Tsar Cannon: history of creation, description, legends. The huge Tsar Cannon of the little Tsar Who cast the famous Tsar Cannon

The article briefly outlines for children the history of the Tsar Cannon - one of the symbols of the greatness and power of Russia. The Tsar Cannon embodies the skill of Russian gunners. Numerous tourists visiting Moscow consider it their duty to see this miracle.

1. Creation of the Tsar Cannon
2. History of the Tsar Cannon
3. The meaning of the Tsar Cannon
4. Video

Creation of the Tsar Cannon

• At the end of the 16th century, Russia waged war with the Crimean Khanate. Muscovites were in a state of fear of a possible attack by the Crimean Khan. In 1571, Devlet-Girey had already made a campaign against Moscow and almost completely burned it down.
• To protect the capital, the king decided to create a weapon that would direct panic fear on the enemy. As a result, in 1586 Andreev Chokhov cast the Tsar Cannon. The size of the gun exceeded all weapons that existed at that time. The cannon barrel was cast from bronze, and it was installed on a wooden flooring. Its trunk was decorated with various relief images. The main decoration was the image of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich on a horse with a scepter in his hand. Some historians believe that the image of the king served as the basis for calling the cannon royal. Among other decorations, one can highlight the image of the king of beasts - a lion fighting a duel with a snake.
• The weight of the formidable weapon is about 40 tons, the barrel length is about 5 meters, the caliber is 890 cm. In order to deliver the cannon to its place, 200 horses were required. To move it, eight brackets located along the trunk were used, to which ropes were attached.
  The cannon was initially located near the Execution Ground, from where, if necessary, it could fire at the advancing enemy.

History of the Tsar Cannon

• The gun was never used for its intended purpose. There is no evidence that she fired. By putting the cannon on public display, the tsar wanted to impress foreign diplomats. The point was that if such a huge thing was able to be cast in Russia, then what can we say about the rest of the weapons.
• The Tsar Cannon was transported several times. Under Peter I, it was moved to the territory of the Arsenal created by the Tsar. During the War of 1812, when Moscow was burned, it burned wooden base. The government thought about installing the Tsar Cannon on a more solid foundation.
• In 1835, a special cast iron base (carriage) was made for it. Next to the cannon, cast iron cannonballs appeared, hollow inside, weighing about two tons. The weapon has survived in this form to this day.
  The last time the Tsar Cannon moved to Soviet time, when construction of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses began. This time the cannon was installed on Ivanovskaya Square, where it is now located.

The meaning of the Tsar Cannon

• For a long time it was believed that the Tsar Cannon did not fire a single shot. Due to its size and firepower, it should have participated in the siege of fortresses, but never left the territory of Moscow. In addition, a cannonball charge weighing about two tons should have exploded the cannon when fired. Cast iron cannonballs were cast only in the 19th century, when the cannon was no longer considered a real weapon.
• In 1980, the Tsar Cannon was restored, and it was inspected by a special commission. The commission's conclusion resolved all the issues. It was established that, judging by the ratio of barrel length to caliber (4 to one), the gun was a mortar-type weapon for mounted firing. The charge consisted of buckshot - a large number of relatively small stone cores. The base of the trunk was buried in the ground. The barrel was installed almost vertically (with a slight inclination) and shooting was carried out by eye. It took a whole day to charge such a cannon, so it could not be used effectively.
  This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that in sources the Tsar Cannon was sometimes called the “Russian shotgun”. The shot meant buckshot.
• Another important finding was that powder particles were found in the barrel. This meant that the cannon had been fired at least once. Most likely, it was an experienced sighting shot. This is also confirmed by the master's mark found inside the barrel. According to the rules of that time, the mark was placed only upon successful test firing.
• So the gun was probably tested, approved and installed for protection. But, since firing it took a long time and a lot of effort, the gun was never used. Taking her to war was even more unprofitable.
• During the Great Patriotic War, when the Germans were on the outskirts of Moscow, a very difficult situation developed. It is interesting that at this time projects arose to use the Tsar Cannon as a defense against the Nazis.
• The Tsar Cannon is one of the greatest monuments of the Moscow Kremlin. Even though it has never been used real war, but the fact that it was cast by a Russian cannon maker and, in principle, was a working, and not a decorative weapon, gives the right to feel pride in the country. The Tsar Cannon remains a formidable symbol Russian weapons, warning that the state will be able to stand up for itself.

