The Vasilievskaya Curtain is a part of the fortress wall and a former defensive structure of the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg (Zayachy Island), intended for the defense and protection of the fortress. The curtain contains the eponymous Vasilievskie Gates.
Originally, the construction of the Vasilievskaya Curtain, like the entire Peter and Paul Fortress, began in 1703. At that time, the fortress structures, including this one, were built from wood and earth (wood-earth fortifications) to save time. The section of the fortress rampart (curtain) connected and still connects two bastions – Trubetskoy and Zotov.
The name "Vasilievskaya" comes from the fact that the curtain faces Vasilievsky Island of Saint Petersburg.
The stone construction of the curtain took place in 1709-1710 according to the design of the architect and fortification engineer D. Trezzini.
Under the curtain, near the Zotov Bastion, there was a fortress canal, which was filled in 1882. Initially, the curtain had fourteen two-tier casemates, which were rebuilt into single-tier casemates between 1872 and 1905.
The casemates to the left of the Vasilievskie Gates, which are located directly in the wall, were allocated to the Mint. In the 1870s, the casemates were adapted into living quarters for the prison guards of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison. The rooms in the right part of the curtain were used as warehouses, prison cells, and garrison barracks.
Sources:
https://life-globe.com/vasilevskaya-kurtina-i-vorota-petropavlovskaya-krepost/
https://wikimapia.org/11023469/ru/Васильевская-куртина
