Once Peter the Great captured Kotin Island in the Gulf of Finland from the Swedes in 1703, he set up a fortifications here to protect the construction of his new capital of St Petersburg. In the subsequent year the city of Kronstadt (“Crown City”) was founded on the island to serve as the home of the Baltic Fleet, which it remains to this day, and most of the city’s sights are naturally connected with its naval history, including its important revolutionary role and the Kronstadt Rebellion of 1921. Kronstadt’s naval glories have also led to the city being named a City of Military Glory.  In addition, some of its historical fortifications are protected by UNESCO.