Fort Sirok
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| Fort Sirok | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Dorman Line | |
| Albertirsa, Ruvelka | |
 Fort Sirok prior to the invasion of Ruvelka. | |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Fate | Decommissioned; converted into a museum. |
| Battles/wars | Invasion of Ruvelka |
Fort Sirok was a polygonal fort that formed part of the network of border fortresses known as the Dorman Line. Located near present-day Albertirsa, Fort Sirok was the last fort to fall during the Invasion of Ruvelka that began the Siduri War. Sirok was constructed between 1921 to 1924 and was designed to house a garrison of approximately 300. In 1931, the fort was modernized with reinforced concrete protection.
The Syarans began a three-day long bombardment of the fort at the onset of their invasion on 4 April 1934 that heavily damaged the primary superstructure as well as the electrical and telegraphy systems. The deep interior corridors and stations, however, were left intact when Syara shocktroopers began their assault on 7 April. The battle of Fort Sirok became famous for the courage and endurance of its defenders whom, under the command of Guard-Major Maritsa Khederlarian, managed to repulse several attacks. Without electricity, both the attackers and defenders were often left fighting in total darkness.
On 18 April 1934, after eleven days of near continous fighting, the Ruvelkan garrison finally surrendered having exhausted their water, food, ammunition, and medical supplies. Guard-Major Khederlarian made several attempts to send messages via the fort's emergency pigeons for relief, but without having access to other communications she was unaware of the extent of the ongoing invasion. In her last message, Khederlarian wrote "No supplies left; long live Ruvelka".
After capturing the fortress, the Syaran left it manned with a skeleton crew. It was later the sight of heavy fighting once again after the forces of the Common Axis began recapturing Ruvelkan territory. The fort was recaptured by Ruvelkan infantry of the Ruvelkan army-in-exile who would later raise the Ruvelkan flag over the fortress. Following the end of the war, Fort Sirok was converted into a museum with its underground installations and gallery well preserved.