Kaunas fortress Seventh fort (Archyvo g. 61, 50157 Kaunas) – part of Kaunas fortress settled in Žaliakalnis district near the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. This Fort – persistent defensive fortification, witch became the last brick fortification of Kaunas fortress. VII fort is close to the Central defenses and it’s located in the rear of Kaunas fortress. First owner of fort became 11th company of Kaunas fortress artillery (Russian Empire). In 1915 German forces occupied Fort without resistance. In our days VII Fort is the best extant two ramparts Fort, showing the typical design of XIX century Russian brick fort. This Fort has many authentic elements - iron window frames, ammunition warehouse gate fragments, during the Fort restoration period a lot of authentic details from interior (decoration, paving, ammunition storage doors and gates fittings) was found.
Project
The VII fort is a symmetric fortification an example of 1879 forts, its peculiarity lying in the way of centra gates, corps de garde and rear caponier are joined into one building. Seeking to expand the fort’s barracs, they were pushed towards the centre of the fort. Shelters were built at the flanks of the fort; they were equipped with water wells. Other structures of the fort, just like its armament are typical. The VIIth fort built at the left flank of the central fortifications of the Third Sector became almost part of those fortifications. Small barracs are built in this fort, typical ditch flanking casemates: caponiers and semi-caponiers, typical ammunition magazines and three shelters. During the First world war this fort remained damage-free
Artillery
The VII fort was armed with eight 6-inch caliber 1878 model guns, twenty light (87 mm caliber) guns, four 6-inch copper-caliber mortars and two Maxim machine guns. For the protection of Fort defensive ditch in the fort caponiers and semi-caponiers were installed nine lightweight 87 mm caliber cannons of Nasvetevich system and four 57 mm Nordenfeld cannon systems on the casemate gun carriage. In five ammunition warehouses was stored more than 15 000 different caliber shells, and 300,000 rounds. During the First world war approaches Kannet systems 6-inch caliber cannon were erected, which successfully fired the enemy's trenches in I-section and in Germaniskiai village area.
Interwar period
Kaunas Fortress iron and other equipment company of the Lithuanian Army had located in the fort since 1919. The goal of this temporary unit had been adoption of military assets left by Germans and found in magazines, forts of Kaunas Fortress and elsewhere for needs of envolving Lithuanian Army. Since 1924, newly created Lithuanian Central Archive had moved to the fort. Here had been the Military Archive also. There had been carried out a set of small changes during Archive period in the fort barracs. The author of this redevelopment project was famous Lithuanian interwar architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis. There had been removed interior partitions in the former fort kitchen on the right wing of barracs and office of archive director was installed. And there had been excavated cellar, witch was equipped with boiler room of central heating system underneath the casemate near central corridor of the barracs. Although the fort had been for civilian use, he maintained regime of the close military object: it was possible to enter the fort territory only with the authorization of the army.
Second world war
General von Pohl from German military commandant’s head-quarters had reported the Berlin’s order to concentrate the Jews of Lithuania into a separate camp on 29 June, 1941. The next day, the decision had been made during the meeting of Lithuanian Provisional Government (lit. LLV) to set up a Jewish concentration camp in the VIIth Fort. There had been appointed newly formed National Labour Protection Battalion (known as TDA) for camp protection and fusillade of its prisoners. There had been killed up to 5000 victims in the fort territory from 30 June, 1941 until closure of concentration camp on 10 August, 1941. Most of them had been Jewish residents of Kaunas. The famous people among the victims was - Rabbi Bunim Vaserman (1875-1941), and Lithuanian poet Vytautas Montvila (1902-1941).
Later VIIth For had also come to a concentration camp “Stalag 336”, there had been concentrated war prisoners of the Ukrainian nationality. There is evidence that about 1500 Ukrainian prisoners died from the cold, diseases and poor food in the winter. During the Soviet period in the left corner of Fort for the victims the monument was build. At the time remains and place of the massacre left neglected.
The Soviet period
Former barracs, headquareters and warehouses of the fortress had been occupied by Red army regiments. Forts had been turned into storage of the war reserve and soldier deployment places. Pioneer unit engaged in restoration of bridges blown during WW2 battles had been located at the VIIth Fort. Later the fort territory and all its buildings had been transferred to the 29th Voentorg of Baltic Military District. There had been located goods warehouses and Voentorg administration in the fort barracks and powder cellars. During this period fort had suffered much damage: swamped defensive ditches, damaged building facades, destroyed drainage system, asphalted left artillery yard and building garages for auto vehicles storage.
National Defense Volunteer Forces in VII Fort
VIIth Fort went to National Defense Volunteer Forces (lit. KASP) after the Russian army had left Lithuania in 1993. There had been deployed three companies of the KASP 22th Battalion from 1993 to 2007. The Lithuanian government had decided to sell the fort as did not find the use to it after discontinue of this battalion.
Museum of Kaunas Fortress VII Fort
Fort regeneration was initiated in spring of 2009 when Lithuanian Non Commercial organization “Military heritage centre” became the owner of VIIth Fort. One of the first works carried out in the fort was scientific and field researches, restoration of the fort casemates, and the fort cleanup from asphalt provided and environment with authentic appearance. Destruction of low-value planting, resurrection of rear caponier and drainage of defensive ditch began in the fort in the summer of 2009. There were removed partitions installed in Soviet times and other elements damaging the appearance of the fort barracks and ammunition depots. Management works of demolition of Soviet buildings and left yard of the artillery began in 2010.
VIIth Fort for the first time in its history opened its gates to the visitors in spring of 2011. In the same year, it was found gravesime of the genocide victims in the right wing of the fort and carried out a part of its cleaning works from plantins and garbage. Volunteers are very active in the managment of the VIIth Fort. VIIth Fort is a member of Lithuanian Museum Association since 2012. There are created expositions of Kaunas Fortress history and artillery evolution in the barrack casemates. There are organized tours, school educational programs and various topics events intended to remember important events of Lithuanian history in the fort.
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Aerial view of the fort (2011 m.) -
Right artillery yard, powder cellar -
Central postern -
Central caponier fascade with shelters -
Rear caponier -
Inside the powder cellar -
Live chess at Seventh fort
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Volunteers at VIIth fort -
Soviet howitzer M-30
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The museum expo inside fort barracks
Literature
- Vytautas Petrikėnas, Martynas Kosas, „VII fortas: lietuviška tragedija. Pirmosios Lietuvoje koncentracijos stovyklos istorija“. Kaunas, Arx reklama, 2011. ISBN 978-609-95321-5-8
- Vladimir Orlov, „Kauno tvirtovės istorija. 1882–1915“. Kaunas, Arx Baltica, 2007. ISBN 978-9955-638-97-1
- Vladimir Orlov, „The Atlas of Kaunas fortress“. Kaunas, Arx Baltica, 2009. ISBN 978-9955-39-080-0
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