The History of Russian Grenade Manufacturing in the Early 20th Century: A New Find from Kronstadt

Introduction. The study of the history of Russian grenade manufacturing, combined with the exhibition of researched specimens in museums and the provision of opportunities to create their replicas (for example, for subsequent use in historical films and reenactments), contributes to the popularization of Russia's military-technical heritage. The objective of this study is to describe a new find — a hand grenade of previously unknown design — and to determine its place within the overall history of hand grenade development in Russia. The relevance of this research is determined by the fact that examining early 20th century hand grenades and drawing comparative analogies provides insight into the evolution of military-engineering thought among Russian engineers in what was then an emerging field of military technology.
Methods and materials. This study was prompted by a discovery made in 2020 in Kronstadt, near one of the abandoned artillery laboratories. Approximately one thousand identical grenades were found in total, a small portion of which were in good condition. None of the discovered grenades contained explosive fillers, representing ready-made safe mock-ups. Literary sources from the early 20th century and contemporary scholarly works in the relevant field were examined. The research is grounded in general scientific methods and specialized historical methods (typological and historical-comparative).
Results and Discussion. Morphological and technical analysis of the grenade under study revealed its probable manufacturing technology, operational mechanism, and most likely origin. A date range of 1906−1914 has been proposed. It has been established that this new historical source can be considered a previously unknown link in the chain of designs illustrating the evolution of engineering thought from the 1904 N. S. Lishin’s grenade to the 1914 V. F. Stender"s grenade; the object itself may be designated the «Lishin's Hand Grenade Mk. II».
Conclusion. The results of this work will enable future researchers to correctly identify archival records concerning the production, testing, and use of the studied grenade. Furthermore, they will allow a broad readership to become acquainted with the unconventional design of an early 20th century Russian hand grenade.