Uyskaya Fortification Line of the 18th – 19th centuries According to the Materials of Field and Archive Research

Abstract

This article aims to provide an analysis of the basic fortification constructions that formed the Uyskaya Fortification Line during the 18th and 19th centuries, such as fortresses, redoubts and outposts, based on newly found archive documents. These documents have made it possible to research the construction of these fortifications and compare the standard plans to the fortifications that were actually built, taking their function into consideration. The research aims to characterize Uyskaya Fortification Line as the foundation for the state building of the Russian Empire, the final element of the outer frontier. This article features the results of field observations aimed at studying the fortification monuments on the Uyskaya Fortification Line of the 18th and 19th centuries along the Rivers Kidysh, Uy, and Tobol. The intensity of exploration in this region was one of the lowest ever in Russian history. One of the major reasons is the lack of proper engineering provision of the Uyskaya Fortification line. In fact, the military authorities delegated all their duties concerning the fortresses and redoubts to the local people without payment or providing them with necessary tools. Mediocre fortifications or somewhere the lack of them didn’t contribute to forming the authority of the Russian Government among the locals which influenced a wide range of integration processes in Orenburg Krai. The results obtained in the research may be of interest to both experts in fortification and those who research the issues of state building.

Keywords

• fortification
• uyskaya fortified line
• southern urals
• rampart
• fortress
• redoubt
• outpost
• bastion
• zaplot
• slingshots