The famous Russian foundry master Andrei Chokhov - became famous for his work, Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon. Information about his life was practically not preserved, even the exact year of birth and appearance of the craftsman are unknown.
Apprenticeship time
The caster was born between 1540 and 1545 in Smolensk. The son of a poor merchant was sent to study literacy and numeracy.
After this stage, usually teenagers were sent to the masters, where the children learned the craft. In Smolensk, fortress walls were erected, cannons with squeakers were cast. Chokhov and sent to apprentices to the caster.
Foundry masters arrived from Moscow with the famous architect Fedor Kon. To Ganus and identified a teenager. Under the guidance of experienced mentors, Andrei performed the first job.
He cast a squeak. Then the novice artisan received the first award. After completing the work, visitors with students returned to Moscow. Moving abruptly changed the biography of Chokhov.
Foundry craftsmen were settled on the site of modern Pushechnaya Street. Terrible forces tried to strengthen the army. He paid attention to artillery.
Proceedings of the master gunner
A lot of guns were cast. Immediately weapons went to the army for artillery units. The routine work for Andrew turned into a matter of life. He received and unique orders.
Giant guns were not only for defense. They were used to impress foreigners who arrived in Moscow for strange purposes.
In September 1554, Chokhov and Ganus cast a huge cannon of over a thousand pounds. The gigantic mortar was not sent to the army, leaving in front of the Kremlin Church of the Intercession on the moat.
A year later, next to her appeared a second cannon, also by Chokhov. On each there was a brand with the inscription "disciple of Chokhov." Together with the teacher, he completed the last joint work. From 1566, work was carried out without the deceased Hanus.
The guns cast in the fall of 1566 are marked as products by the master Andrei Chokhov. He was appointed one of the leaders in the reconstruction of the Cannon Yard.
The new boss achieved the arrangement of the second casting furnace, expanding the territory for arranging a new gate for the installation of gun casting molds. The ebb procedure began with a model of wood.
An ornament was carved on the surface of the model. The tree was coated with clay mixed with manure. The tree was removed after the clay had dried. The resulting form was placed in a special pit, dropping a core coated with clay-dung mixture into the middle of the casting.
The cooled cast was lifted up, freed from clay, put on special goats. The surface was cleaned of defects, the inner stem channel was polished. Usually, the master supervised the activities of apprentices and students, such as previously Chokhov.
New activity
As experience gained, the Russian caster began to lead the entire process. He thought of a serious contribution to the modernization of technology, and therefore an experienced craftsman went to the bell master Luka as an apprentice.
With him, Chokhov cast bells for the Spassky Monastery of the Moscow Region. But above all, the master remained cannon. There is evidence that in the seventies Chokhov established a personal life, got married. By the beginning of the Livonian War, several squeaks had been cast for the Smolensk Kremlin.
In 1575, a stenobit gun was made for the Belgorod Kremlin. Then the master was cast one of the best examples of his work, the gun "Wolf". The original novelty was the trunk tapering towards the end. The gun could fire both with cores and buckshot.
Together with other large cannons, the Wolf was included in the special detachment left in Livonia. In the battles near Wenden, the guns captured by the Swedes shocked the commander so much that he ordered the transportation of trophies to Vilna.
In the winter of 1577, Chokhov produced the most impressive siege artillery cannon with a unicorn called the Inrog. The caster in the fall of 1578 began work on the new Wolf. He was immediately taken to the place of fighting.
In 1591 he was captured by the Swedes. Both trophies were installed in the castle of Gripsholm. The guns purchased under Peter the Great were returned to Russia.
