Great Zasechnaya cherta

The Zasechnaya cherta (Russian: Большая засечная черта) was a chain of fortification lines, created by Grand Duchy of Moscow and later the Tsardom of Russia to protect it from the Crimean-Nogai Raids that ravaged the southern provinces of the country via the Muravsky Trail during the Russo-Crimean Wars.

The line was built from the felled trees arranged as a barricade and fortified by ditches and earth mounds, palisades, watch towers and natural features like lakes and swamps.

In the most dangerous places the abatis was doubled, trebled etc., the gates and small wooden fortresses were created to check the passers.

[2] Peasants who lived nearby were forbidden to settle or cut wood in the area, but were required by authorities to spend part of their time supporting and renewing the fortifications.

The oldest one (finished by 1563-1566) ran from Nizhniy Novgorod along the Oka River to Kozelsk,[4] and was built by Ivan the Terrible.