On January 7, 1598, the servant of God Fyodor Ioanovich died in the Moscow Kremlin, Grand Duke Moscow and Tsar of All Rus'. During the reign of the last of the direct Rurikovichs significant events quite a bit happened. The cities were founded: Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn (Volgograd), Voronezh, Arkhangelsk, Tobolsk, Surgut - new frontiers of the actively growing Russian State were established.

The next Russian-Swedish war was completed and Russia, as a result of which, returned access to the Baltic Sea along the Koporye-Yam line... Quite a few worthy deeds are being accomplished, but this is not what Tsar Fedor is remembered for... The main memory of him still stands on Ivanovo Square of the Moscow Kremlin, and his name to her - Tsar Cannon!

Story

Not much time has passed since the death of Ivan the Terrible, the dust raised by the hooves of the guardsmen’s horses has not yet settled, and in Moscow the largest building in the world was created artillery piece, remaining so until today. Maybe not in size, but definitely in terms of the caliber of the barrel.

In 1586, by order of the highest order, work began on the creation of a grandiose cannon. Historians are still struggling with the reason for such an unusual step, but most of tends to believe that the weapon was created to produce an external effect on foreign ambassadors. Like, look what we are capable of. Let's eat so hard it won't seem enough!

More seriously, the cannon was intended to testify to the growth of the power of the Russian State, both industrial and military. And, of course, she exalted the ruling Sovereign! (and Fyodor Ioanovich, according to contemporaries, was very unprepossessing physically and had a meek disposition).

The production was led by foundry master Andrei Chokhov.

Andrei Chokhov (1545 - 1629) - famous Russian foundry worker, creator of a large number of cannons and church bells. One of the surviving examples of the uniqueness of creativity is Chokhov’s siege arquebuses. The students continued and developed the traditions of the master (in particular, Alexey Nikiforov).

The casting work was carried out at the Moscow Cannon Yard (now the Lubyanka Square area) for several months. The main material for production was bronze. In terms of production technology, the weapon fully complied with the standards accepted at that time. Only more...much more!

The finished super-weapon was dragged with the help of two hundred horses to the Kremlin’s Red Square for demonstration to the sovereign. The barrel of the cannon was skillfully decorated with the image of Fyodor Ioannovich wearing all the royal regalia and riding a horse. In addition, the patterns run along the entire circumference of the trunk in the form of a ligature. Whether the giant cannon fired during the demonstration - no evidence has survived, and, given the meek disposition of Tsar Fedor, most likely not.

On the trunk there is also a dedication to Tsarina Irina Fedorovna Godunova (the wife of Tsar Fedor) and a mention of the fact that the monster was made by the “litz Chokhov”.
According to one version, due to the presence of the image of the Tsar, the cannon was named “Tsar Cannon”.

According to the second version, the name is associated primarily with the size of the work of cannon masters and foundries medieval Rus'.
Another name for the gun was “Shotgun”, since it was intended for firing small projectiles - “shot” (stone or metal uncalibrated buckshot).

Having admired it enough, the cannon was hoisted onto a wooden frame (carriage) and placed on combat duty near the walls of the Kremlin (opposite the modern GUM). There she stood for almost a century! Once they tried to use the gun against the attacking Tatars of Khan Kazy - Girey, but they did not dare to approach effective shooting distance and the shot was missed.

