The Third Fort of Kaunas fortress is located in the defence section of the First Kaunas fortress, at the place where an attack of Germen from the side of East Prussia was the most likely. At the back of the structure shaped as an extended hexagon and symmetrical in composition erected in 1882–1889, barracks were set up. On the top of the defence mound, artillery and infantry battle positions were installed.
At the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, the major part of artillery located on the mounds was removed, and one bigger mound at the place of the two ones was banked. For firing spaces between the forts, concrete intermediate semi-caponiers were erected above the barracks, whereas the rear walls were substituted with bars, also other fortifications were made.
Due to housing shortage after WWI, the Third Fort served as a colony of cheap flats. During WWII, the German army had a provisions storeroom here. During the Soviet occupation until 1985, military ammunition dumps surrounded with a barbed wire fence and protected by armed guards were situated here.
Currently, the fort is a part of the Kaunas Fortress Park open to the public. Here, an education workshop, museum of the Lithuanian army are hosted, excursions, exhibitions, concerts are held, traditional Lithuanian folk festivals are celebrated, as well as other projects are carried out.
Tadas Kirda photos
