Museums of Russia: The exhibition “The Ladoga fortress. The path length in millennium” in the Leningrad region

September 4, 2015 in the Clement fortress (the Staraya Ladoga Museum-Reserve, the Leningrad region) is opened the exhibition “The Ladoga fortress. The path length in millennium”. The exhibition anticipates the jubilee celebration, dedicated to the 90^th anniversary of the Ladoga fortress of the XII century.

The exhibition presents the materials telling about the stages of construction and history of the study and restoration of the fortress. The iconic series of the exhibition comprise of rare photographs, views of the fortress in the visual arts, a plan to strengthen the different periods, the options of graphic reconstructions.

Ladoga fortifications have always been at the heart of the military-political events, playing a vital role in the difficult moments of the history of the Russian state. Historical documents show that since the end of the IX - beginning of the X century the fortress was the administrative center of the Lake Ladoga, and the town planning nucleus around which the ancient settlement was formed. The construction of the new fortress in 1114-1116 created the conditions for further rapid development and construction of the temple town in the XII century. Full reconstruction of the fortress in the gunshot period was conducted in late XV - beginning of XVI century. 

Restoration of ancient structures is inextricably linked to their scrutiny. Historians, archaeologists, architects are trying to restore valuable evidence about the life of monuments, to make informed decisions about their safety and museumification.

The history of the restoration of the fortress is relatively short, it started a little over a hundred years ago, when Russia was particularly interested in ancient monuments of domestic history and culture. In the middle of the XX century it began a new life of an old fortress. In the year of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War the Staraya Ladoga historical, architectural and archaeological museum completes the restoration of the western facade of the fortress of the XVI century. Restored fragments are commissioned: the north-western fence and Arrow tower.