Subsequently, already under Pyotr Alekeseevich Romanov in 1706, having gathered their strength, the cannon was dragged into the courtyard of the Kremlin Arsenal. AND for a long time the whole country admired the skill of the gunsmiths and were amazed at the size, and also demonstrated it to overseas guests.

In 1835, a new cast-iron carriage was cast for the cannon (designed by Academician A.P. Bryullov) and decorative cannonballs weighing approximately 2 tons each. They then rolled it to the Armory, where other samples of guns were put on display.

In the 60s of the 20th century, the Tsar Cannon was finally installed in the place where it still stands today, near the bell tower of Ivan the Great. Or not quite that, since already in the 70s the gun was sent for restoration to Serpukhov, where it was equipped with a new decorative carriage and returned to its place in 1980.

Features of the device and application

If we talk about the Tsar Cannon in the language of gunsmiths, then it is, first of all, a military weapon, such as a bombard, intended for firing along a flat or mounted trajectory. The charge was a small “shot” with a total weight of up to 800 kilograms. It does not have an ignition hole, although there is a platform for it. The shot could only be fired when the fuse was fired from the side of the barrel; for this, an ignition cord was inserted into the powder chamber from the side of the muzzle.

Total weight artillery dinosaur is about 39 tons 312 kg, barrel length is 5 meters 34 centimeters, barrel caliber is 890 millimeters.

There are several opinions as to whether the Tsar Cannon fired for its own sake. centuries-old history. When carrying out restoration work in Serpukhov, experts from the Artillery Academy named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky concluded that the cannon was fired at least once.

The historian L.N. Gumilev there is a mention that the ashes of False Dmitry I were scattered by a shot from a legendary gun.

However, there are supporters and versions that the cannon was never fired. Intact traces of casting inside the barrel are indicated as evidence.

About records

The Tsar Cannon occupies an honorable place among the world record holders in the Guinness Book as a weapon of the largest caliber (890mm).

The Tsar Cannon Family

In 2001, in the city of gunsmiths Izhevsk, by order of the Government Russian Federation two copies of the symbol of artillery valor were made with almost exact adherence to the basic parameters. One copy was solemnly presented to the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, where it was installed near the city hall building.

The second replica adorns the territory of the Izhstal OJSC plant in Izhevsk.

In Yoshkar-Ola, on Obolensky-Nogotkov Square, there is a relatively small copy (weight - 12 tons). Also, the design of the gun does not correspond to the original; a number of patterns on the barrel are missing, others have been changed, and the decorative cores are also significantly smaller than the original ones. The cannon was suitable for firing, so the barrel was caulked with a special cannonball.

But the most interesting “Tsar Cannon” is in the museum under open air"Motovilikha plant" in the city of Perm. A real combat ship mortar, created in 1868 for the defense of St. Petersburg from the forts of Kronstadt.

The weight of the gun with carriage is 144 (!) tons, caliber 508 mm.

Having successfully passed artillery tests, the gun never entered combat duty - during tests and demonstrations in 1873 in Vienna, it became technically obsolete after Krupp created a bolt for loading guns from the breech. By decree of Tsar Alexander II, the cannon was preserved as a museum exhibit.

Conclusion

Why exactly was the Tsar Cannon created in our time? special significance does not have. The main thing is that it is an eloquent symbol of the centuries-old military and industrial power of Russia, a bronze embodiment of the fighting spirit of the Russian people!

Video

The Tsar Cannon, standing in the Kremlin as a monument to the foundry art of Russian craftsmen, is one of the most popular attractions in Moscow. The stories are only known brief information about the original purpose of the huge weapon, symbolizing the power of Russia. Today the cannon is a museum exhibit of artillery pieces from the 16th - 19th centuries.

Today the Tsar Cannon is listed as famous monument Russian weapons and the skill of gunsmiths. This amazing weapon is among the popular remarkable places capital, in the Kremlin, on Ivanovskaya Square, near the church and bell tower since 1960.

