The Cherry cannon (Bulgarian: Черешово топче, ; Macedonian: Црешево топче, ) is a

wooden cannon Wooden cannons have been manufactured and used in wars in many countries. The wooden parts were invariably strengthened with metal fittings or even rope. Expedient technique The use of wood for cannon-making could be dictated either by the lac ...

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieg ...

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...

the body of which is made entirely of

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus n ...

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus '' Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The ...

. It has no significant combat value, as the wood shatters under

explosion An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are kno ...

after only a few shots. It was first used by Bulgarian anti- Ottoman revolutionaries in the

April Uprising The April Uprising ( bg, Априлско въстание, Aprilsko vastanie) was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876. The regular Ottoman Army and irregular bashi-bazouk units brutally ...

. It was used to arm the under-equipped Bulgarian rebels against the Ottoman army. Balance scale masses and pieces of metal were used as

ammunition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weapo ...

for the cherry cannon. The first cherry guns were created in the spring of 1876. Later cherry guns were used in the

Kruševo Republic The Kruševo Republic (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Крушевска Република, ''Kruševska Republika''; rup, Republica di Crushuva) was a short-lived political entity proclaimed in 1903 by rebels from the Secret Macedonian-Adrianop ...

and at other places of insurgency during the

Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising, or simply the Ilinden Uprising of August–October 1903 ( bg, Илинденско-Преображенско въстание, Ilindensko-Preobrazhensko vastanie; mk, Илинденско востание, ...

in 1903. The only original cherry cannon from the

April Uprising of 1876 The April Uprising ( bg, Априлско въстание, Aprilsko vastanie) was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876. The regular Ottoman Army and irregular bashi-bazouk units brutally ...

is kept in the museum of Bratsigovo, Bulgaria. The only cherry cannon that survived the

is the one captured in 1903 by the Ottoman army after the battle with the insurgents near

Kruševo Kruševo ( mk, Крушево ; rup, Crushuva "Crușuva") is a town in North Macedonia. In Macedonian the name means the 'place of pear trees'. It is the highest town in North Macedonia and one of the highest in the Balkans, situated at an alti ...

, after an entire insurgent company died defending the concession in the escape of the population from Kruševo. That cherry cannon was then transferred by the Turks to the

Istanbul Military Museum Istanbul Military Museum ( tr, Askerî Müze) is dedicated to one thousand years of Turkish military history. It is one of the leading museums of its kind in the world. The museum is open to the public everyday except Mondays and Tuesdays. ...

. In 2003, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising, the cherry cannon from the museum in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

was loaned for three months for an exhibition in the

Museum of North Macedonia The Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia ( mk, Музеј на Република Северна Македонија, translit=Muzej na Republika Severna Makedonija), formerly and still unofficially known as the Museum of Macedonia ( mk, М� ...

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry Cannon April Uprising of 1876 Macedonia under the Ottoman Empire