Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has visited the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, firing the traditional daily howitzer shot, which marks noon.
Putin has routinely got up-close and personal with various arms – from fighter jets to high-power sniper rifles. This time, Russia’s president got his hands on one of the two D-30 howitzers located in – the St. Petersburg stronghold – the Peter and Paul Fortress.
“You’ve scored a hit,” the onlookers exclaimed as Putin fired the howitzer.
“Certainly, you can’t miss with this,” the president replied.
The round, however, was merely a blank, since the two howitzers are used solely for ceremonial firing. The tradition of making the daily ‘midday shot’ in the fortress dates back to the 19th century. As a rule, only one howitzer is fired, while the second one is in reserve. Yet, on special occasions, both guns are used, sometimes even firing in volleys.
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