The book "Private collections of weapons in pre-revolutionary Russia"

You are given the opportunity to get acquainted with the exhibition of weapons from the funds of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Communications Troops, which is located in St. Petersburg. Having celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2003, the museum currently houses one of the largest armory collections in the world, the formation of which began in the 18th century and continues to the present day. In the second half of the 19th century, the museum maintained close ties with collectors and collectors of military antiquities and weapons, often replenishing its funds with their help.
At the beginning of the 20th century, traditional ties were partially lost. Hundreds of private collections of weapons and home museums ceased to exist, and items from them went to state museums, losing their legends and the names of their owners.
All the objects shown at the exhibition were in private collections before 1917, but, unfortunately, in most cases their ownership is unknown to us. Perhaps the publication of these weapons monuments will help to identify some of the names of Russian guardians of military antiquities.
This book contains not only a catalog of weapons on display, but also a unique piece of collected material on the history of private armory collections in pre-revolutionary Russia. Undoubtedly, it will be interesting not only for visitors to the exhibition, but also for anyone who is interested in the history of collecting in our country. The museum's participation in the XVII Antique Salon and the display of the weapons collection is a tribute to the memory and respect of Russian collectors who have preserved for us priceless monuments of the world's weapons culture.

The book contains a unique biographical reference dictionary, which includes the names of about 240 collectors. Among the owners of the collections are emperors, grand dukes, famous military leaders, nobles, industrialists and bankers. The publication contains detailed descriptions and high-quality photographs of rare samples of cold steel and firearms from the collections of the St. Petersburg Artillery Museum.