In 1882, the Russian Empire started to build a first-class land fortress in Kaunas. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the city was surrounded by a ring of eight forts and nine batteries. Russia felt forced to renew and strengthen one of its Western border defensive systems because of the developments in warfare technique and the feeling of a global war in all Europe. Taking this into consideration, the construction of a new fort, which later received the ninth number, started in 1903 near Kumpė village; it had to protect strategically important Linkuva Hill. The Ninth Fort is the realization of Professor Velichko newest plan. The fort construction lasted until 1913 and cost 850,000 Roubles. At that time, the project of the Ninth Fort was innovative as all fortification rooms were concrete. The thickness of ceiling reached 1.5-2 m, and different parts of the fort had safe connections via underground galleries. The fort had electricity and forced air ventilation system in tactical purpose rooms.
In 1914, when WWI started, the Ninth Fort remained practically undamaged during battles, and at the end of the summer of 1915, when Russian troops retreated, the fort and the whole fortress were occupied by the German army.