Building history
There are two versions regarding the time and the owner under whom the funny fortress was built:
- Under Count Burhard Christoph Minich in the 1720s and 1730s. Minich received the Hospitality in 1721 from Peter I. In the 20s of the XVIII century, he built an earthen "funny fortress" on top of the hill. Cannons were fired from its bastions during holidays and folk festivals for the amusement of village children and distinguished guests. Under Minikh, a manor house with services, a dam on the Gostilka River with a mill and a dyeing plant were also built on the hill.
- Under Alexander Potemkin in the second half of the 1840s. Alexander Potemkin is the nephew of Prince Tavrichesky. According to this version, the fortress looked like a real one: the walls were lined with limestone, and the towers resembled medieval fortifications. Under Potemkin, the fortress had a garrison and artillery. When the guests came to the manor, the cannons started firing.
*** In the 19th century, the former funny fortress was used as an observation deck, offering views of the park, the valley of the Gostilka River and the palace.
Features of the structure
The bastions of the fortress were lined with local limestone tuff (karst limestone). At the fortress there was a chapel of the Savior of the Uncreated Image, where the "funny" soldiers prayed.
Current status
Today, only fragments of the funny fortress remain. The ruins are located in the Gostilitsy Manor Park at the address: Leningrad region, Lomonosovsky district, Gostilitsy village, Nagornaya Street.