St. Petersburg is considered one of the most beautiful cities. Its cozy, quiet streets, pierced by canals, are interconnected by magnificent bridges. Moreover, many of them have an ancient history and trace their existence from time immemorial. Anichkov bridge, located on the Fontanka, is one of the most famous in St. Petersburg. It began to be erected even during the reign of Peter the Great, in 1715. Throughout its long history, the crossing of the Fontanka has been rebuilt several times, appearing in the final version only after seventy years.
Initially, the Anichkov Bridge was a fairly simple wooden structure. The supports were upholstered with ordinary boards and painted under stone rustics. The construction was supervised by engineer M. Anichkov, in whose honor the building was named. In those days, this bridge was the southern border of St. Petersburg, so a barrier was placed on it and there was an outpost where visitors checked documents and charged a fee. In connection with the development of shipping, in 1721 Anichkov Bridge was improved. Its middle part became lifting, which made it possible to pass small-sized sailing vessels. This bridge was important for the development of the young city, since it was he who connected the Alexander Nevsky Monastery with the Admiralty.
In a damp climate, the wooden structure quickly deteriorated, so it was decided to replace it with a stone one. The new three-span structure, designed by the Frenchman J. Perrone, was with a movable middle part, towers and chains with a lifting mechanism. According to this principle, other stone bridges of St. Petersburg were also erected , the photos of which are given above.
Over time, the city grew, and Nevsky Prospect expanded. The old crossings turned out to be too narrow for large streets, so again the need arose to rebuild them. A new reconstruction of the bridge was made in 1841 (under the leadership of engineer I. Butats). Now it has become much wider, the spans were laid out of brick, the supports are finished with granite. In addition, the Anichkov bridge has ceased to be movable. On the decorative lattice of the fence, drawings by the famous German architect K. Schinkel were used. Instead of towers, sculptures appeared at the crossing - the work of sculptor P.K. Klodt.
The architect’s creations formed a certain logical sequence among themselves, the essence of which is reflected in the title - “Tamers of horses”. Each of the sculptures symbolized a certain stage in the struggle of people with the elements and an undeniable victory over it. The grand opening of the structure took place in November 1841. However, the quality of the work turned out to be very unsatisfactory; several years later, deformation of the arches was discovered. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the state of the crossing became completely threatening. Then in 1906, the question arose again about the reconstruction of the Anichkov Bridge. Work on strengthening the structure was carried out under the guidance of architect P. Schusev.
After the famous sculptures more than once left their places. So, in 1941, when the fascist invaders attacked the city, the monuments were hidden in pits in the garden near
Anichkov Palace. Only in 1945 did they return to the pedestals.
Many memorable historical events survived St. Petersburg. Anichkov bridge, Admiralty, Peter and Paul Cathedral and many other attractions are unwitting witnesses of the transformations associated with the development and improvement of the city.