In 1799, the siege of the fortress of Corfu in the Mediterranean was coming to an end. Our sailors seriously battered the French and Turks, particularly impressed by the range and accuracy of our cannons. One of the captains of the French fleet even noted: "The best gunpowder in the world is Russian. We confirmed its superiority over all known types during the siege of Corfu when the Russians hurled 25 kg bombs over significant distances." The French sailor was not exaggerating, as our gunpowder was indeed considered the best.

This began with Peter I. After reclaiming part of the northern lands from the Swedes, he ordered the establishment of a "gunpowder mill" in Ohta. At that time, gunpowder was produced in small factories and was of low quality, which required urgent correction in wartime conditions. To learn the "gunpowder business," not only domestic specialists were sent abroad, but also Peter I himself. By adopting the experience of foreign colleagues and sometimes secretly studying their secrets, Russian engineers later opened their own factory.

In some aspects, our masters even surpassed their teachers. The legends of the Ohtinsky factory became Yegor Markov and Ivan Leontyev, who improved the technology of black powder. The history of the Ohtinsky factory is also associated with the names of outstanding Russian scientists: Mendeleev, Zasyadko, a specialist in rocket technology, Zakharov, the author of a safe method for drying pyroxylin, and Konstantinov, a scientist in the field of instrumentation and automation. All of them made significant contributions to the development of domestic armaments.

However, working in Ohta was extremely dangerous. Throughout the history of the factory, there were 92 explosions of varying power. The most terrible occurred in 1803, claiming the lives of 18 people. Alexander I personally visited the factory after the tragedy, appointed pensions for the families of the deceased, and ordered the reconstruction of the factory. By the way, the factory is still operational today.