Tsar Cannon

History of attractions for children in grades 1-2

By order of the sovereign, the master of the Cannon Yard, in Moscow, Andrei Chokhov cast the Tsar Cannon in 1586, surpassing in size all existing ones. They placed it on the ground near the Execution Ground to cover the Spassky Gate. After 40 years, it was installed on a manufactured log frame filled with earth. After another 10 years, they replaced it with a stone roll.

The image of the king with a scepter on the weapon allowed some historians to suggest the name of the weapon. Like, in honor of Fyodor Ivanovich, who was ruling at that time and issued a decree to make a cannon. Another part of the researchers is convinced that she was given the name solely because of her size.

Gun dimensions:

The parameters are impressive even for our time. Using such a weapon on campaigns required a lot of labor and effort. When delivering the gun from the cannon yard to the installation site, many people and 200 horses were involved.

Reasons for casting the Tsar Cannon

After the reign of Ivan the Terrible, who annexed Siberia, Astrakhan and the lands of Lithuania to Russia, which opened access to the Baltic Sea. The state has significantly increased the number of enemy countries, with which by the end of the 16th century. signed dubious peace treaties that resembled a respite.

During the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible, the Muscovite kingdom waged wars with the Crimean Khanate and European countries:

• Denmark;
• Sweden;
• Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

After the reign of a strong tsar, his weak son Fyodor Ivanovich, nicknamed the Blessed, did not appear to the people as a defender of the fatherland. Moreover, Russia, which was at war with the Crimean Khanate, was often subjected to Tatar raids.

Muscovites feared for their lives and acquired property, especially after the attack of Khan Devlet Giray, which ended with the burning of the outskirts of the capital. Then the king issued a decree to create weapons, terrifying on the enemy and instilling reassurance in his subjects.

Manufacturing

By decree of the Tsar, a cannon for hanging buckshot was made at the Moscow Cannon Yard, which was superior in caliber to all others.
The idea of ​​creation came from Boris Godunov, who was the brother-in-law of the Tsar and had significant power in the state. They poured it in the oven high technology melting, for those times, which made it possible to heat up tens of tons of metal and cast a weapon of similar size.

Rearrangements

The Tsar Cannon (the story briefly tells about its rearrangements) moved around the Kremlin with the participation of a large number of people and 200 horses, which pulled it, rolling it over logs. The second time, in this way, it was rearranged in the 18th century, in connection with the construction of the Arsenal in the Kremlin and the installation of a cannon in its courtyard with other guns.

During Patriotic War with the French, in 1812. Napoleon, retreating from Moscow, ordered the Arsenal to be blown up. As a result, the guns of most of the Arsenal were damaged and the gun carriages were burned. The Arsenal was restored in 1817, and the Tsar Cannon was placed at the gate. Two years have passed. The architect Henri Montferrand had the idea to erect a memorial composition dedicated to the historical victory of Russia in the War of 1812.

The project implied the location of the Tsar Cannon and another large-caliber weapon, the Unicorn, near the entrance to the Arsenal.

They were to be installed on wooden carriages painted in green color, with black wrought iron decorations. The approved project was not implemented.

The idea to install a cannon at the main gate of the Arsenal was realized in 1835. By that time, a cast iron carriage, decorated with bas-reliefs to match the barrel, and painted in bronze color, was ready in St. Petersburg. Along with it, 4 cores were added to the composition, weighing 1970 kg each. The cannon has been preserved in this form to this day.

Eight years later, in 1843, the cannon was moved to the Armory. Where it stood until 1960, when the building in which the barracks were then located was demolished to free up the territory for the construction of the Palace of Congresses. The gun was then installed on the north side of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, where it stands now.

Tsar Cannon today

Now it is exhibited as a memorial composition of Russian artillery and foundry, symbolizing the power of the state and strong army.

Experts recognized the Tsar Cannon as the largest caliber weapon of the Middle Ages, so it was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Where she held the championship until graduation in the 19th and early 20th centuries. 914mm caliber weapons.

