The Blagoveshchensky Bridge spans the Bolshaya Neva River. It connects the Admiralteysky district with Vasilyevsky Island. The watershed between the Gulf of Finland and the Bolshaya Neva runs along the axis of the bridge. This is the first permanent crossing over the Neva River, both in terms of construction time and location.
The length of the crossing is 349.8 meters, width is 38.07 meters. The bridge is eight spans with a draw span in the middle. The span structure is a metal double-winged drop-down system.
The mass of the wings of the draw span is 597 tons each. During the reconstruction of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge in 2005-2007. the wings were supported on the ends of the trusses of permanent spans. This unique solution made it possible to remove some of the weight from the draw span, eliminating the need to rebuild its supports. Also, for the first time in the history of bridge construction, counterweights were made using lead blocks.
Distribution is carried out using the latest hydraulic system. Mechanics' pavilions are located directly on the surface of the bridge.
The bridge has unique cast-iron railings designed by architect Alexander Bryullov, the older brother of the artist Karl Bryullov. The main motif of the drawing is hippocampi, mythological sea horses with fish tails.
History of the bridge
Projects for permanent bridges across the Neva began to appear in St. Petersburg already in the middle of the 18th century, but at that time their construction was too expensive and not an easy pleasure. The Neva is a fairly deep river with a powerful current. In addition, ships with high masts entered the Neva from the bay, which means drawbridges were required.
As a result, St. Petersburg for a long time made do with floating or pontoon bridges - these were temporary structures made from wooden pontoon barges. By the middle of the 19th century, both the world and our country had accumulated experience in the construction of permanent metal bridges. In 1842, Russian engineer Stanislav Kerbedz drew up a project for crossing the Bolshaya Neva to Vasilyevsky Island. The project included the creation of a structure with cast iron arches at this location. On October 15 of the same year, the project was approved by Emperor Nicholas I. On January 1, 1843, the laying of a new bridge took place. All work was supposed to be completed in four years. However, in practice the period turned out to be twice as long.
For the first time in the history of Russian bridge construction, during the construction of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, it was necessary to drive piles into the bottom of such a fast and deep river. Work underwater was carried out using air bells. The underwater part of the coastal abutments was laid out from Finnish granite, the surface part from Serdobol granite. They were deepened into the bed of the Neva ten meters.
The bridge had 8 spans, of which 7 permanent spans of different sizes were covered with double-hinged cast iron arches. The drawbridge was located on the right bank of the Neva, from Vasilyevsky Island. Using a mechanism, two wings moved apart in a horizontal plane, parallel to the surface of the water. The wiring took about 40 minutes. For the first time in the world, the wings of the bridge were made in the form of braced trusses. All metal structures were manufactured in St. Petersburg at the Charles Bird plant.
During the construction of the bridge, the surrounding area was reconstructed. Blagoveshchenskaya Square appeared on the left bank. Part of the Kryukov Canal was put into a pipe. On the Vasilyevsky Island side, the embankment was significantly expanded.
The new bridge was named Blagoveshchensky after the Church of the Horse Guards Regiment and Blagoveshchenskaya Square.
The opening took place on November 21, 1850. The emperor arrived at the celebration with his family and retinue. Nicholas I and his sons walked to Vasilyevsky Island and rode back in an open carriage with the heir.
At that time, in the middle of the 19th century, the new Blagoveshchensky Bridge was the longest in Europe. Its length was about 300 meters.
In 1854, a small chapel was built near the drawbridge, consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. After the death of the emperor in 1855, the bridge was renamed Nikolaevsky.
In 1918, the bridge was given a new name in honor of Lieutenant Peter Schmidt, who led the uprising on the cruiser Ochakov during the first Russian revolution.
Already in the 19th century, the drawbridge span became narrow for large ocean-going ships. At the beginning of the twentieth century, engineers developed several reconstruction projects. It was proposed to move the draw span to the center of the bridge. But the implementation of this idea was prevented by the First World War and revolution.
In 1936-1938 the bridge was rebuilt. The project was developed by engineer Grigory Perederiy. The number of spans remained the same - 8, but the middle span became adjustable. The all-welded metal span is a double-wing drop-down system with rigidly attached counterweights and a fixed axis of rotation. The old draw span was covered with a reinforced concrete span of a double-hinged arch system. The bridge was raised using an electromechanical drive.
The Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge is one of the first all-welded bridges in our country. During its construction, an advanced method at that time was used - electric welding. During the reconstruction process, underwater concreting technology was used, as well as a new method of testing superstructures with static water load.
New mechanisms were made at the Kirov plant in Leningrad. The cast iron structures of the old bridge were transported to Tver and used to build a crossing across the Volga. Lanterns from the old bridge were installed on the Champ de Mars. The chapel was not restored. All that remains of the old structure are wooden piles and cast railings.
In 1975-1976, according to the project of Lengiproinzhproekt engineers, a major overhaul was carried out. The wooden flooring of the drawbridge was replaced with metal.
In 2004, the question arose about the reconstruction of the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. A decision was made to bring the architectural appearance of the new bridge as close as possible to the appearance it had in the 19th century. Work started in September 2005.
Reconstruction took place in 2005-2007. The old foundations of the supports have remained in working order for a century and a half, but the steel structures had to be completely replaced. The draw span has been significantly increased. The bridge became much wider, and the tram tracks were removed from it. The hydraulic distribution system made the lifting of the bridge wings quick and smooth.
On August 15, 2007, the crossing was solemnly opened and its historical name was returned - Blagoveshchensky Bridge.
Additional Information
The St. Petersburg newspaper “Northern Bee” in September 1844 commented on the construction of the Annunciation Bridge: “The construction of the bridge itself is a gigantic undertaking. It is unlikely that in modern times work was carried out according to such a huge plan, with such amazing precision, grace, taste and from such precious material! Mountains of granite were brought here from Finland and, like delicate wax, obey the brilliant thought of man! Steam engines drive piles in the middle of the fast and deep Neva, while under the water they build strong stone foundations on the ground reinforced with piles.”
In 1917, the cruiser Aurora stood behind the Nikolaevsky Bridge. It was from there that a blank shot was fired, which became the signal for the storming of the Winter Palace.
During the major overhaul of 2005-2007, a backup bridge was built for vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Central District and Vasilyevsky Island upstream of the Neva, which was popularly called “the son of Lieutenant Schmidt.”
Blagoveshchensky Bridge - Video
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Lagoveshchensky Bridge, aka Nevsky Bridge, aka Nikolaevsky Bridge, aka Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge...
This is one of the most famous bridges in St. Petersburg - it was once the longest (permanent) bridge in Europe, and possibly the world! This is the first permanent bridge across the Bolshaya Neva. It connects Vasilievsky Island with the central part of the city (2nd Admiralty Island).
The bridge is located between Trezzini Square on the University Embankment on the right bank and Truda Square on the English Embankment. It is on this bridge that the Neva River ends and the Gulf of Finland - Neva Bay - begins.
Initially it was supposed to be called "Nevsky Bridge". But the bridge, opened on November 12, 1850, was named Blagoveshchensky after the Blagoveshchenskaya Square and the Annunciation Church (demolished in 1929) located on the left bank.
Before the construction of the permanent bridge, since 1727 there was a floating St. Isaac's Bridge, which was located upstream in the alignment of modern Senate Square.
P.A.Alexandrov. Isaac's Bridge and the new church. Lithography. 1825. It seems that Isaac Alexandrov painted from memory or his turrets were very sick and shriveled...
The design of a single-span wooden bridge across the Neva was also proposed by the mechanic Kulibin. But alas, his idea and project were rejected.
Vasily Sadovnikov.View of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge from the embankment of Vasilyevsky Island.
Construction of the bridge began in 1843 under the leadership of S. V. Kerbedz. American engineer J. Whistler took part in the construction of the bridge.
The number of employed workers was close to one and a half thousand. The cast iron structures of the bridge span were manufactured at the Byrd plant. The assembly of the arches was carried out on mobile wooden trusses from Gau. The St. Petersburg newspaper "Northern Bee" wrote on September 16, 1844:
The construction of the bridge itself is a gigantic undertaking. It is unlikely that in modern times work was carried out according to such a huge plan, with such amazing precision, grace, taste and from such precious material! Mountains of granite were brought here from Finland and, like delicate wax, obey the brilliant thought of man! Steam engines drive piles in the middle of the fast and deep Neva, while under the water they build strong stone foundations on the ground reinforced with piles.
