Military History Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg

The military-historical museum of artillery for 300 years collects a collection of weapons. The funds hold rarities dating back to the 15th century, and modern weapons that can carry nuclear charges. The exposition is full of historical finds, many of which have no analogues.

History of creation

The Military History Museum of Artillery appeared in St. Petersburg, like most of the sights of the beginning of the history of the city, according to the will of Peter I. The first collection from 1703 was located in Zeychhaus, on Liteiny Prospekt where old cannons were kept. In the present room, on the crown of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the museum moved in 1869.

The construction of the "crown fortification" (crownworks) was initiated in 1705 with the aim of protecting the northern approaches to the Peter and Paul Fortress. All construction work was completed in 1709. Long construction is due to a fire that occurred in 1706. The premises of the defensive structure housed warehouses - provisions, artillery, cannon, and the shipyards, barracks of the garrison of the fortress and the weapons storage of the Preobrazhensky regiment were also equipped .

In 1752, a reconstruction was carried out, and at the beginning of the 19th century the entire arsenal of weapons was transferred to the fortress. Territory kronverka began to perform the functions of a particular shipyard. In 1808 the building housed a school of shipbuilding and navigation. The military-historical museum was opened on the kronverka by the Tsar Nicholas I, who also proposed a plan. Design work was assigned to the architect P. I. Tamansky.

Kronverk with the museum

The foundation of the building was completed in 1851. Construction was carried out from the right wing, the interior decoration was handled by the architect V. K. Reyer. The two-story building has the shape of a horseshoe, above the galleries of the ground floor are the mezzanine.

The architecture of the facades is reminiscent of the European fortifications of the Middle Ages. The length of the building along the center line is 472 meters, the thickness of the external walls from the front part is about 1.8 meters, the inner part is 1.3 meters.

Commissioning took place in 1860, the building was taken over by the Artillery Department. In January of the next year, from the Old Arsenal, which was located on Liteiny Prospekt, began to transport guns to a new exposition site.

The southern part of the courtyard was closed with gates and a wall of fire in 1861, and the Kronverkskiy strait along the line of the embankment was dressed in granite and equipped with a pier. In 1868, empty casemates, located in the right wing, were converted into museum halls, where the relics of the artillery museum were placed.

History of the collection

Tsar Peter I personally engaged in filling the collection, which issued a special decree, sent to all voivodes of the Russian Empire. Exhibits came from all over the country, so, from the Smolensk province received for consideration 37 guns (guns and mortars). The Tsar periodically inspected the weapons sent, after which part was sent for remelting for new weapons, and the most valuable was the collection of the storehouse.

His contribution to the museum business was brought by all who could and woulded. In 1722 merchants P. Borsukov and F. Anikeev exchanged from Swedes one of the tools of the famous Russian master Andrei Chokhov - the cannon "Tsar Achilles" - and donated to the museum. From the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the gun "Inrog" was brought to the capital by the German Johann and handed over to the Artillery Department, from where she went to the arsenal. The first inventory of the collection was held in 1725, at the same time it is decided to transfer all the historical military values of St. Petersburg and Moscow to the Military History Museum of Artillery.

Full-value museum life of the collection began with its placement on the crown of the Peter and Paul Fortress. For heavy weapons, part of the yard was allocated. Originally the collection was called "Hall of memorable objects", since 1903 the name was changed to the Artillery Historical Museum. He became widely known after 1872, when part of the exposition took part in the Polytechnic Exhibition, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Peter I.

The beginning of scientific activity

To conduct research and scientific work in the museum began with the appointment to the post of director of the military historian NE Brandenburg. His efforts created an archive, a library, and a catalog began to be published. Funds were replenished with historical values from the arsenals of the Russian Empire - Kiev, Bryansk, Kazan, etc. The monasteries Solovetsky, Tikhvinsky, Kirillo-Belozersky, as well as funds of other institutions and organizations - the Armory Chamber, Archaeological Commission, etc., were transferred to the collection. To enter modern types of weapons.

Since 1889 the museum hosted celebrations on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the development of Russian artillery, which stirred the interest of society and the military to the collection, library and institution activities. The museum halls were open to visitors three days a week, the archives and the library were open to military, historians, and researchers.

