Voroshilov Battery

Voroshilov Battery is coastal gun turret battery No. 981 on Russky Island in Vladivostok, 400 meters from the western shore of Polonka Bay. It is one of the largest coastal artillery installations in the Russian Far East, armed with 305 mm guns, and a federal cultural heritage monument.

History

The decision to build the battery was made in the spring of 1931, and construction on Russky Island took place in 1932–1933. The first gun turret was completed on February 1, 1934, and the second on April 1 of the same year. The battery was armed with MB-3-12FM guns taken from the battleship Mikhail Frunze. In November 1934 the battery was named after the Soviet People's Commissar of Defense Kliment Voroshilov.

The battery's task was to prevent the Japanese fleet from approaching the southern part of Russky Island and to cover the sea approaches to Vladivostok. Although it never had to fire at an enemy, the battery remained on active duty for several decades: the last training shot from its guns was fired in 1991. Because of this unusually long service life, the site has been entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-serving coastal battery.

In 1985 scenes for the film Moonzund were shot at the battery. According to accounts, the film's camera operator felt the force of an actual gun shot firsthand, when the blast wave knocked him and his camera aside.

What to see

Today the battery houses a branch of the Pacific Fleet Military History Museum, the Morpolit department. Visitors can see the gun turrets, underground casemates, ammunition magazines and other combat compartments of the battery, and learn about the coastal defense system of the Vladivostok Fortress.

Getting there

The battery is located on Russky Island, connected to Vladivostok by a bridge. On weekends the road to the site is sometimes closed near the turn from Kronshtadtskaya Street, which is worth keeping in mind when planning a visit.

Good to know

The museum at the battery is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00. An adult admission ticket costs 200 rubles, and a guided tour costs 300 rubles. Only cash payment is accepted.