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Smart composite in construction
Journals / Smart composite in construction / Volume 7 Issue 3 / The transfer of Dutch fortification technologies: the Rostov fortress in 17th‑century Russia
UDC 69 UDC 623.1

THE TRANSFER OF DUTCH FORTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES: THE ROSTOV FORTRESS IN 17TH‑CENTURY RUSSIA The transfer of Dutch fortification technologies: the Rostov fortress in 17th‑century Russia

Published in Smart composite in construction · Volume 7, Issue 3, 2026 · Pages 79–94 · Rubric: ARCHITECTURE OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES. CREATIVE CONCEPTS OF ARCHITECTURAL ACTIVITY
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2782-1919-2026-7-3-79-94
Received: 24.06.2026 Accepted: 25.08.2026 Published: 23.09.2026
Authors
DM
Dmitry Lichak
AL
Aleksandr Lebedev
NA
Nataliya Lichak
ABSTRACT
The paper examines the process of the introduction of Dutch fortification technologies in 17th‑century Russia. The historical prerequisites, as well as the economic and technical aspects of the transfer of the European system of bastion fortifications using a wooden frame and earth fill, are considered. The Rostov fortress was one of the first examples of the systematic application of Dutch technologies in Russian urban planning and architecture. By analyzing the structural features of the Rostov fortress, its typological similarity to foreign prototypes is revealed, and the possibility of the first adaptation of European engineering solutions to Russian conditions is demonstrated. Particular attention is paid to the role of foreign specialists in the modernization of Russian defensive architecture, the organization of construction works, and the integration of new materials and methods into domestic practice. Archival documents and data from modern studies on the history of the construction of fortifications in Europe and in Russia in the 17th century are used. The use of Dutch‑type composites made it possible to increase the cost‑effectiveness of construction, accelerate the erection of fortress fortifications, ensure their maintainability, and create the necessary conditions for the formation of a national school of fortification architecture.
KEYWORDS
fortification architecture, fortifications, construction engineering, the Rostov fortress, 17th century, Dutch technologies
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