A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outerwork, placed in front of the innerworks of a castle. Ravelins prevent frontal attack by forcing troops to run along the fortification curtain, into the line of fire of guns from the fortress – it's why they are triangular. Even if the troops get beyond it, they still have to cross the moat. And that's what is meant by mamelon and ravelin.
Ioannovsky ravelIn protects the fortress to the east. On the western side is its twin – the Alexeyevsky ravelin. Until the C19th there were moats between the ravelins and the fortress as a further line of defence – but these days there is an asphalt footpath where the moat once ran. To prevent attackers coming at the south or north faces by boat or even swimming, a further defensive installation stood over the moat, called a botardo.
These days this moat is transformed into a garden with a turret in the centre – to see it you need to return from the gates in the direction of the Neva. In the walls of the ravelin nowadays there's a restaurant – called “Botardo”.
Take a right turn at the Ioannovsky gates, and you'll find the museum of Space & Rocketry – located in premises where, during the 1930s, was a gas dynamics lab. This lab was under the direction of scientific engineer Valentin Glushko.
Ioannovsky ravelIn protects the fortress to the east. On the western side is its twin – the Alexeyevsky ravelin. Until the C19th there were moats between the ravelins and the fortress as a further line of defence – but these days there is an asphalt footpath where the moat once ran. To prevent attackers coming at the south or north faces by boat or even swimming, a further defensive installation stood over the moat, called a botardo.
These days this moat is transformed into a garden with a turret in the centre – to see it you need to return from the gates in the direction of the Neva. In the walls of the ravelin nowadays there's a restaurant – called “Botardo”.
Take a right turn at the Ioannovsky gates, and you'll find the museum of Space & Rocketry – located in premises where, during the 1930s, was a gas dynamics lab. This lab was under the direction of scientific engineer Valentin Glushko.