The trunk is decorated

The barrel is decorated with elegant ornaments, giving the Russian shotgun artistic value. In the front, muzzle part on the right, Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich is depicted wearing a crown, on a horse, with a scepter. At the top is an inscription containing a complete listing of the king's titles.

On the middle part, on the right, is the order to create a cannon, where the name of the queen is mentioned, Grand Duchess Irina. On the left is information about the place of manufacture and the date indicated in the Old Slavonic style, from the creation of the world, “….year 7094...”, with the name of the foundry worker.

What does the Tsar Cannon look like?

If at first the trunk lay on the ground, then it was placed on a carriage, creating a memorable composition, with cannonballs and a tablet containing brief information about the cannon, its mass, each core and carriage. All exhibits fit perfectly together, although they were made in different time and other masters. The gun carriage with the cannonballs for the barrel was made almost 250 years later.

The decorations of the barrel are combined with relief images of the carriage, emphasizing the status of the gun. A particularly large lion head, in the front center, just below the trunk. And among a strikingly beautiful pattern in the form of intertwined plants, a lion is depicted slaying a snake. In front of the guns are four cannonballs, laid out in a pyramid.

Design features

The weapon, according to the conclusion of the historian, A.N. The lobina, according to the type of barrel, is a bombard. This type of weapon allows us to classify the ratio of caliber to barrel length as 3.4. For a classic gun, the length should correspond to 40 calibers or more. However, it was also different from the traditional bombard.

Distinctive features:

The data is typical for powerful siege artillery weapons. However, transporting it on hikes, given its weight and size, is very problematic, without cranes and tractors.

To fire a shot, shotguns of this size took a whole day to load. Using a weapon with such characteristics for defensive purposes was most appropriate. In this case, they did not need to be transported anywhere.

Whether the cannon was made for defense, as a full-fledged weapon or as a decorative commemorative item, researchers argue. They are interested in whether it is possible to fire a shot. The cannonballs standing by the cannon certainly cannot be used as a projectile. A charge of gunpowder would rupture the barrel using such a core.

The idea to make a shotgun of this size could have originated with Ivan the Terrible. A well-known customer, other huge guns, slightly smaller in size and caliber, but military, used in campaigns.

In those days, success in capturing cities depended on the presence in the arsenal of weapons of similar caliber, with the help of which they broke down walls. But I didn’t have time to implement it due to death. So Boris Godunov, being close to Ivan IV (the Terrible), put forward the idea of ​​the deceased tsar.

The Tsar Cannon, which has historical value, pride and business card countries, shortly before the 1980 Olympics, they decided to restore it. While restoring it, the experts conducted an examination, after which they briefly commented that the weapon was made for mounted fire with small cannonballs (buckshot). But for some reason they did not find the pilot hole, putting an end to the dispute between groups of scientists about the purpose of the weapon.

According to the conclusion of the expert commission, the weapon was made according to the standards Artillery weapons, like a combat weapon, but it is impossible to fire a shot due to the lack of a hole for installing a fuse.

The Mystery of the Tsar Cannon

The lack of documented evidence of the gun's participation in combat or test firing led to lengthy debate. Military and historical researchers XIX, early XX centuries, it was mainly considered a military weapon.

Some excluded combat use, suggesting that it was originally made with the intention of impressing foreigners.

Other researchers believe that the Tsar Cannon fired at least once. This can be evidenced by the master's mark inside the barrel, which was allowed to be placed only after a test salvo. Their opponents refute the possibility of a shot by the remains of bronze in the barrel chamber, which do not remain there after shooting. Reinforcing the position with the obvious conclusion, the absence of a fuse hole.

The Tsar Cannon (history briefly describes the events affecting the operation of the gun, so few facts about the monument have been preserved today) after production it was installed as a defensive weapon against Crimean Tatars. And, according to historical events, there are known facts of the use of guns in battles, in particular bombards, with a slightly inferior caliber.

