Near the port of Corfu island is St. Mark's. Construction of the New Fortress began under the Venetians in 1577 and was completed in the mid-17th century.
The New Fortress is much smaller than the Old Fortress and has two levels. The lower level was intended to protect the port and the upper level to protect the city.
According to the story of the Venetian architect Francisco Vitelli, in order to find building materials for the construction of the New Fortress, it was necessary to demolish more than 2,000 buildings, mainly houses and churches. Among them is one of the most beautiful city gates, Porta Reale.
Just like the Old Fortress, the New Fortress played a big role in protecting the city from Turkish invaders. Admiral Ushakov fought fierce battles with the French army near the walls of the New Fortress, liberating the island of Corfu from Napoleonic rule.
The fortress has survived many destructions over the centuries. Local residents were forced to destroy a significant part of the fortress on their own. In particular, this is a large part of the wall that was connected to the Old Fortress, surrounding the city. This was done at the request of Great Britain, on the eve of the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece in 1864. However, the tunnels that connected the two fortresses have survived to this day. During the Second World War, most of the New Fortress was destroyed by bombing.
Now the New Fortress is architectural monument, which offers magnificent views of the port and Corfu town.
The beautiful embossing of the Lion of St. Mark decorating the gate, an emblem that the Venetians left forever on the Fortress.
Monument to Admiral Ushakov
At the entrance to the New Fortress, from the port side, there is a monument to the Russian Admiral Ushakov for his help in liberating the island of Corfu from French troops. Every year a Russian warship comes to the monument to lay wreaths and honors, and in honor of this a Russian week is organized in Corfu. The fortress is open to visitors all year round, entrance costs 3 euros. There is a cafe-bar on the territory of the fortress.
Monastery of Our Lady of Tenedo.
In front of the New Fortress is the Latin Church of Our Lady of Tenedo, which is of particular architectural interest. The church was named after the icon of Our Lady, which Catholic pastors transported to Corfu from Tenedo after the fall of Byzantium. The church was built at the end of the 15th century and restored in 1723.
The first public library in Greece was opened in the church building in 1797. And also the first school was opened here, founded by I. Kapodistrias from 1805 to 1824.
Barracks of the New Fortress.
Opposite the New Fortress are barracks built under Venetian rule. This is a three-story building with the letter “L”. The barracks were subsequently used to house the army. Now the building belongs to the Kerkyra City Hall. On the ground floor there is a Bank and other government services.
Spilia Gate
Corfu under Venetian rule was a closed fortified city. At that time, there were eight gates that were closed at the slightest threat. One of them is the Spilia Gate, which is located in the New Port (not far from the New Fortress). All goods that arrived on the island with Venetian ships passed through this gate. The gate is 12 meters long with two passages on each side. Each entrance has a large external space for security purposes.
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The life of the outstanding Russian naval commander Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov February 13 (24), 1744 - October 2 (15), 1817 is closely connected with the Black Sea Fleet and Sevastopol.
In 1766, the twenty-two-year-old officer, upon graduating from the Naval Cadet Corps, was assigned to the Baltic Fleet. Three years later he was transferred to the Don (Azov) flotilla, took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, then was again sent to the Baltic Fleet. In June 1783, when the construction of ships for the young Black Sea Fleet began in Kherson, F. F. Ushakov was entrusted with ensuring the successful completion of this work.
In 1785, Captain 1st Rank F.F. Ushakov became the commander of one of the newly built ships - “St. Paul". On this ship in the same year he arrived in Sevastopol. "St. Pavel" dropped anchor at a small cape in the Southern Bay, which later became known as Pavlovsky. The sailors built a small pier and barracks on the cape.
At the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. battleship "St. Pavel" under the command of Ushakov distinguished himself in battle.
In April 1789, F. F. Ushakov was promoted to rear admiral and appointed commander of the Sevastopol squadron, and the following year - chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet and ports. He paid a lot of attention to the construction of Sevastopol: on his initiative, barracks, warehouses, a hospital were built, and the Admiralty was strengthened. By order of Ushakov, a garden was laid out in the ravine on the Korabelnaya side, which received his name, for the recreation of lower ranks.
The history of the Russian navy will forever include the brilliant victories won by the Black Sea Fleet squadron under the command of F. F. Ushakov: at the island of Fidonisi, in the Kerch naval battle, at the Tendra Spit, at Cape Kaliakria and during the capture of the fortress of Corfu. Here, the talent, outstanding organizational skills, skillful use of new maneuver tactics, the personal courage of Rear Admiral F. F. Ushakov and the excellent combat training of the Black Sea sailors were demonstrated. In educating his subordinates, Ushakov adhered to Suvorov’s principles.
One of the glorious pages of the biography of the outstanding naval commander is connected with the Mediterranean campaign of 1798-1800, when he proved himself as a skilled politician and diplomat. Under his leadership, the Russians liberated the Ionian Islands, especially distinguishing themselves in the capture of the heavily fortified island of Corfu. Having learned about this victory, Suvorov exclaimed with delight: “Hurray for Ushakov! Why wasn’t I at least a midshipman at Corfu!”
Ushakov's squadron returned to Sevastopol with glory, but the merits of the naval commander were not appreciated by the government of Alexander I: the admiral was soon transferred to a secondary position in the Baltic Fleet and retired in 1807.
