia 75 km. from the island. It is the chief naval base of the Soviet Union, and admis sion to the war harbour, docks and forts is prohibited, while the number of inhabitants of the island is strictly limited. The strate gic value of Kotlin was recognized by Peter the Great, who cap tured Kotlin from the Swedes in 1703 and constructed a fort and docks on the island. It was renamed Kronstadt in 1823. It was at first an important commercial harbour, since ships could not reach St. Petersburg (Leningrad) owing to the shallowness of the channel, and cargoes were here transferred to smaller vessels. In 1875-85, a canal, 23 ft. deep was constructed through the channel and the island lost its trading importance. New batteries and a new fort were constructed in 1856-71, and the fortifications have been frequently strengthened and increased since that date. The
sailors and special troops of Kronstadt always formed the most revolutionary element of the Russian army and navy; a Kron stadt officer led the mutiny of the Dekabrists in 1825. A Kron stadt sailor, Sukhanov, was the leader of the military organisation of the revolutionary Narodnaya Volya group and was shot in 1882. Mutinies broke out among the troops in 1905 and 1906, but were ferociously suppressed.
After the February 1917 revolution, the Kronstadt Soviet op posed the provisional government and declared a "Kronstadt Republic" and took part in the July 1917 mutiny. During the October 1917 revolution, the Baltic fleet cruiser "Aurora" born barded the Winter Palace and thus helped in the Bolshevist vic tory. In 1919, during the first attack of General Yudenich against Leningrad, Kronstadt was bombarded from the air by White Army troops, then established on the coast to the south of the island, and an English warship penetrated the harbour and tor pedoed a cruiser. In the autumn of 1919 Kronstadt aided in the repulse of Yudenich's second attack. In accordance with their revolutionary reputation, the Kronstadt navy in March, 1921 mutinied against the Soviet government, and took possession of the fortress and two ironclads. After a bombardment lasting many days, the Soviet troops made a night attack acro. , the ice and the revolt was crushed with much severity. The port is ice-bound for 140 to 16o days each year, from about the beginning of December until April.