The table provides brief data on other large-caliber combat bombards:

Despite the fact that they were cast even earlier, almost 100 years ago. If so, then the Russian shotgun could have fired, but it didn’t have to.

In favor of the fact that the cannon was made as a military weapon, and not as a prop, is indicated by the fact that when the Tatar army approached in 1591, it was brought to combat readiness, along with all the capital's artillery. Having established the defense of the main Kremlin gates.

The Legend of the Tsar Cannon

The Tsar Cannon (history briefly mentions it in the legend of False Dmitry) shot the ashes of the impostor towards the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he was born. False Dmitry and his exposure - historical facts, distorted by speculation in folk legends.

According to legend, after exposure, False Dmitry sought to escape from Russia, but on the way he met people’s militias who brutally killed him. But the body, a day after the funeral, was found near the shelter.

They decided to bury him in such a way that he would not come out again, but this action did not bring any results, he was discovered again in another cemetery. They thought that the Russian land did not accept this, so they burned the corpse, and the collected ashes were mixed with gunpowder and sent back where they came from, fired from a cannon.

The legend traces the attitude of the people towards legendary weapon. During times of unrest and anarchy, the murdered impostor was buried in the ground, but he reappeared among the living. The common people decided that their land was rejecting them and the mission to drive the troublemaker out of our lands was decided to be entrusted to the Tsar Cannon, the defender of the Russian people.

Tsar Cannon and its copies

Two exact copies of the Kremlin original were made at the Izhevsk arms plant in 2001. One was solemnly presented to the city of Donetsk, and the second was placed near the entrance to the plant.

Donetsk received a copy of the original gun as a gift from the Moscow administration, in response to the gift of a copy of Mertsalov's Palm to Moscow. They installed the delivered gift near the Donetsk City Council, in the direction directly from the building, symbolically protecting it.

Copies, in general view identical to the original, made of cast iron, with trunks 6 cm shorter, which was carried out by order of the museum management. The weight of the barrel was 44 tons, the carriage - 20 tons.

If 2 guns manufactured in Izhevsk are completely identical to the original, then those in Yoshkar-Ola are not an exact copy. It is 2 times smaller, cast from steel and part of the relief pattern is changed or missing. The cannon was manufactured at the Zvenigovsky shipyard, completely suitable for firing, so a cannonball was installed in the barrel.

How to get there

The Tsar Cannon is located in Moscow, on Ivanovskaya Square, in the Kremlin. If you take the metro, we find one of the stations close to the Kremlin - “Alexandrovsky Garden”. Through the pedestrian crossing, it is easier to get to the ticket office to purchase tickets for a tour of the Kremlin.

You can walk a short distance from the station, going to the Kremlin through the Trinity Tower. From the tower, heading towards the historical relic of Russian artillery art, walk past the Palace of Congresses to the Tsar Cannon, located on the western side of Ivanovo Square.

Article format: Mila Friedan

Video about the Tsar Cannon

About the Tsar Cannon:

Story: The famous Tsar Cannon, which is an integral part of the exhibition exposition of the Moscow Kremlin, was created in 1586. It was cast at the Cannon Yard by the famous master Andrei Chokhov on the orders of Fyodor Ivanovich, the Tsar of the Russian State. History has preserved the name of the creator of the unusual gigantic cannon, since it was engraved on the massive barrel, as well as the year it was cast. The appearance of such an unusual foundry was the result of centuries of improvement in the technology of casting reliable and powerful guns.

Over the course of its four-year history, the Tsar Cannon has changed its location more than once. At first it was located on the territory of the Cannon Yard, and only in the 18th century was it, with great difficulty, able to be moved to the Moscow Kremlin. And even here, the masterpiece of foundry production was at first located in the courtyard near the Reserve building, and then this landmark was moved to the main gate and installed on a gun carriage.

