Abstract: The behavior of the Gatchina discharge, which is mainly used for producing an analog of the ball lightning in the conventional laboratory atmosphere, in magnetic and electric fields is analyzed. It is shown that the sign of the uncompensated electric charge both in the active discharge phase and in long-lived luminous formations can be determined in such experiments. It is also shown that electric and magnetic fields can change the direction of motion of the luminous formation being generated and can even block its formation completely. The form and the mechanism of existence of firework ball lightnings, the photographs of which are given in well-known monographs devoted to ball lightning, are considered.