Arsenals (general article)

Categories / Army. Navy/Quarters, Arsenals, Riding-halls, Guardhouses, etc.
Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Public Buildings and Edifices
ARSENALS, establishments for storing and repairing weapons and ammunition, as well as buildings meant for such use. The first arsenals in St. Petersburg (Zeughaus) were built in 1703-05 in St Peter and Paul Fortress and the Admiralty Fortress, as well as in Kronstadt. The largest St. Petersburg arsenal (including arms storehouses, industrial and administrative buildings, military quarters, living quarters, etc.) was situated in the area made up by present-day Chaikovskogo Street, Gagarinskaya Street, Neva River Embankment and Chernyshevskogo Avenue. In 1711-12, the ordnance factory - Liteiny Court (Casthouse) was built in this area, a warehouse for finished weapons was added to it in 1714, on the site of the present-day No 4 on Liteny Avenue. The warehouse was called Old Cannon yard (in 1774, it was rebuilt in stone and called Old Arsenal as of 1799). It was used as an arsenal until the early 1860s, when the building started housing St. Petersburg district court. During the February Revolution of 1917, the building was burned and destroyed (today, the so-called Big house is situated on this place). Opposite this building on Liteiny Avenue (present-day No 3), the New Arsenal was built in the early 1800s (rebuilt in 1870; presently housing Mikhailovsky Military Artillery Academy). In 1850-51, an Arsenal was built in Kronverk, where the main weapon and ammunition supplies were transferred. In 1844-51, on the right bank of the Neva river, a house also called New Arsenal was built (today, Arsenal Plant), meant for accommodating industries and, partially, warehouses. In the late 19th - early 20th century, 12 arsenal warehouses were established in various districts of the city. Arsenals were also called the collections of arms and the halls used for their storage and exhibitions in the palaces of emperors or Grand Princes. In present-day St. Petersburg, this name remains in the names of the plant, Arsenalnaya Embankment and Street, the departments of arms and ammunition exhibitions in the State Hermitage Museum and national parks and museums of Gatchina and Tsarskoe Selo.

References: Родзевич В. М. Историческое описание С.-Петербургского арсенала за 200 лет его существования, 1712-1912 гг. СПб., 1914.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Arsenalnaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
Arsenalnaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Chernyshevskogo St./Saint Petersburg, city
Gagarinskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 4
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 3
Tchaikovskogo St./Saint Petersburg, city
Родзевич В. М. Историческое описание С.-Петербургского арсенала за 200 лет его существования, 1712-1912 гг. СПб., 1914
Отчет о состоянии Петерб. арсеналов. СПб., 1912. St. Peter and Paul fortress
Admiralty Fortress
Foundry Yard
Bolshoy Dom
Mikhailovsky Military Artillery University
Kronverk (Crownwork)
Hermitage
1850
1860