Four large cannonballs were placed at the base of the massive cannon, each weighing almost a ton. The cores for this masterpiece were specially cast in St. Petersburg in 1834 at the famous Berd foundry. IN last time a masterpiece of foundry production changed its location in 1960, when it was being built. The gun was carefully moved to Ivanovskaya Square and installed next to the temple where it still stands out today.

The massive Tsar Cannon was never used as powerful weapons, since it is simply impossible to shoot from a huge cast-iron carriage. If you try to shoot from big trunk bomb or it can simply be blown to pieces, and the gunners nearby will die. But the documents relating to the testing of the gun have not survived to this day, so scientists are still arguing about its main purpose. Until the twentieth century, many military historians believed that the gun could fire shot consisting of small stones.

But most researchers are convinced that the masterpiece of foundry production was created with the sole purpose of scaring the ambassadors of foreign states, and in particular the envoys of the Crimean Khan. The secret of the gun was revealed in 1980 during a scheduled repair, when craftsmen examined the internal channels. It turned out that this product is neither a cannon nor a shotgun, but was created as a bombard, so no slope was required for its barrel.

Peculiarities: The grandiose Tsar Cannon in Moscow is a huge weapon with a length of 5.34 meters, the diameter of its barrel is 120 centimeters on the outside, and the caliber is 890 millimeters. Only high-quality bronze was used to cast the massive weapon, and the surface of the barrel is beautifully decorated with all kinds of figured friezes, unusual inscriptions and ornamental belts. The breech and muzzle edges of the barrel protrude slightly above the surface of the decorative belt, for the design of which the creator of the gun used unique figured hinges.

central part The huge barrel of the grandiose weapon is divided into separate parts by flat and ornamental relief friezes. On the side you can see cast brackets designed to fully strengthen the ropes while the gun is moving. Above the front right bracket there is an inscription exalting Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. And the seed hole is located directly in the trunk, near the large rear belt. The huge Tsar Cannon weighs almost forty tons, so moving it from its place is an impossible task even for Russian heroes.

Now the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell are the most unusual attractions in Moscow, attracting the attention of visitors to the Moscow Kremlin.

Since the invention of gunpowder by mankind, the role of artillery on the battlefield has constantly increased. Guns were first used to destroy the walls of enemy fortresses and other enemy fortifications, and then began to be used to destroy enemy personnel. In the last century, artillery became a real “goddess of war”, largely determining the outcome of two world wars.

Military history knows dozens of examples of unique artillery pieces, some of them had unusual characteristics, and others participated in interesting events, sometimes changing the fate of entire countries or the outcome of military conflicts. The most famous and unique Russian artillery piece is, without a doubt, the Tsar Cannon. She is considered the most big gun in the world, and for this reason is included in the Guinness Book of Records.

We can say that today the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell are one of the main attractions of Moscow; few tourists leave without taking a selfie with these wonderful monuments of Russian antiquity. Children are especially happy with this wonder.

The controversy surrounding the Tsar Cannon has not subsided for several centuries. It is not known for what purposes it was made, and whether it ever fired? Is this a prop or a real weapon created for the defense of Moscow in the Middle Ages? Who is he, the master who cast the Tsar Cannon? Where is this weapon located today?

Description

The Tsar Cannon is a medieval artillery piece, or, more precisely, a bombard. It has a length of 5.34 m, the outer diameter of the barrel is 120 cm, the caliber of the gun is 890 mm, it weighs 39.31 tons. The barrel length is six calibers, so modern classification The Tsar Cannon is a mortar.

The gun is made entirely of bronze. It was made by the Russian master Andrei Chokhov (Chekhov) in 1586 at the Cannon Yard.

The master who cast the Tsar Cannon richly decorated it with various reliefs and inscriptions. On the right side of the muzzle of the gun there is a relief depicting Tsar Fyodor I Ioannovich, during whose reign this marvelous monument of foundry art was made. The Russian autocrat is depicted on a horse with a crown on his head, and in one hand he holds a scepter. There are inscriptions on the barrel, from which you can find out when and by whom the Tsar Cannon was made. Some historians believe that the name of the cannon appeared precisely because of the image of the king on it. Although, most likely, it is related to huge size guns.

