Russia began to build fortifications along the Black Sea coastline from the fortress of Anapa to the fortification of Gagra to strengthen its position. On July 28, 1831, a landing party under the command of Major General Yermolai Astafyevich Berkhman landed on the shore of the bay to lay the foundation of the Gelendzhik fortification. It numbered 4,138 people. By mid-September 1831, cannons with ammunition were transferred from ships to equip the fortification under construction — a total of 22 guns.
The museum exhibition includes a 6-pounder artillery gun from the Gelendzhik fortification, miraculously preserved from the time of the Caucasian War. The cannon rests on a wooden carriage specially made for it.
If such a cannon was used by horse artillery, then six horses were needed to pull the cart. Four horses were used for foot artillery. The cannon fired up to 2,000 meters, but the greatest efficiency was achieved at shorter distances — about 600 meters. If the enemy approached 300 meters, the gun did not start firing with solid cast-iron cannon balls, which caused damage with the force of impact, but with buckshot — a set of cast-iron bullets in tin cylinder shells. There was practically no fire if the target was further than 1,000 meters. In this case, the guns fired only a few times to prevent the enemy from maneuvering. The cannon was aimed at the target with a wedge or screw that raised or lowered the breech of the gun. Horizontal aiming was carried out by turning the gun with the help of levers. When the gun was ready for firing, it was fixed with wedges. Gunpowder was set on fire with a wick through the pilot hole. When firing a bomb, the fuse of the bomb was previously set on fire. After the shot, the barrel of the gun was cleaned with a brush called a “bannik”. The process of preparing such a gun for a shot, along with aiming at a target, took from 8 to 15 minutes.
The fate of the fortifications of the Black Sea coastline was determined by the Crimean War of 1853–1856, which ended with Russia’s defeat. In 1854, it was decided to withdraw the garrisons from all the small fortifications of the Black Sea coastline and concentrate them in the area of Anapa and Novorossiysk. In March 1854, the Russian garrison left the Gelendzhik military fortification, after blowing it up. It is not known why the cannon was left in the fortification. Perhaps there was simply no extra team to transport it. To prevent the enemy from using the cannon, its ignition hole was riveted, and a cannonball was hammered into the barrel bore.
The museum exhibition includes a 6-pounder artillery gun from the Gelendzhik fortification, miraculously preserved from the time of the Caucasian War. The cannon rests on a wooden carriage specially made for it.
If such a cannon was used by horse artillery, then six horses were needed to pull the cart. Four horses were used for foot artillery. The cannon fired up to 2,000 meters, but the greatest efficiency was achieved at shorter distances — about 600 meters. If the enemy approached 300 meters, the gun did not start firing with solid cast-iron cannon balls, which caused damage with the force of impact, but with buckshot — a set of cast-iron bullets in tin cylinder shells. There was practically no fire if the target was further than 1,000 meters. In this case, the guns fired only a few times to prevent the enemy from maneuvering. The cannon was aimed at the target with a wedge or screw that raised or lowered the breech of the gun. Horizontal aiming was carried out by turning the gun with the help of levers. When the gun was ready for firing, it was fixed with wedges. Gunpowder was set on fire with a wick through the pilot hole. When firing a bomb, the fuse of the bomb was previously set on fire. After the shot, the barrel of the gun was cleaned with a brush called a “bannik”. The process of preparing such a gun for a shot, along with aiming at a target, took from 8 to 15 minutes.
The fate of the fortifications of the Black Sea coastline was determined by the Crimean War of 1853–1856, which ended with Russia’s defeat. In 1854, it was decided to withdraw the garrisons from all the small fortifications of the Black Sea coastline and concentrate them in the area of Anapa and Novorossiysk. In March 1854, the Russian garrison left the Gelendzhik military fortification, after blowing it up. It is not known why the cannon was left in the fortification. Perhaps there was simply no extra team to transport it. To prevent the enemy from using the cannon, its ignition hole was riveted, and a cannonball was hammered into the barrel bore.
