Description of the attraction
Behind the Peter and Paul Fortress, separated from it by the Kronverksky Strait, is the Kronverksky Arsenal. Here is one of the oldest museums in St. Petersburg - Artillery. It is a historically remarkable repository of all kinds of weapons and military armor and accessories.
The collection of the Artillery Museum began in 1703, the year the city was founded, when a special tseikhhauz was built on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress on the personal instructions of Peter I to store ancient artillery pieces. In the middle of the 19th century, the collection, which had already become significant and extensive by that time, was almost lost due to the indifference of officials. And only the intervention of Tsar Alexander II saved it from crushing and destruction.
A truly museum life of the collection began in 1868, when part of the building of the arsenal of the Peter and Paul Fortress - Kronverka - was set aside for the placement of military-historical collections. Part of the courtyard was allocated for heavy weapons. At the same time, the organized existence of the military collection as a state museum began.
During the blockade of Leningrad, tank repair shops operated on the territory of the museum, performing urgent work to restore the combat effectiveness of weapons. Its current name is the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps.
The Artillery Museum is one of the most spectacular museums in the city. In its collection there are more than 850 thousand exhibits introducing the development of military affairs. Its collections are divided into two sections: Russian and foreign. The first presents the evolution of military weapons (including artillery) of our Fatherland from the end of the XIV century to the present, inclusive. The second one shows mainly military trophies, obtained mainly in the 18th century. In addition, here you can see random, but no less interesting items related to the life of sovereigns, generals and other historical figures, gifts to the regiments of the Russian army, etc.
The exposition of the museum is located in 13 rooms, on an area of over 17,000 square meters. It displays the world's largest collection of cold and small arms.
The collection of artillery pieces is considered to be truly unique and one of the largest in the world. Now it contains more than 1200 guns and mortars - from the ancient mattresses and arquebuses of the XIV century. to modern nuclear artillery and rocketry. It is especially interesting that the armament on display is international in composition. In addition to the Soviet and Russian, more than half of it is made up of foreign guns from three continents from more than thirty countries of the world. The museum has a permanent exhibition "Kalashnikov - Man, Weapon, Legend" dedicated to our famous designer.
The permanent, unflagging interest of museum visitors is aroused by the external exposition of the museum, located in the courtyard of the Kronwerk on an area of more than two hectares. At the moment, about 200 units of artillery, missile weapons, engineering and communications equipment, including domestic and foreign weapons, from medieval cannons to modern self-propelled guns and missile systems, are located in open areas.
In the Large and Small exhibition halls of the museum, as well as at its expositions, exhibitions are regularly organized, including international ones, there are sightseeing and thematic excursions. There are also costume fencing training sessions organized by the Silhouette of the European Historical Scenic Fencing Studio, which are bright and colorful shows and attract a large number of visitors.
The so-called “museum nights” have become traditional in the museum, during which museum visitors can hold models of historical weapons, shoot a bow and crossbow, even visit the unique Topol intercontinental missile complex, as well as witness episodes from the history of military operations period of the First and Second World Wars.
