Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg - the same age as the city on the Neva

The Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg is one of the largest in the world and the oldest in Russia. It was founded on the orders of Peter I, and was opened on August 29, 1703 in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Tsar ordered the construction of Tsekhkhaus, which translates as "house for equipment" or "weapons house," the caretaker of which was called the Captainarmus. Here weapons and ammunition were kept. But Pyotr I, who was eager for all sorts of oddities, ordered the artillery pieces "memorable and curious" and trophy to be brought here from all over Russia from all over Russia.

The First Petrov Museum of Artillery

The second impetus in its development was the Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg in 1756, when by decree of Elizabeth Petrovna and the efforts of General-Feldtsekhmeyster (artillery chief) P. I. Shuvalov, the Memorial Hall was opened on the territory of the Foundry Court, to which Petrovsky Zeughaus was transformed. Already at the end of the 18th century, the collection of this repository numbered 8,000 copies.

The Peter and Paul Fortress, built in accordance with the rules for erecting bastions, had a crown, or a crown-shaped fortification, erected in front of the central part of the fortress (curtain) and connected to it by two long corridors.

Close connection with Nicholas I

When in 1868 by decree of Nicholas I the rooms in the eastern wing of the kronverk located in the mezzanine and lower floor were transferred to the Museum of Artillery, a new history and a more active life began. Part of the courtyard was assigned to heavy guns. Kronverk of the Peter and Paul Fortress is notorious for executing the leaders of the December uprising. On July 13, 1826 five Decembrists were hanged over the curtain moat: PI Pestel, SI Murav'ev-Apostol, MP Bestuzhev-Ryumin, KF Ryleev and PG Kakhovsky.

The new building of the museum

In 1849, Nicholas I decided to transform the place, which reminded him of unpleasant events. He issues a decree on the construction of a two-story stone building in a crown, which will have a horseshoe shape with a length along the central axis of 472 meters. On the second floor of the newly constructed building there are embrasures and loopholes. Ravelin, whose outer walls have a thickness of 1.8 meters, produces a decent impression. The unique collection that the Museum of Artillery had in St. Petersburg was replenished in 1963 with the funds of another large museum, and in 1965 another. Thus, out of the three there is the current Military History Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps, whose name indicates which museums were included in its structure. It occupies a large enough area, on which there are numerous tanks, combat vehicles and guns. The unified museum, whose age is approaching 150 years, now has 850,000 exhibits in its funds.

Museum curiosities

The Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg is known to every inhabitant of the city since childhood due to its unique specimens, among which there is a comic, but functioning cannon, donated by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to little Peter. There are also mattresses shooting shot and taking part in the defense of Moscow from the troops of Tokhtamysh, who besieged the capital in 1380. There is also a mortar of the Pretender, cast by the famous armourer Andrei Chokhov. The unique collection is famous not only for relics, in its exhibits modern missile systems and automatic control systems (self-propelled artillery units).

The Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg has in its funds not only artillery guns, there are awards of all Russian emperors, personal weapons of Alexander I, Nicholas I, MI Platov and Napoleon.

Museum address and ticket prices

Priceless presents presented to the units of the Russian army, which are products of silver, gold and crystal of the best masters of the world, concentrated in their storerooms Museum of Artillery (St. Petersburg), whose address: Alexandrovsky Park, 7. The nearest metro station is called "Gorkovskaya". On the map it is clear that the horseshoe ravelin is deployed to the Kronverksky Straits, along which the embankment of the same name runs.

The museum receives the most enthusiastic reviews. Of course, the heavy equipment exhibited in the yard is very popular. But the collection of banners, and the thematic exhibitions held here, temporary and on a permanent basis, are interesting both to the residents of the city and to numerous foreign tourists who are eager to visit the Museum of Artillery (St. Petersburg).

The cost of the ticket giving the right to inspect the entire exposition will be 300 rubles for an adult, and 150 students and schoolchildren will pay 150. The museum management approaches the price of tickets differentially - for Russians and CIS residents the cost is reduced for adults by half, and for schoolchildren, students And pensioners will have to pay only 50 rubles. There are other benefits, detailed information about which, like the opening hours of the museum, is widely available.