Revolution and War

When the revolution broke out, the Military History Museum of Artillery in St. Petersburg for the rescue of funds was evacuated to Yaroslavl. On three barges into the country went about 75% of all funds, which amounted to more than 200 thousand archival documents and 70 thousand unique items. But even there it was not possible to save all the values.

The territory of the Spassky Monastery, where exhibits and documents were stored, became a battleground for the revolutionary masses. The clashes ended in a fire, in which about 2,000 banners burned, all trophies of the First World War, about 300 names of ancient weapons. Also the archive of the second half of the 18th century was completely destroyed, the part of the collection that was stored on the barge was damaged.

A considerable damage was caused by the flood that happened in Leningrad in 1924, but nevertheless the employees managed to save everything that was possible, and the collection to expand due to the proceeds from 27 museums.

In the conditions of the blockade, the Military History Museum of Artillery (SPb) was repeatedly bombarded, but the funds remained securely sheltered and replenished with captured weapons and relics of the Great Patriotic War. In 1946 the museum was transferred to the department of the Academy of Artillery Sciences. The first postwar exhibition opened on November 24, 1946, it was completely devoted to the relics of the last war. The re-subordination of the museum helped to establish a deeper study of the collected collection, issue several catalogs, systematize the collection and explore the possibilities for creating appropriate conditions for storing particularly valuable exhibits.

Enlargement of funds

Since 1948 the Military History Museum of Artillery has launched a multivolume edition dedicated to the history of Russian artillery. In 1963, the collections were replenished with a collection of the Central Historical Military Engineering Museum, which were assembled for 150 years. The collection included historical models of the location of troops in the battles of the Patriotic War with Napoleon in 1812, the Russian-Turkish campaign of 1877-1878, the Northern War of 1700-1721.

The Military History Museum of the Engineer Troops was replenished with new exhibits and archives in 1965, when the Military Communications Museum was joined . Among the valuable relics - the first electromagnetic telegraph of 1832, invented by P. L. Schilling, radio receiver A. S. Popov in 1895. Of great interest is the Bodo telegraph apparatus, with the help of which it was received a message about the complete surrender of Germany in 1945.

The next enlargement occurred due to the transfer to the Military History Museum of the collections from the House Museum of M. Kutuzov, located in Poland. Especially for the exhibits of this meeting was created Kutuzov Hall.

Description

At the present stage, the Military History Museum of Artillery is the largest collection of values and documents not only in Russia, but also in the world. In the walls of the crownworks, the largest collections of historical weapons, archival documents, military engineering equipment, awards and banners of different epochs, small arms and cold steel were collected. Museum halls adorn the paintings of famous artists, sculptures, portraits of emperors and generals.

Open funds are located in 13 rooms, the total area of which occupies 17 thousand square meters. The museum fund consists of 850 thousand unique items that represent scientific, historical, artistic interest. The Ustyug pubs (14-16 centuries), the tools of the armourist Jacob, dated 15th century, rifled arms of the 16th-18th centuries use the attention of the public and scientists.

The pride of the collection are the inventions of Russian masters of the weapons business - Mosin SI, AP Engelgard, VS Baranovsky and the world's most extensive collection of small arms and cold steel. Some of the exhibits are donated by the designers themselves, such as the Kalashnikov assault rifle.

Artistic and historical value is represented by a ceremonial chariot wheel made by Russian craftsmen and intended for the removal of a small cannon and the banner of the funeral army of Tsar Peter I. At the halls of the halls one can get acquainted with the military decorations of almost all the emperors of Russia, the works of crystal, silver works of famous artists of his time, Personal weapons of many generals, emperors, Soviet generals.

Open area

In 2002, after the reconstruction, an exposition was opened, located in the courtyard of the museum. Its area occupies more than 2 hectares, the formation of the collection began in the early 50's. In open access, visitors are offered more than 250 copies of artillery , missile weapons, communications equipment and military engineering equipment.

The collection included technology of domestic and foreign production, covering different historical stages - from ancient guns to modern weapons. The visitor can get acquainted with the self-propelled and towed equipment, antiaircraft installations, including those with installations carrying nuclear warheads. Of great interest in adults and children are the expositions, excursions that the Military History Museum of Artillery conducts. Photo of military equipment and other exhibits have long become an obligatory part of the visit program.

