In St. Petersburg, the Green Bridge connects, stretching across the Moika River, the second Admiralteysky and Kazan Islands in the central region. Through this bridge passes Nevsky Prospect. The history of construction, its architecture and interesting facts will be discussed in this article.
History of the Green Bridge
In 1710, a wide road was laid on the left bank of the Neva River, which is now called Nevsky Prospect. A wooden bridge was built at the intersection of the road with the Moika River around 1720.
During operation, the bridge was periodically repaired and improved throughout the eighteenth century. During the reconstruction in 1735, it was painted green. After that, he began to be called among the people "Green Bridge".
By 1777, the old structure fell into disrepair, and the authorities decided to build a new bridge. In a short time a bridge appeared with a beam system, with three spans. The spans of the structure were made of wood, and the bridge supports were made of stone.
Cast iron bridge
By the beginning of the XVIII century, the wooden bridge was outdated, and it was decided to build a cast-iron one. This was done in 1808 under the guidance of the architect W. Guest. The "Green Bridge" was the first construction of cast iron of this type in St. Petersburg. The span of the bridge for reinforcement was blocked by a gently sloping arch, and pile grillages served as the basis for the construction. The idea of such a solution was borrowed from the construction of the bridge, created by the American inventor and engineer R. Fulton.
The sidewalks of the bridge were laid out with granite slabs flush with the carriageway, and then they were divided by metal strips between parapet and granite stones. The railings installed from the side of the river were cast, as decorative elements they installed granite obelisks, which were crowned with gilded balls.
Due to the fact that cast iron has high strength, the arch of the "Green Bridge" was able to perform much more elegant and thinner in comparison with massive granite bridges. This technique gave the entire structure a light, weightless look. The bridge turned out so successful that it was decided to approve it as a standard design for all bridges laid across the Moika River.
Restorations and Improvements
For the first time, the Green Bridge (St. Petersburg) was improved in 1842, expanding it to facilitate traffic along Nevsky Prospect. This was made possible thanks to the fact that the footpaths were laid out towards the river with the help of metal consoles.
Exquisite cast-iron cast-iron grilles were replaced with blank granite parapets. At the entrances to the bridge, lampposts made of cast iron were installed, removing granite obelisks. Two years later, for the first time in the Russian Empire, bridge tiles made of asphalt cubes were laid.
From 1904 to 1907 a tram line was laid along Nevsky Prospekt. For the convenient movement of pedestrians, cars and trams, it was decided to expand the Green Bridge again. Five box arches were added on each side of the bridge, for which bridge piers were also expanded.
Gold-plated elements appeared in the design decor, and cast-iron lights were replaced with more elegant ones made of iron, decorating the top with hexagonal lamps.
Twentieth Century Improvements
In 1938, it was decided to isolate the arch of the bridge in the place where the tram tracks were laid . This was done in order to avoid electrochemical corrosion of the metal. The sidewalks and the roadway were covered with asphalt, which had the same composition, adding special impurities to it for durability.
In 1951, another scheduled repair was made, during which gradually began to restore the original appearance of the bridge. After 10 years, and then in 1967, the restoration of the candelabra, lamps and fences of the bridge was carried out.
Subsequently, at different intervals, minor cosmetic repairs were carried out to maintain the appearance of the bridge.
The "Green Bridge" (St. Petersburg) has survived to the present day almost in the form in which it was in 1842, if you do not take into account its subsequent expansion. Nevertheless, it was possible to preserve its architectural elegance and sophistication of that time. In addition to the fact that the bridge is used for its intended purpose, it is still a real attraction. An interesting fact: the bridge was also called "Police", and then "People's", but still returned to its original name.
All its elements are thought out with great accuracy, and at the same time, attention is paid to the aesthetic side. Near the bridge there are a large number of attractions of St. Petersburg, which attract thousands of tourists from all over the world, regardless of the time of year. Arriving in this city, walking along Nevsky Prospect, you will surely find yourself on this bridge, which has become an engineering and architectural masterpiece.