Kiltsi mois castle description and photos - Estonia: Rakvere (Topic)

Kiltsi mois castle description and photos - Estonia: Rakvere. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Kiltsi mois.

Photo and description

Kiltsi Castle was built on the ruins of a medieval vassal castle. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, it is assumed that the oldest part of the building was made at the end of the 14th century, and in the 16th century the castle was expanded, at the same time round corner towers were added to it. Kiltsi is one of the few Estonian castles that has preserved fragments of a manor house from the Middle Ages. This is the only estate in Estonia where auxiliary buildings are adjacent to the manor house.

Due to the fact that deep streams flow through the center of the estate and flow into Poltsamaa, water barriers have been created for protection. At a distance of 3 km from the castle, on the same bank of the river, there is the Vao castle tower, built at the end of the 14th century. According to legend, these castles were connected by an underground passage, which was never discovered, so this version remains a legend.

The castle was not intended for defense and military operations, however, several military episodes are associated with it. At the beginning of the Livonian War, in 1558, the owner of the castle, Robert von Gilsen, got into a fierce battle with the Russian troops, after which he took refuge within the walls of the castle. Then the Russians failed to capture the castle. In one of the subsequent assaults, the Russians nevertheless captured the castle, and since then it has been in desolation.

The Kiltsi estate belonged to the Gilsen family from 1514 to 1581. After the estate was the property of different owners. In 1778, the last owner, Captain Joachim Friedrich von Rosen, sold the Kiltsi estate to Major Hermann Johann von Benckendorff. The castle, by order of the baron, was rebuilt into a manor house. The coat of arms of his family can be seen on the front of the building. During archaeological work in the basement, skeletons of children and women were found. Presumably, they hid here during the Livonian War, however, when the castle caught fire, they could not get out of there. The estate received its current features in 1790. The major died in the castle in 1800, as the memorial plaque on the house reminds of.

In 1816, the estate was bought by the famous navigator Adam Johann Krusenstern, who sailed around the world in 1803-1806. The last period in the life of this great traveler is connected with the Kiltsi estate. His two daughters were born here: Charlotte and Julia. While living in Kiltsi, Kruzenshtern worked on his most important project, Atlas of the South Sea. I.F.Kruzenshtern died at the age of 75, he was buried by Kruzenshtern in the Dome Church of Tallinn. The estate was inherited. In 1911, the navigator's granddaughter, Sofia von Rudiger, sold the estate. The Countess had never been to this estate and had no idea of the importance of the manuscripts kept in the manor house. And so it happened that the valuable archives of Buli were irretrievably lost.

From 1922 to the present, the building houses a parish school. The school flag depicts the bulk of the Kiltsi estate. In 1993, the school's teachers founded the Great Traveler Skill Foundation. In 1995, at & nbsp; The 225th anniversary of the birth of admiral and scientist Adam Johann Krusenstern, a memorial room was opened, in which you can learn about both the navigator himself and about other owners of the estate. It contains original engravings made during the First Russian round the world trip, as well as atlases, compiled by navigators, the logbook of the ship "Nadezhda", commanded by Ivan Fedorovich. Here are the awards that Ivan Fedorovich received for this trip.

Since 2000, restoration work has been carried out in the castle. You can get acquainted with the estate by ordering a tour. Kiltsi regularly hosts events dedicated to the memory of the famous sailor.

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Topic: Kiltsi mois castle description and photos - Estonia: Rakvere.