Walks on the rivers and channels of Petersburg, driving on boats in water areas of Neva and gulf of Finland, fascinating excursions!

Bridges of Saint-Petersburg

St.-Petersburg or as it frequently name "Northern Venice", represents the city constructed on islands. Its central part is bound by a network of channels and the rivers through which the set beautiful, unique in own way, bridges is thrown. Not without reason Petersburg is famous for the whole world for the leaf bridges. But also static bridges, by the way, too are worthy, as also are magnificent creations architectural art. The names and history they make an integral part of city and are its full inhabitants.

At all, in northern capital of our Native land, including suburbs, it is totaled about 800 bridges of various configurations and types. A similar abundance and a variety of bridges and bridges completely not surprisingly for Petersburg located on islands. However originally in history of city was observed full denying of bridge-build experts.

The founder of St.-Petersburg, Peter I, demanded from the townspeople to overcome water elements by boats or in special cases on ferries, wishing to that to accustom petersburgers to water. It is interesting, that in 18 century on the rivers and channels of city the real Venetian gondolas plied. Erection of bridges was authorized only with rare exception, and only on roads and the streets necessary for transportation of the important cargoes. Similar exception became the first, constructed in 1703, Peter (with 1887 - Ioannovsky) the bridge which has connected Birch (City) island with Harel, where construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress was developed. It has been constructed of wood. Then, as in wooden execution, in Petersburg has appeared Anichkov the bridge thrown through Anonymous Eric (later the river Fontanka). It is necessary to note, as to this day, in feature of St.-Petersburg there are some the wooden bridges thrown through Okhta, Monastyrka, Fontanka, and even the 300-meter 24-flying bridge through Small Nevka - Big Peter.

Wooden bridges were constructed and presently so in 1980th years have been erected "the Red ship builder" and Lavrinsky 2-nd, executed in the form of an arch on foundations of the ancient bridge of construction of 1830 more years. This bridge became so refined with the art point of view that has got under protection of the state as a monument of engineering art and architecture. In the further practice of construction of bridges the stone, built of which bridges began to be applied, became really pride of St.-Petersburg. By the way, first stone bridges, such as Hermitages, Prachechny, Upper-Lebyagy, the Stone bridge through Griboedov's channel, and to this day decorate city. With arrival of 1786 when Ekaterininsky park of Tsarskoe Selo was decorated with small foot bridges, the epoch of metal bridge constructions has begun. First these bridges have been executed under project J. Quarengi. In territory of the city iron bridges have appeared hardly later, in 1793-94, in a residence of prince Potyomkin-Taurian, in present Taurian to a garden. These most interesting park designs were kept up to now practically in a protogenic kind. However the further development, at the decision of the town-planning tasks, similar constructions for some reason have not received. Probably, there was no this because the mastered and advanced process in Russia pig-iron moulding, has intercepted a palm tree of superiority.

So, pig-iron moulding began to be applied actively at a construction of bridges of a modular design. From this material in 1806 under the project of the architect and engineer V.I.Geste has been erected Green (Police or National) the bridge which has connected coast of the river Moika, and so harmoniously entered in the general panorama of the Nevsky prospect. For short enough time interval, with 1806 for 1840, in St.-Petersburg it has been built at once twelve pig-iron bridges, thrown through small water-currents of city. The culmination pig-iron bridge-build arts became erection of the first constant bridge through Neva - Blagoveshchensky (Nikolaev, nowadays the bridge of Lieutenant Schmidt). It has been built under the project of engineer S.V.Kerbedza and architect A.P.Bryullov in 1850. The new stage in history Petersburg bridge-building has begun with the advent of the small foot bridge with 15-meter flight in Ekaterinhoff park, in 1823. At its construction, the author of a construction, engineer P.P. Bazen, has applied use of iron circuits as the basic bearing design. Such system subsequently used at construction of other Petersburg squanderers, has received the name "trailing". Construction transport trailing Panteleymonsky the bridge through Fontanka, under the project of the engineer of V. Treter, has begun as in 1823. Passing a part of this 43-meter construction was wooden and it was suspended to five chain circuits by means of iron suspension brackets. Thus, in a design properties of the iron, capable to perceive stretching efforts have been used. Pig-iron pilones of the bridge worked, on the contrary, on compression. As a whole the built bridge has turned out openwork, richly decorated, with rather picturesque silhouette.

Even more remarkable shape given by sculptures and metal decorations, has received other suspension bridge – Egyptian. It has been built in 1826 under the project of V. Treter and by V.A.Khristianovich. During with 1825 for 1826 St.-Petersburg has got three more charming trailing bridges: Lion's and Bankovsky through Ekaterininsky channel and Pochtampsky through the Moika river. In summary, it would be desirable to give a little attention to the small bridge through Griboedov's channel in Kolomna. Constructed in 1969, it became the first aluminium bridge in Petersburg. Its flying structure is executed from two welded aluminium pipes, 270 mm diameter. It is not excluded, that as well as to other bridges of city, the Kolomna bridge makes a destiny of a monument of engineering and architectural art.