Utti fortress

A regular earthwork fortress with stone retaining walls and half-bastions. There are batteries on the south and north sides, with about a kilometre of covered roads between them. The fortress cut off the ridge between two marshy areas along the road to Lappeenranta.

The fortress was built by the Russians in 1791-92. In 1791, General Aleksandr Suvorov was sent to carry out the project. He investigated possible crossing points of the Kymijoki River, and fortifications were planned to protect them. Suvorov designed a central fortress (zitadel) and smaller fortifications to secure the already fortified town of Taavet. One of these was placed at Haimila Utti, where there had been a major battle in 1789. Its purpose was to protect the road to Lappeenranta, which was in good condition. Suvorov also determined the number of men to be stationed at the border forts. In addition to one officer and two non-commissioned officers, Utti was to have a drummer, a field marshal, six cossacks, four companies and barracks for 400 men. 26 guns were to be stationed at Utti.

The armament work in Old Finland was completed by order of the ruler in 1799, when Utti was still to be finished. After the Finnish War, by order of 23 August 1809, the fortress of Utti was dismantled and the buildings were ordered to be sold.