Foundation and first mentions
*** The fortress was founded in 1237 by the Knights of the Livonian Order. The first mention of it is found in the Novgorod chronicles of 1240 — then it was a wooden fortification. In 1241, Alexander Nevsky recaptured the fortress from the Germans and destroyed it.
Stone Fortress
In 1280, Alexander Nevsky's son, Prince Dmitry Alexandrovich, built a stone town in Koporye. However, as early as 1282, the Novgorodians destroyed the fortress as a result of a conflict with the prince.
*** In 1297, the Novgorodians rebuilt the fortress in the same place. At the end of the XV — beginning of the XVI century, it was rebuilt — during this period, the fortress acquired the appearance that has partially survived to the present day.: with heavy towers, smooth rounded walls and the famous gate complex.
Swedish periods
*** In 1581, during the Russian-Swedish war, the fortress was captured by the Swedes. By the treaty of 1590, Koporye returned to Russia, but by the Peace of Stolbovo in 1617 it was again ceded to Sweden. In 1656-1657, Russian troops unsuccessfully tried to retake the fortress.
Return to Russia under Peter the Great
*** In 1703, during the Northern War, an army led by Field Marshal B. P. Sheremetev besieged the fortress. Intense artillery fire forced the Swedish garrison to surrender. The giant gap in the southwestern wall of the fortress, which still exists today, is presumably the result of Russian artillery fire.
After that, in 1708, Peter I handed over the fortress to Prince Alexander Menshikov, and in 1727, after Menshikov's disgrace, it passed into the treasury.
Loss of military significance
In 1763, the Kopor fortress was excluded from the list of defensive structures. Gradually, it lost its importance: the Koporka River became shallow, and trade routes began to pass by Koporye.
Subsequent events
*** In the 19th century, the fortress became the property of Police Chief General Nikolai Zinoviev. Under the Zinovievs, a family tomb appeared on the territory of the fortress.
*** In 1919, during the Civil War, the Red Army soldiers, using the fortress, successfully repelled the attack of the White Guard troops.
*** In September 1941, the fort was captured by Nazi troops and liberated in January 1944.
*** In 1962, the fortress church burned down due to an accidental fire.
Since 2001, the Kopor Fortress has acquired the status of a museum.
Current status
The fortress is partially destroyed, but remains one of the best preserved monuments of medieval fortification architecture. On its territory you can see defensive walls, towers, gates, a bridge and the ruins of the Transfiguration Cathedral, built in the XVI century.
In 2025, the Museum Agency of the Leningrad Region announced a price request for the landscaping of the fortress and preparations for a large-scale restoration.
Address: Leningrad region, Lomonosovsky district, Koporye village, Staroselskaya Street.
Working hours: Tuesday–Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.