Oboronnyi fort #6 (Defensive Fort No. 6)

Military fortification.

Rivne Oblast (region), the eastern outskirts of the city of Rivne, in the Kolodenka Village.

50.58816, 26.30683

5,6 km

The construction of these forts was associated with the deployment of military structures in Rivne in the border area of the Russian Empire at a distance of up to 100 kilometres from the border with Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire or the Dual Monarchy (nowadays it is the border of Lviv and, respectively, Rivne and Volyn Oblasts).

 The forts within the fortification system were built under the supervision of Russian military engineers and were an integral part of the ring-ditch field fortifications around the city of Rivne, where the Army and Front Headquarters were located.

These forts were earthen structures surrounded by ramparts, with a total area of up to 4-5 hectares each; they could accommodate up to 2-4 Rifle Companies. Shooting positions were located on the outer ramparts. Moreover, there could be up to 20-50 cannons on the outer ramparts of such forts. Gunpowder, shells, and ammunition were stored in inner underground premises of the ramparts.

 The forts around Rivne were located at dominant heights for a visual contact between them (2.5–5 km), i.e. at a distance of a cannon shot. By various estimates, the number of defensive forts around the city ranged from 7 to 12. 7 forts of such kind are marked on the Austrian pre-war and Polish post-war (1926) maps.

Due to the offensive of the Austrian army to Dubno (40 km south west of Rivne) in 1915, the importance of forts as defensive structures increased rapidly. They also had some significance during the preparations for the Brusilov offensive, also known as the “June advance” (the Russian Empire’s greatest feat of arms during World War I). However, given the development of aviation in the 1920s and 1930s, the exposed defence systems lost their significance thereafter.

 Some of the forts are unique as they are located on the sites, which people used in ancient times. These are possible centres of ancient settlements, sanctuaries that need comprehensive examination. Not all of the seven forts around Rivne that were marked on the Soviet maps in the 1950s have been preserved until today.

Fort No.6 is located in the village of Kolodenka on the territory of the “Chervoni Hory” Isolated Terrain (ancient name: “Krasni Hory”). It is well preserved. Currently it is used as a racetrack. It has an atypical form, as it occupied a more ancient structure that may be crucial as a shrine in studying the history of the ancient Slavs. The ramparts are located below the level of the hill top by 7-10 meters, which is not typical for forts. The fort has not been studied. Nowadays it is quickly being built by private houses.

Source: https://glavred.info/life/433915-zabuti-storinki-pershoji-svitovoji-abo-unikalna-sistema-fortiv-navkolo-rivnogo.html