In the building of the Maltese Chapel one of the branches of the museum is being created, it will be devoted to the history of the creation and distribution of cadet corps in the Russian state. The building was not chosen by chance. It is built by the famous architect D. Quarenghi and is part of the ensemble of the Vorontsov Palace, previously it housed the pages of His Imperial Majesty's Corps.

The Museum of the History of the Cadet Corps will tell the history of the development of the Kadet in Russia until 1917, the Cadet Movement in emigration. Separate expositions are dedicated to special military schools - Suvorov, Nakhimov, preparatory, as well as the revival of the Cadet Corps in modern Russia.

Permanent exhibition

The permanent exhibition is located in 13 rooms. The stands show cold, rifle, rifled weapons, military and engineering equipment, communications from the very first to modern complexes, awards, military banners reflecting the history of the artillery weapons of the troops since the 14th century.

Halls of the Museum:

• The history of artillery weapons until the middle of the 19th century.
• History of artillery troops and weapons until 1917.
• Mikhail Kutuzov and the Patriotic War.
• The history of the artillery troops of the period 1918-1941.
• 2 halls dedicated to artillery during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
• History of the development of missile weapons.
• Engineering troops of Russia pre-revolutionary period.
• Engineer troops after 1917.
• The Kalashnikov Hall.
• Svyazisty during the Second World War (1941-1945).
• The history of the origin and development of communication troops.
• Hall of the history of European weapons of the 15-17 centuries.
• The history of cadet corps, military schools in Russia.
• Open area.

Exhibitions

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum's halls hold thematic exhibitions, the location of which is mainly the Great and Small Halls. Over the past few years, the most visited were "Weapons of the 20th century", "Weapons Legends of the 20th Century", "Special Forces against Terror" and many others.

The poster in 2017 offers to visit exhibitions:

• "Russian Eagle in the Balkans" (will last until the end of January 31, 2018). It is dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the beginning of the Russo-Turkish war.
• "Time has gathered us into combat regiments ..." (ends at the end of September 2017). The exposition considers the time slice in events and biographies of Colonel-General VE Taranovich.
• "Designer of Victory" (runs until September 2017). Dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the designer of the pistol-automatic pistol of the Great Patriotic War, GS Shpagin.
• "Turns the fate of D. Brianchaninov" (until the end of May 2017). Describes the life, fate and works of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
• "From OSAVIAHIM to Unarmia" (until September 30, 2017). Dedicated to the history of the development of schools DOSAAF.

On temporary exhibitions tours are organized, which will be of interest to adults and children.

Reviews

The Military History Museum of Artillery has received positive reviews for its completeness, rich historical heritage, quality excursions and unexpected discoveries that all sightseers who enter the halls do. Visitors note the budget prices for tickets and for permission to take photos of the main exposition, as well as the right to free access to the open area.

All visitors were pleasantly surprised by the genuine, perfectly preserved rarity weapons. The exhibition was interesting not only for the male part of the excursionists, many things were discovered by the fair sex. Visitors warmly recommend to visit the museum and believe that once it is in it, everyone will want to return more than once.

There are no negative reviews, but there are complaints about the poor lighting of some halls, too brief characteristics and information certificates from interested exhibits.

Helpful information

Where is the Military History Museum of Artillery? The address is: St. Petersburg, Alexander Park, building 7 (metro station "Gorkovskaya").

Cost of entrance tickets:

• For adults - 400 rubles.
• For children - 250 rubles.
• Preferential categories of the population - 250 rubles.
• For schoolchildren, students of vocational schools, pensioners - 100 rubles.

Payment is made by cash, bank cards are not accepted. You can find the telephone number for information on the official website, which, of course, has the Military History Museum of Artillery.

The working hours of the exposition halls are 11: 00-18: 00, weekends are Monday and Tuesday, and also every last Thursday of the month.

Not only the exhibition halls are of interest to the Military History Museum of Artillery. History is reflected in documents, archives, historical literature, which you can get acquainted with in the scientific library of the institution. Opening times - on Tuesday and Thursday (11: 00-17: 00), the department of archival documents is open on Wednesdays and Fridays (10: 00-16: 30).