The Modlin Fortress


is a European-wide unique complex of fortified buildings and structures showing a cross-section of the European fortification architecture of the 19th century (bastion) and the beginning of the 20th century (scattered fort). The concept of the construction was put forward by Napoleon Bonaparte, who ordered a design of a semi-oval fortress with five bastions opened from the side of the river in 1806. The fortress was meant to be located on a high northern bank at the mouth of the Narew and the Vistula.

Year 1813 was the first time when the fortress was verified in military actions. The Russian troops unsuccessfully attempted to seize the fortress for 10 months.Since 1813 the host of the fortress was Russia, prticurarly the tsar’s brother, the Great Duke Konstanty, who was also the main Commander-in-chief of Polish Kingdom’s military forces.During the period of the Polish Kingdom exsistence there was basically nothing done about the development of the Modlin Fortress. Only after the November uprising, when in 1831 the Polish Kingdom disappeared from the map of Europe, the Russians appreciated the location of the fortress. They were so determined by the political situation of Europe that they included the Modlin Fortress into the system of Demence of Tsarist Russia.Next expansion plans appeared in 1911 and, except for modernisation of the existing buildings and structures, included another ring of forts, this time 10-11 km away from the old rim of defences. The works started in 1912 and were also continued after the outbreak of World War I until 1915 when the German troops surrounded the fortress. Before the seizure, it was expanded by 10 concrete forts with 3 fort groups and 9 intermediate outworks. This enormous line of fortifications surrounded the old fortress with a second ring of forts 50 km long and 24 km of diameter closing approximately 150 km2 of land inside.