In 1862, the World Exhibition took place in London, where many countries presented their samples of artillery weaponry. Russia was not left out, although in the mid-19th century, English and German cannons were considered the best in the world, and our engineers did not expect to win. However, the Russian artillery piece caused genuine excitement among specialists: it was not only cheap to produce but also highly reliable, withstanding over 4000 shots. In comparison, Krupp barrels could only withstand about 2000 shots.

The creator of these new cannons was the Russian scientist Pavel Matveyevich Obukhov, who had been passionate about science since childhood and was already drawing blueprints for dams and engines at the age of six. After receiving his education, he began working as an engineer at the Yugov Factory, where he experimented with various alloys. By adding magnetic iron ore, Obukhov produced a steel plate that no gun could penetrate. Soon, his talent was noticed at the Zlatoust Arms Factory.

Obukhov was tasked with creating new cannons, and using his experience, he developed 4-pound steel artillery pieces. In tests, they outperformed their English and German counterparts, withstanding 4017 shots. According to legend, on the last day of testing, Alexander II asked Obukhov if the barrel could withstand one more shot, to which the engineer replied that he was ready to sit on the cannon and wait for the shot. Although he did not do this, the cannon indeed did not explode.

These achievements in artillery were showcased at the World Exhibition in London. Obukhov's work marked the beginning of the use of cast steel for producing cannon barrels, which became a new stage in the history of domestic artillery.