Kronstadt town has a face turned to the sea and a back turned to the mainland, and Southern Battery No. 1 stands on the southern shore of Kotlin Island, a few kilometres from the old harbour. It is one of the earth-and-brick gun batteries that formed part of the maritime fortress, built to protect the capital against any fleet that dared to enter the gulf. The island was fortified by Peter the Great, who founded the base here in the early eighteenth century, and it remained one of the great naval stations of the Russian empire.
The town has a long and sometimes violent history. The naval cathedral, with its huge dome, once dominated the skyline, and the great docks and basins still make up much of the waterfront. In 1921 the sailors of Kronstadt rose against the Bolshevik government, and the revolt was put down with great force, an event that still carries weight in the memory of the country. The old streets, with their neoclassical buildings and canals, have a faded grandeur, and a stroll through them is interesting.
Riding out to the battery involves a drive along the flood barrier, a long and exposed road across the water, with ships on one side and the open gulf on the other. The wind is often strong, and in winter the road can be icy. The roads on the island itself are flat and straight, with broken tarmac in places, and you may have to pick your way around potholes. The battery area is partly open, and signs will tell you where you may go.
Kronstadt has over forty thousand inhabitants and enough fuel stations, cafes and shops to meet a rider's needs. Lomonosov, on the mainland, is a similar size and is the alternative if you are approaching from the south.
The days around midsummer, when the light lingers almost until midnight, are the time to come. Spring and autumn bring fog and rain, and the winter is long and dark. The sea breeze brings a smell of salt and weed, and the cries of gulls are constant.