# St. Elizabeth Fortress

- **Country:** Ukraine
- **Location Text:** The ruins of  in Kropyvnytskyi

The Fortress of St. Elizabeth is a historic earthwork fortification located in Kropyvnytskyi, central Ukraine, serving as the city's primary symbol. Constructed in 1754 under the decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the fortress was designed by Ivan Glebov and L. Mentselius to protect Serbian settlers in the region of New Serbia from frequent Tatar raids. The structure is architecturally distinct, featuring a rare six-pointed star shape, a design so uncommon that fewer than ten examples exist across Europe. Built primarily as an earthen fort, its construction was executed rapidly by over a thousand Ukrainian Cossacks who completed the main works in just four months, despite suffering significant casualties and desertions during the intense labor period.

Historically, the fortress functioned as a major military hub between 1754 and 1775, boasting impressive armaments including 120 guns and various mortars. Beyond its defensive capabilities, the site evolved into a small city containing barracks for 2,200 soldiers, commandant lodgings, and the wooden Holy Trinity Church, which served as a cathedral for several decades. Although construction continued slowly until 1761, the fortress eventually lost its strategic military relevance. Today, the site exists as public domain ruins, preserving the memory of its turbulent past while standing as a unique archaeological monument. Its historical significance lies not only in its role as a border defense but also in its representation of the complex colonial and military history of 18th-century Ukraine.

![Photo of St. Elizabeth Fortress](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/%D0%A4%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%86%D1%8F_%D0%A1%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%97_%D0%84%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8._%D0%9C%D1%96%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE_%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_St._Elizabeth (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)