6 Amazing Bridges to see in St Petersburg

6 amazing bridges to see in St Petersburg

St Petersburg
Image: Pixabay

Russia’s second capital city St Petersburg is a globetrotter’s dream. The city is named Peter after one of Jesus’ disciples and not after the father and founder of the city, Peter Tsar. The city is full of amazing tourist activities; the history of the city is amazing and there is the vodka, I mean it is Russia! Apart from the booze and the cold weather, St Petersburg is also a city of bridges. There are rivers and canals which are about 300 kilometers; therefore, the need for bridges that allow people to cross from one part to the other. 

There are hundreds; more than 320 bridges in the city, some which date back to as early as the 18th Century. Each has a story and a history behind it and all of them are spectacular structures that are worth checking out. Here are five of the many bridges!

1. The Palace Bridge 

Image: Wikimedia

When The Palace Bridge was being constructed, some factors needed to be considered, for one of them is the simplicity and the height of the bridge, so that the bridge could not height some magnificent structures and monuments that are nearby. The beautiful bridge connects most tourist attractions like The Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum and many others on Vasilevski Ostrov. 

The bridge was commissioned in 1912 in a competition for designers to design a bridge suitable enough for the area. After eight years, Peter Pshensitsky was chosen, and he designed a very simple bridge that splits into two, each at 45 degrees, to allow vessels on the Neva River pass through. 

The bridge, whose original name was Republican Bridge was renamed Palace Bridge 1944 and has had few renovations since it started its operations. Most of the decorations on the bridge were done after World War I which had disrupted the finishing and the official opening of the bridge.

2. Anichkov Bridge 

Image: Pixabay

The sculptures on the Anichkov Bridge- the Horse Tamers are replicas of gifts given by Frederick William IV of Prussia to the City and because of the magnificence, copies were made and installed on the bridge in 1841. Anichkov Bridge is a spectacular bridge, because of how it was constructed and also its location, it is the views of St Petersburg. The sculptures are also a popular sight. It is a connection of the Nevsky Prospekt and crosses the Fantaka River. The first bridge to cross the river at that point was a wooden bridge that was erected in the 18th Century; in 1716.

The current bridge which was completed in 1908 is about 55 meters longs and consists of three arches made of pink granite. The cast-iron railings featuring mermaids and seahorses on the sides of the bridge were designed by Karl Friedreich Schinkel.

 3. Trinity Bridge 

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The views from the Trinity Bridge are truly spectacular. The views of the bridge itself especially at night are very beautiful and are worth visiting if one is in St Petersburg. The 582 meters, four-lane bridge is one of the longest as well as one of the busiest, also one of the most beautiful mostly because of its Art Nouveau design. The bridge which runs across the Neva River was opened in 1903 during St Petersburg’s 200th Anniversary. 

The design of the bridge consists of nine spans, five steel spans, three stone spans, and one bascule steel span. The original bridge had two wings which could both be raised. In 1943, modifications were done and now only one wing is raised to allow ships to pass. 

Make sure to look out for the incredible decorations on the bridge; two-headed imperial eagles, the magnificent streetlamps, and immaculately carved iron cast railings. 

4. Lomonosov Bridge 

Image: Wikimedia Commons

The magnificent 18th Century stone draw-bridge was named after the Russian Polymath Mikhail Lomonosov who made great contributions to Chemistry, linguistics, Mathematics, and literature fields. 

The bridge crosses the Fontaka River has two broad arched side spans and while it used to be raised to allow traffic on the river to pass, the bridge at the moment does not, although the pavilions which used to house the hydraulics are still intact, and they are a highlight of the bridge.

Traffic going one direction is allowed at a time to use this bridge since it is narrow and cannot accommodate traffic going both sides. The bridge is the only one of the seven built in the late 18th Century which has retained its shape and most of its features. 

5. Bolsheokhtinsly Bridge 

Image: Wikimedia Commons

The Bolsheokhtinsly Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in St Petersburg. The bridge which crosses the Neva River was opened in 1911. One of the most amazing features of this bridge is that the central span can be opened for 30 seconds to allow vessels to pass. 

The bridge features three spans; the middle one which can be drawn for a short time, and two on either side made of truss arches and steel and also two 36-meter-high identical tower lighthouses. Laying of stone to start the construction was done exactly 200 years after the Battle of Poltava and that is where the bridge got its other name; Peter the Great. 

The four granite Norman Towers and the two side spans are some of the most beautiful structures on the bridge. The magnificent Krasnogvardeyskaya Palace is a short distance away; other notable structures include the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral and the British Consulate-General.  

6. Egyptian Bridge 

Image: Wikipedia

Legend says that a woman who lived near the first bridge on that location hated the sound of the military bands that marched on the bridge, and so she cursed them ‘Gorblimy’ or ‘may you die’ and the bridge collapsed. No one was injured, but three horses died, after that, a new wooden bridge was constricted which served the people until the mid-20th century when the new bridge was commissioned to be constructed. The bridge crosses the Fontanka River and has amazing views of St Petersburg’s Central Business District and also the first high-rise building Sovetska Hotel is on your way there! 

The Egyptian Bridge has four Ancient Greek female sphinxes; which some people say they have the face of the wife of Emperor Alexander I. The design of the first bridge was done in what was then a fashionable way of building bridges; the Egyptian style where hexagonal lanterns were hung from statues’ heads, there was massive use of cast-iron even on the gates, and there was the use of Egyptian decorative items. 

The location of the bridge is outside the city and therefore one can take a stroll to the bridge while taking in some of St Petersburg’s amazing architecture.