The frame of the artpieces is a historical deep-sea mine of AGSB-type, made in Russia in 1942. It was a big galvanic deep-sea mine, equipped with “Blok” device and two contact electro-magnetic antennas. The upper antenna was kept steady by a buoy. The mine was used to fight submarines. It was still manufactured in the 50-ies.
The measures of the original mine are: diameter: 875 mm, weight: 1140 kg, Explosive charge: 240 kg.
Mines of Estonian waters
Type, year | Diameter Charge Weight |
History |
AGSB 1942.a. |
Ø 875 mm Exp. 240 kg Weight: 1140 kg |
Large deep sea galvanic mine with “Blok” gear. Produced after “KB-3” to be used against submarines. Equipped with two electromagnetic contact antennas. The upper antenna was held by buoy. Was manufactured until 1950-s. |
KB “Krab” 1944/1951.a. |
Ø 875 mm Exp. 240 kg Weight: 1090 kg |
Large deep sea galvanic mine with “Krab” gear. Produced after “KB-3” to be used against submarines. Used by many countries. |
UKSM 1960.a. |
Ø 875 mm Exp. 300 kg Weight: 1350 kg |
Surface layd anti-submarine mine. Producers used both Russian and German Experience. Equipped with acoustic explosive gear “Krab” and non-contact electromagnetic antennas. Upper antenna was held by buoy. Contemporary bottom mine of mass production. |
Images
Thousands of these types of mines were held in warehouses on the coast and islands near Tallinn (Astangu, Paljassaare, Naissaare) until the year 1994.
The Naissaar Island is situated in the Gulf of Finland, 15 kilometres away from Tallinn. As a military object, Naissaar has always interested the rulers of Estonia, which is the reason why the inhabitants have often been forced to leave the island. The area of Naissaar is 18,6 km2. Naissaar used to be a favourite spot for pirates and smugglers during the earlier times.
The first military object – a cannon battery – was erected on Naissaar by the Swedish rulers during the Great Northern War in 1705.
After the end of the Great Northern War, when Estonia was included in the Russian Empire, Russia continued militarising the Naissaar Island: a defensive building with five bastions was erected in 1720.
Russia started modernising the military objects of the Gulf of Finland at the beginning of the 20th century. The Naissaar and Mäkiluoto cannon batteries and a minefield connecting them were designed to be the priority in this system. The project was not completed due to the outbreak of WW I. When retreating from the Germans in 1918, the Russians blew up most of the defensive buildings. Naissaar was used as a fortified naval base also by the Republic of Estonia in 1918-1940.
Naissaar was classified as a secret military facility during the Soviet times. There was a large factory for assembling marine mines in the centre of the island and a railway taking directly to the harbour. Mining the whole Gulf of Finland would have been a matter of hours.
When departing in the beginning of 1990s, the Soviet army burned the explosives out of the mines that were stored and in working order, leaving a multitude of cases scattered around. Lots of them were taken to the mainland as scrap-iron during the cleaning of the island. There is still an existing field of mines in Mädasadam as a sight for tourists to see.