The best city hikes and walks in Latgale

The fortress as a whole is very worth seeing, even if it would deserve better use to prevent it from being left to decay.

In the Jaunbūve district you will find many old wooden houses, some of which are brightly painted. Here you sometimes feel transported 150 years into the past.

Today history in the fortress territory is witnessed by historical large-calibre cannons. In these days nine old cannons can be found here: five of them are from cast-iron, while four – made from steel. They were manufactured in the second half of the 19th century in an ordnance plant in Perm and in Obukhov steel casting plant (Russia). All cannons are made with threading in a gun tube, which increased the range of a missile and improved accuracy and close pattern of shooting. Two of the cannons are placed at the main entrance of the Commandant’s house facing the fortress garden. In the very middle of the garden three cannons enrich the fountain. The steel mortar gun (bore diameter 205 mm, model of 1872) of the fortress is placed on the “Wallgang” (a protected place on the upper part of a rampart) of the main rampart curtain between the Nicholas gate and the 7th bastion – in the way how cannons were placed when the fortress switched to defence emergency. One more steel cannon with the bore diameter of 107 mm (model of 1887) on the original Venglovski gun-mount is placed at the intersection of the streets Imperatora and Konstantīna. Two steel artillery tubes were installed at Hekeļa Street 3, yet now they are moved to a warehouse belonging to the building proprietor. https://rm.coe.int/16806f5dfd

The impressive two-storey building of the engineer arsenal is built close to the Alexander gate most probably from 1840 to 1844. The length of the Empire-style external façade of the three joint buildings is 275 m. Surface of the building is 7000 m2. The courtyard is 2000 m2 large. The former arsenal building is architectural monument of State significance. The building has preserved its ramps (rampants) going to the second floor of the building from the yard. The engineer arsenal was used to make and repair armament supplies, tooling for fortification and combat engineer measures. The building included paint, carpenter, wheel, turners, woodworking, locksmiths, casting, drawing, pattern and other shops. For the time being there is not enough information on the use of the building from 1918 to 1947. During the Soviet years the building was used as job training workshops and garages. Since 1993 the building is not used anymore and is decaying. It is expected that in future the building could house a museum of Daugavpils fortress history. Imperatora Street 8

Houses for officers were built in the 1820s-1830s on both sides of the Commandant’s house and the fortress garden. 1. Oficieru Street has still preserved two houses (No 2 and 8) also for officers at the commandant and committee of the military registration office, yet the architecture of these houses differs from that of other buildings. Officer Assembly with its own club and library was functioning in the fortress. In the 1920s-1940s the building was occupied by headquarters and other services of Zemgale division, different clubs were situated there as well. In order to view internal buildings of the citadel, choose the thematic route “Commandant’s Route” visible on the map that you can receive in Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre (Nikolaja Street 5). https://rm.coe.int/16806f5dfd

In order to prevent the enemy from approaching the main rampart of the fortress, its walls were detached from the external fortifications with the help of a moat. In case of an attack the moat could be flooded with water. In the moat, six reduits (inner fortification, shelter) were built fortified with earth ravelins (triangle-shaped constructions), but bastions were covered by contregardes that were reinforced by artillery caponiers. In addition three redoubts (closed fortifications) were built in the fortress esplanade some way from the moat; two of them have been preserved till modern days. To view the external fortification part, use the thematic route “Defender’s Track” (on the main rampart) or “Scout’s Track” (through the moat) – follow the indications on the map that can be obtained at the Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre (Nikolaja Street 5). https://rm.coe.int/16806f5dfd

In the 1820s-1850s four spacious two-storey stone barracks to house soldiers were built not far from the fortress gates. Three of the buildings have also a semibasement floor that was used for kitchen, lavatory and washing rooms. Toilet blocks, utility rooms and wells were located in barrack courtyards. In the 1920s-1940s soldiers of Zemgale division regiments were lodged in these buildings. The premises were considerably rebuilt during the Soviet times to meet the needs of the aviation school cadets. A third floor was built on the Nicholas barrack (Nikolaja Street 2), while the new Nicholas barrack (Mihaila Street 11) was turned into a school canteen. Today these spacious buildings are not used. https://rm.coe.int/16806f5dfd

The similar-type Alexander and Constantine gates were built in 1820-1822 on the basis of the project presented by A. Shtaubert, the in-service architect at the Imperial Russia War ministry. All the fortress gates had to have this appearance. Though later the appearance of other two passageways was changed. The Alexander gate is directed at Saint Petersburg, while the Constantine gate led to a summer hospital and through it people could get on the old Riga road. Unfortunately in 1962 the gate named in honour of the vicegerent of the Kingdom of Poland Constantine was destroyed due to the reason that it was necessary to bring large-size equipment into the territory of the aviation school. Support elements ensuring additional fastening of closed gate wings from the inside have been preserved in the Alexander gate. https://rm.coe.int/16806f5dfd