On October 12, 1886, an unusual monument was unveiled on Izmailovsky Prospekt near the Holy Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg. It was a column of six rows of cannons - a total of 128 barrels. At the top of this monument was a statue of the goddess of victory Nike. The total height of the building was 5 fathoms (more than 28 meters). The history of the appearance of this monument is very interesting.
In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish war, 886 Turkish guns were captured during the assault on Plevna. Some of them were transported to Russia and stored in artillery depots in the city of Nikolaev.
In 1882, Emperor Alexander III issued a decree on the erection of a monument in order to perpetuate the feat of the Russian troops in the last war. The decree said: "May this monument to the dedication and valor of the soldiers, with the help of God, cover the Russian banners and the Russian name with new glory, remain."
The project was approved by the engineer-captain G.M. Zhitkov, a participant in the Russian-Turkish war, and the architect D.I.Grim. The construction of the monument was carried out by the sculptor P.I.Shvarts.
Trophy guns were delivered from Nikolaev to St. Petersburg. One hundred twenty-eight cannons were installed in six tiers one above the other. The monument consisted of three parts: a pedestal, the column itself and a statue of the goddess Nike. Bronze plaques were mounted on the pedestal, indicating all the units that participated in this war.
During the opening of the monument, a parade was held with the participation of troops and veterans of the Russian-Turkish war. A gala dinner for officers was held in the Hermitage, and for lower ranks - in the barracks of the Izmailovsky Guards regiment. According to the menu, each soldier received a glass of vodka, a bottle of beer, a roll, two pies, a piece of meat, two apples and twenty-five cigarettes.
But this unique monument, reminiscent of the glory of Russian weapons, did not stand for half a century. In 1929, the Soviet government decided to demolish the monument and a year later it was gone.
The restoration of the monument took place already in the new century. On October 1, 2005 at noon, at the signal of a cannon from the Peter and Paul Fortress, the reconstructed monument "Military Glory" was unveiled in a solemn atmosphere.