South Pier Wall

Set up in the area of the 'Parade Ground' was a Battery of 1858, and at this end of the Promenade was set up a Russian Cannon, a 36 pounder, captured at Bomarsund, the decoration was elaborate and finely detailed. Both this and the two operational cannon have 'disappeared'.

A slight difference between the 36 pounder Russian cannon and Russian dolls!

I want to look into this important maritime connection, I think it was in the Swedish coastal engagement. Possibly a cannon captured from a fort. 36 pounder is rather large. The battery had two 22 pounders at Penzance.

The Promenade in 1858 was proud to display, at its Eastern end, a Russian Cannon captured at Bomarsund, Sweden. This clearly was to commemorate the part that Penzance must have given in the Blockade of The Baltic, March 1854 to August 1855. Queen Victoria ordered a medal (The Baltic Medal) to be struck for all participating seamen, marines and officers. They had destroyed Sveaborg and captured Bomarsund. There were also awards to 90 sappers and miners and their two officers. The medals were issued unnamed, except in the case of the officers and sappers mentioned above, and theirs were issued with their names impressed. It must be presumed some officer of the Blockade, or crew, or military grouping of Penzance was to bring favour for Penzance, as to bring a ship into Penzance with the cannon, transported all the way from Sweden, and to offload it and manhandle it into position would have been more than a generous display from the Royal Navy.
The ships employed in the Baltic Blockade:
H.M.S, Duke of Wellington, Saint George, Neptune, Princess Royal, Royal George, Saint Jean d'Acre, Majestic, Nile, James Watt, Prince Regent, Csesar, Monarch, Boscawen, Cumberland, Cressy, Blenheim, Hogue, Edinburgh, Amphion, Arrogant, Ajax, Euryalus, Imperieuse, Cruiser, Odin, Dauntless, Archer, Leopard, Valorous, Desperate, Magicienne, Vulture, Dragon, Porcupine, Bulldog, Conflict, Driver.