Photo credit: Peter L Johnson / 65-pound bomb gun on Sydney's coastal fortifications / ru.wikipedia.org (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The petition of the descendants of Russian Cossacks in Australia to transfer Russian cannons captured during the Crimean War and ended up in Australia to Russia has overcome the initial procedures and is preparing for consideration in the country's parliament. In 1917, the Australian authorities announced their readiness to return the cannons to Russia, but the decision was not implemented, Regnum reports.
The initiative to return the guns to Russia belongs to the descendants of the Trans-Baikal Cossacks living in Australia. The petition they sent to parliament indicates that the decision to transfer Russian guns captured in the 19th century during the Crimean War was made and announced in early 1917 by Australian Prime Minister William Morris Hughes.
The corresponding document, which allows again to raise the question of the return of the guns, was found in the Australian archive by the Cossack ataman Semyon Boykov. A century ago, the head of government said that the transfer of weapons would be perceived by Russia as a friendly step, and this is very important for the leadership and residents of Australia. The decision could not be implemented due to the revolution in Russia.
Eight Russian cannons are located on the streets of Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Launceston.
Russkiy Mir