Our country has not forgotten the outstanding achievements of this remarkable naval commander: his name was assigned to Russian and Soviet combat ships. During the Great Patriotic War, on March 3, 1944, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the military order of Ushakov of two degrees and the Ushakov medal.
The brigade commander was one of the first to receive the Order of Ushakov, 1st degree. submarines Black Sea Fleet Rear Admiral P. M. Boltunov and the commander of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force, Lieutenant General of Aviation V. V. Ermachenkov. Many participants in the battles for Sevastopol were awarded the Ushakov Order and Medal.
The capital of the Black Sea sailors preserves for posterity the memory of the outstanding naval commander. One of the oldest squares cities. During the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Sevastopol, a monument to Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov was unveiled here. This is a chest-to-chest image of the famous naval commander in ceremonial uniform, with awards received for victories in naval battles.
The bust of F. F. Ushakov is installed on a high pedestal. On the front side there is a cartouche with the inscription: “To Admiral Ushakov.” The authors of the monument are sculptor S. A. Chizh, architects G. G. Kuzminsky and A. S. Gladkov. The total height of the monument is 4.35 m.
On March 3, 1944, in recognition of the admiral’s merits, the Ushakov Military Order of two degrees and the Ushakov Medal were established. At the same time, a decision was made to build a monument to him in Sevastopol, and the sculptor Popov began developing the project. But the city lay in ruins, and the creation of the monument was postponed. In October 1954, Commune Square was named after Ushakov, and a foundation stone was installed in its center, stating that a monument to Admiral Ushakov would be erected here on the 150th anniversary of his death. Negotiations were held to transfer the remains of the naval commander from the Sanaksar monastery in the Temnikovsky region of Mordovia to Sevastopol and rebury them in the tomb of the Vladimir Cathedral.
But only during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Sevastopol on June 29, 1983, at the entrance to the Historical Boulevard, the monument was opened. The authors of the project are sculptor S.A. Chizh, architects A.S. Gladkov and G.G. Kuzminsky. The sculptor took as a basis a portrait created by anthropologist M.M. Gerasimov.
On a vertical pedestal mounted on a granite stylobate is a bronze bust of the admiral. On the bronze cartouche there is the inscription: “Admiral Ushakov 1744-1817.” The architectural design of the pedestal is based on a combination of modern forms with classical elements of the monuments of the first defense of Sevastopol. The total height is 4.35 meters.
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the admiral’s birth, on the initiative of the command of the Black Sea Fleet, another monument to F.F. was created. Ushakov. The author of the project is sculptor G.A. Chernienko (St. Petersburg). It took a long time to choose the place for its installation, mainly on Ushakov Square, and the existing bust of the naval commander was proposed to be moved to Primorsky Boulevard or to the territory of the Sevastopol Higher Naval Engineering School in Holland...
The monument was erected in 1991 in the courtyard of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters building, where it fit perfectly into the architectural and spatial composition of its cozy courtyard. The pedestal project was developed by Honored Architect of Ukraine A.L. Schaeffer.
The bronze sculpture of the admiral is mounted on a tetrahedral diorite pedestal. F.F. Ushakov is depicted in a free pose, in a ceremonial admiral's uniform with a high collar, an order ribbon over his shoulder and orders on his chest. In the right lowered hand is a telescope, on the left hip is a broadsword. On the front cartouche the text “To Admiral F.F. Ushakov. Red Banner Black Sea Fleet 1990”, on the sides there are images of sailing ships and the names of the places where the admiral won brilliant victories: “Corfu 1799, Kali Akria 1791, Tendra 1790”. The height of the sculpture is 3.5 meters, the total height is 5 meters.
It remains to add that in 2001, by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, the righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov was canonized and canonized as a saint of the Saransk Diocese. A part of his relics was transferred to the temple-monument of St. Nicholas at the Fraternal Cemetery of the Defenders of Sevastopol 1854 -1855. And in the area of Pobeda Avenue in March 2002, a temple was founded on a hill in the name of the righteous Holy Warrior Fyodor Ushakov.
Russians, among other peoples, left their mark on the history of the Greek state. One of our famous compatriots, who is treated with great respect in Greece, is Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov. His squadron liberated the island of Corfu, or, as it is also called, Kerkyra, from French rule in 1799. Ushakov restored the Orthodox episcopate here after almost five centuries of absence of the Orthodox Church in Corfu. He also contributed to the creation of the first Greek state in the Ionian Islands after the fall of the Byzantine Empire.
In 2002, a monument to the Russian admiral was unveiled in Corfu near the New Fortress in the city center. The monument made of marble and bronze is laconic and strict. On the stone is a bronze portrait of the famous naval commander and gratitude from the Greek people. At the foot of the monument there is a sea anchor. The author of the bas-relief is sculptor Viktor Aidinov, whose life is connected with both Russia and Greece. It is interesting that the sculptor assembled the monument himself, without entrusting the work to any of the workers. According to the author, the marble block is a symbol of the power of Ushakov, a capacious, deep and moral figure. The admiral did not lose a single battle and did not lose a single ship.
It is interesting to note that a year before this, the Orthodox Church canonized Admiral Ushakov. Now Orthodox Christians call him the holy righteous warrior Theodore.
