Kotlin (Russian: Ко́тлин) is a Russian island, located near the head of the Gulf of Finland, 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of Saint Petersburg in the Baltic Sea. Kotlin separates the Neva Bay from the rest of the gulf. The fortified city of Kronstadt is located on the island and forms part of a World Heritage Site that is Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments. The island serves as a gateway to Saint Petersburg and as such has been the site of several military engagements.
Peter I (the Great) captured the island from the Swedes in 1703 and constructed a fort and docks—then called Kronslot—to protect the approaches to St. Petersburg. Until a channel to St. Petersburg was dredged in 1875–85, Kronshtadt was also a commercial port in which cargoes were transshipped to smaller craft.