On each side of the barrel there are four brackets designed for transporting the gun.

The bore of the Tsar Cannon is interesting. Inward from the muzzle, it has the shape of a cone, with an initial diameter of 900 mm and a final diameter of 825 mm. The charging chamber also resembles a cone: its initial diameter is 447 mm, and its final diameter (the one at the breech) is 467 mm. The bottom of the chamber is flat.

Story

As mentioned above, the Tsar Cannon was cast in 1586 by gunsmith Andrei Chokhov. At that time, raids by the Tatars were very frequent, who not only invaded Russian lands, but also captured and ravaged Moscow itself several times.

Therefore, it is believed that a gun of this size and caliber was made specifically to protect the capital from another Tatar raid.

Initially, the Tsar Cannon defended the bridge over the Moscow River and defended the Spassky Gate; later it was placed near Lobnoye Mesto, mounted on a special ramp made of logs. The Tsar Cannon never managed to take part in the real battle.

During the reign of Peter I, the cannon was moved to the courtyard of the Arsenal, and later took a place at its gates.

In the 19th century (in 1835, to be more precise), a magnificent carriage was made for the Tsar Cannon, decorated with carved ornaments and cast-iron cannonballs. All this was done at the Berd plant in St. Petersburg according to the sketches of the architect Bryullov.

In the 60s of the last century, the gun again had to change its location. Due to the construction of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, the Tsar Cannon was solemnly moved to Ivanovo Square in the Kremlin. She remains there to this day.

In 1980, they decided to repair the gun and sent it to the Serpukhov plant, where it was examined by specialists. It was then that it was established that the Tsar Cannon was still fired, probably while the gun was being zeroed. This is confirmed by the master’s personal seal found on inside barrel, in those days it was installed only after checking the gun. According to the poet Gumilev, it was from the Tsar Cannon that the ashes of False Dmitry were shot towards the Polish border. When examining the gun barrel, particles of gunpowder and soot were found in it, which confirmed the fact that the gun was used for its intended purpose. Although, some authors doubt this, pointing to the tides of bronze in the barrel, which would inevitably fail with the first shot. In addition, the Tsar Cannon does not have a pilot hole, which raises many questions.

Typically, guns of this size and caliber in those days were used to fire at the walls of enemy fortresses. A typical example Such a tactic was the use of a huge cannon by the Seljuks during the siege of Constantinople in 1453. It was she who played a decisive role in the fall of Constantinople.

The bombards were placed on special wooden platforms, and piles were driven in behind them to support them when firing. The artillery crew was hiding next to the cannon in the trenches during the shot, because the guns of that time were very often torn apart.

An attentive observer will immediately notice that the Tsar Cannon does not have trunnions, with the help of which the elevation angle is given when firing at modern guns. The bombards fired stone cannonballs; the process of loading them took hours, or even whole days. So using such a weapon on the battlefield against infantry or cavalry is extremely problematic. Those cast iron cannonballs (they are also hollow inside) that now lie next to the gun are nothing more than props. If you try to fire them, the gun is guaranteed to explode.

Weapon specialists of the 19th and 20th centuries generally believed that the Tsar Cannon was made to intimidate the enemy, so to speak, to suppress his morale, and they doubted that this weapon had ever been fired.

In documents of the 18th–19th centuries, the Tsar Cannon is often called a “shotgun.” Artillerymen used to call buckshot, which consisted of small stones, shot. However, as a shotgun this weapon is extremely ineffective. In short, for a shotgun the Tsar Cannon has too much big size. In the inventories of the Moscow Arsenal early XVIII centuries, the calibers of various shotguns were indicated. The largest was 25 pounds. However, the most numerous was an even smaller caliber - 2 pounds. The Tsar Cannon is also listed in the same inventory; its caliber was 1,500 pounds.

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