Izmail Fortress

Izmail Fortress was an Ottoman stronghold in the southernmost part of modern-day Ukraine, near the border with Romania and on a branch of the Danube Delta.

In the 16th century, Izmail was mentioned as an Ottoman Turkish fortress; in 1569, Sultan Selim II settled the Nogais here. In 1761, the cathedra of Metropolitan Daniel of Brăila was established here, administering churches in all the Turkish "rayas." In 1632, Izmail was sacked by the Cossacks.

It was repeatedly attacked by the Russians. By the 1790 campaign, the Turks, under the leadership of the French engineer André-Joseph Lafitte-Clavé and the German Richter, had transformed Izmail into a formidable stronghold. In the course of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792), it was captured by A. Suvorov-Rymniksky after a bloody assault, preceded by a 600-cannon bombardment the day before (see Siege of Izmail). By the Treaty of Bucharest (1812), Izmail was annexed to Russia; in the 1830s, new settlers flocked to the city from various directions: Greeks, Bulgarians, fugitives from the rest of Russia, and also Old Believers. By the Treaty of Paris (1856), it was given to Wallachia. After the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), it again fell under Russian control on 26 April [O.S. 14 April] 1877, but only ruins remained of the fortress.

The fortress of Izmail lies on the left bank of the Danube; its present circumference extends over 2,500 fathoms; it has 14 bastions, with only one on the Danube side covered in stone, the others are earthen, 2 batteries positioned along the Danube for horizontal action, it is surrounded by a glacis on the field side, 4 walls with stone prisons: of these, those from the north are called Hotin (Khotin/Khotyn), others from the north—Bender (Bendery), the third, from the east,—Kilia, and the fourth, towards the Danube,—Istanbul; 10 small wooden gates into the moat, 3 drawbridges, 5 barrier gates in the open pathway and 10 footholds.

Text adapted from “Izmail Fortress” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Izmail Fortress ranks #3,436 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #57 of the 188 mapped in Ukraine. Founded 1592, it is older than 34% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 755 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 3,068 times in the last 60 days, more than 76% of the atlas. See how Ukraine compares in the castle statistics.

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