In Sevastopol, divers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations recovered a 19th century cannon from the seabed

CrimeaPRESS reports:

A gun from the mid-19th century that terrified the enemy even during the Crimean War. The exact history of the unique find remains to be established, but it is already known: it will soon take pride of place in the exhibition of the Military Historical Museum of Fortifications. The gun was discovered on the seabed next to the museum’s site – the legendary Mikhailovskaya Battery.

Researchers at the institution say: for many years the cannon was embedded in a concrete pier and was used as a bollard for mooring boats. It is unknown who and when disposed of the historical artifact in this way, but it was impossible to remove it without damaging the maritime transport infrastructure. An unexpected turn in the fate of the gun occurred at the end of November 2023.

When there was a storm in Sevastopol, the cannon fell to the bottom of the sea. And then a group of divers carried out work to raise it, – says Yulia Khramtsova, researcher at the Military Historical Museum of Fortifications, a branch of the Federal State Institution “UISP” of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Divers from the Specialized Squad of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the city of Sevastopol were involved in the work. Delivering the cannon to land turned out to be difficult.

There were technical difficulties: extremely shallow depth — about one and a half meters of occurrence at the time of discovery, partial washing away by sand — more than 60-70 percent. And since it was located in concrete structures, it was littered with concrete blocks, there was no direct access to it. We carried out work on washing, sharpening and removing from concrete captivity, – Dmitry Danilyuk, a diver of the emergency rescue department of the emergency rescue unit of the Specialized detachment of the Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations for the city of Sevastopol, shares the details of the operation.

The gun, weighing about two tons, was forced to float gracefully to the shore with the help of air-filled pontoons and metal cables. When the cannon emerged from the water, for the first time in recent history, researchers were able to examine it completely and establish its nationality. Previously there were suspicions that it might turn out to be English. But now there is no doubt: the stamp with the Russian double-headed eagle is clearly visible on the barrel.

In addition to the gun of the Russian Empire, divers from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations also discovered seven cannonballs on the seabed. These finds will also be studied and then presented to visitors to the Mikhailovskaya Battery.

source: press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in Sevastopol

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