The Soroca Fort () is a historic
fort
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
in the
Republic of Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised ...
, in the modern-day city of
Soroca.
The city has its origin in the medieval
Genoese trade post of Olchionia, or Alchona. It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the
Moldavian Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
Stephen the Great
Stephen III, better known as Stephen the Great (; ; died 2 July 1504), was List of rulers of Moldavia, Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II of Moldavia, Bogdan II, who was murdered in ...
() in 1499.
The original wooden fort, which defended a
ford over the
Dniester
The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
(Romanian: ''Nistru''), was an important link in the chain of fortifications which comprised four forts (e.g.
Akkerman
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (, ; ; ), historically known as Aq Kirmān () or by other names, is a port city in Odesa Oblast, southwestern Ukraine. It is situated on the right bank of the Dniester Estuary leading to the Black Sea, in the historical r ...
and
Khotin) on the Dniester, two forts on the Danube and three forts on the north border of medieval Moldova. Between 1543 and 1546 under the rule of
Petru Rareş, the fortress was rebuilt in stone as a perfect circle with five bastions situated at equal distances.
During the
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War () or The Last Crusade, also called in Ottoman sources The Disaster Years (), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (1684), Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lith ...
,
John Sobieski's forces successfully defended the fortress against the Ottomans. It was of vital military importance during the
Pruth Campaign of
Peter the Great
Peter I (, ;
– ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
in 1711. The stronghold was sacked by the Russians in the
Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). The Soroca fortress is an important attraction in
Soroca, having preserved cultures and kept the old Soroca in the present day.
Architecture
The current building displays elaborate characteristics of late
medieval fortifications. This observation conveys the idea that the fort was perhaps built by experts from
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
or
Transylvanian people who traveled in Western Europe and brought architectural ideas back to
Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
:
*The walls are not built straight but in a curved shape to better resist projectiles, as are the four outer towers.
*One can also notice round towers which allowed the defenders to shoot from better angles and thus protect the base of the walls.
The entire building has a diameter of 30 meters, and 4 meters for each tower. Each tower has 4 levels, of which the first two lower ones were used for artillery. The walls are 3 meters thick and we can find signs of a previous ditch. The main entrance tower had 3 doors, amongst them a portcullis which was closed during battles. The space saved at the upper level allowed the garrison to pray in a small chapel.
Despite all these features the fort was obsolete after the end of the 14th century because of the more widespread use of
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...
.
See also
*
Nicolae Bulat
External links
Molddata.md: Cetatea Soroca
Gallery
File:Soroca Fort, Eastern Walls, from the outside..JPG
File:Soroca Fort, Main Tower & Entrance, from the outside.jpg
File:Soroca Fort, Inside in Renovation, The Court (n°2).JPG
File:Soroca Fort, Main Tower, from the inside (n°2).JPG
File:Soroca 1.50.JPG, 1941 stamp
File:The Soroca fortress.jpg
File:Stamp of Moldova 175.gif, 1995 stamp
File:Tower with gate of the fortress.jpg
File:Сорокский уезд № 2 (1879 г.).jpg, 1879 stamp
File:Inside the Soroca fortress.jpg
References
{{Castles, fortresses and fortifications in Moldova, state=autocollapse
Castles in Moldova
Castles in Moldavia
Buildings and structures completed in 1499
History museums in Moldova
Forts in Moldova
History of Soroca