Military Historical Museum of the Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps

Categories / Science. Education/Museums
MILITARY HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE ARTILLERY, ENGINEERING AND SIGNAL CORPS of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, located at 7 Alexandrovsky Park, was established in 1756 as the Memorial Hall for collecting and keeping the collections of artillery guns and other armaments. It was located in the New Gun Yard (from 1776, by the Main Arsenal on Liteiny Avenue). The collections were rapidly filled up with banners, orders and medals, battle paintings and sculptures, examples of uniform, books, documents, memorial items connected with the work of Russian commanders and military events. In 1868, it was transformed into the Artillery Museum. The museum was renamed the Artillery Historical Museum and moved to Kronverk in 1903. N. E. Brandenburg (the director of the museum in 1872-1903) made a considerable contribution to the development of the museum. In 1920s-30s, the collection was replenished with the collections of the abrogated regimental museums. The Central Historical Military and Engineering Museum was also absorbed by the museum in 1963. The Department for the History of the Signal Corps was established in 1965, and the museum received its current name. Rifle and artillery displays have been added to the armoury of the museum since the 1870s. The M. I. Kutuzov Memorial House and Museum of the Northern Military Forces from the town Boleslavets (former Bunzlau; Polland) also have had their exhibits in the Military Historical Museum of the Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps since 1991. The Military Historical Museum of the Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps possesses valuable collections of artillery armament and ammunition, rifles and hand-guns, bayonets, swords, military and engineering technology, military communications facilities, battle banners, uniforms, battle paintings and sketches, and medals and signs. The exposition is accommodated in 13 halls with a total area of over 15,000 square metres. The outer exposition contains a unique complete collection of heavy artillery guns and other kinds of war equipment (over 250 items). The museum contains approximately 700,000 items, archival and photographic documents and books. See the illustration on Page 121.

References: Исторический каталог Санкт-Петербургского артиллерийского музея: В 3 т. / Сост. Н. Е. Бранденбург. СПб., 1877-1889; Боевые реликвии: Путеводитель. По залам Воен.-ист. музея артиллерии, инж. войск и войск связи. М., 1983; Музей военной истории и боевой славы: Сб. ст. и материалов, посвящ. 240-летию музея. СПб., 1996.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Brandenburg Nikolay Efimovich
Kutuzov (Golenishchev-Kutuzov) Mikhail Illarionovich, Gracious Prince
Liteiny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Александровский парк, 7
Исторический каталог Санкт-Петербургского артиллерийского музея: В 3 т. / Сост. Н. Е. Бранденбург. СПб., 1877-1889
Боевые реликвии: Путеводитель. По залам Воен.-ист. музея артиллерии, инж. войск и войск связи. М., 1983
Музей военной истории и боевой славы: Сб. ст. и материалов, посвящ. 240-летию музея СПб., 1996 Kronverk (Crownwork)