Researcher Attempts to Restore Centuries-Old Cannons
Archeologist Jüri Peets, senior researcher at Tallinn University's Institute of History, has taken up the task of restoring six cannons that were found in the Kuressaare Castle moat a couple of years ago.
The preliminary restoration work is currently underway and, according to Peets, there is even a chance that three of the guns may become functional, wrote Meie Maa.
The cannons, currently lined up in front of the castle, date to the 18th and 19th centuries. "All of them were used in battles," said Peets, adding that at one point they became unusable for battlefield combat, which is why they were brought to the garrison.
The rarest of the six is a French gun dating to the age of Napoleon, said Peets. According to one theory, the cannon ended up in Saaremaa as a result of Napoleon's failed attempt to conquer Russia.
Ingrid Teesalu