The massive and at the same time openwork railings, designed by the architect A.P. Bryullov, depict symbols of the water element: Neptune’s trident, a shell and two hippocampi.
During the construction of the bridge, an idea arose to decorate its foundations with allegorical sculptures. In 1846, P. Klodt and N. Pimenov were entrusted with drawing up a project for decorating the bridge. Klodt proposed placing on the bridge the figure of a rider on a rearing horse, with a dagger defending himself from a tiger attacking him.
Sculptor N. S. Pimenov created 7 projects of allegorical sculptures over the course of 4 years: “Triumph over water”, “Triumph of Christianity or the overthrow of idols”, “Alexander Nevsky sheaths his sword, thanking God for the victory”, “Allegory of Moscow, which has resisted three invasions: Tatars, Poles and French", "Allegory of St. Petersburg as a receiver of European enlightenment in Russia" (of four figures), "Allegory of Kazan", "Allegory of Siberia" (of four figures).
Judging by the inscriptions on the drawings, the statues symbolizing “Triumph over Water”, “St. Petersburg” and “Moscow” were supposed to be installed on the first right-bank bull; other allegorical sculptural groups and statues were given places on the coastal abutments. However, the Ministry of Finance did not release money for the production of these sculptures for installation on the bridge.
In the 70s of the 19th century, the sculptor Antokolsky proposed installing 4 equestrian statues of figures of the Russian state on the bridge: Vladimir Svyatoslavich - the enlightener, Yaroslav the Wise - the legislator, Ivan III - the collector and Peter I - the transformer of Russia. But this time, due to financial difficulties, the sculptures were not installed on the bridge.
The bridge had eight spans, the span on the right bank was a drawbridge; For the first time in Russia, a rotary drawbridge system was used.
According to legend, Nicholas I promised Kerbedz to increase his rank for each flight, which is why the engineer allegedly quickly revised the project in the direction of increasing the number of flights. Kerbedz actually received the rank of general after the completion of the bridge, but when starting to build the bridge, the engineer had already received the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In the photo, Emperor Nicholas I and S.V. Kerbedz.
On the bull near the drawbridge, according to the design of A. I. Stackenschneider, a chapel was erected, consecrated on May 9 (21), 1854 in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Below in photo 1013 it is clearly visible.
The old bridge with a chapel and a swing mechanism can be seen in Eisenstein's film "October". A silver commemorative medal was issued in honor of the construction of the bridge.
The obverse depicts Pallas Athena leading Hercules across a stream of water with a baton placed across him, “FAST” is written at the top, and the reverse depicts the appearance of a bridge with a double-headed eagle flying above it.
After the death of the emperor in 1855, the bridge began to be called Nikolaevsky.
On November 17, 1918, the bridge was renamed the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, in memory of P. P. Schmidt, the leader of the uprising on the cruiser "Ochakov" in 1905.
In 1938, the bridge ceased to fulfill its function and could not pass ships, so it was dismantled and rebuilt on old supports, moving the drawbar to the center of the bridge, due to changes in conditions and shipping requirements.
The reconstruction of the bridge was carried out according to the design of engineers G. P. Perederia and V. I. Kryzhanovsky.
Ships at the bridge. Above is the icebreaker "St. Petersburg", below is the cruise ship.
Aurora also stood here during her memorable shot towards the Winter Palace.
The cast iron arches of the old bridge were dismantled and sent to a warehouse. Their blocks turned out to be in excellent condition and it was decided to use these structures again. The blocks remained in Leningrad throughout the war and the blockade. And only after the war, the cast iron arches of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge were used to cover the spans of the new bridge across the Volga in Tver.
The bridge was built in 1953-1956. It was supposed to give him the name M.I. Kalinin, but this was never brought to life, although cartouches with the monogram “MK” were even mounted on the bulls.
People called the bridge “New”, which is what it is still called unofficially.
In the history of bridge construction, this is a unique case of “moving” a metal bridge from one river to another.
The lanterns and railings of the Annunciation Bridge also found a second life. The lanterns were moved to the center of the Champ de Mars, and the railings, created according to the design of A.P. Bryullov, were installed on the reconstructed bridge.
The new steel bridge of Lieutenant Schmidt was built in 1936-1938 according to the design of engineer G.P. Perederia with the participation of architect K.M. Dmitriev. Over time, the new bridge became too small for the traffic flows that flowed across it at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, and in 2005-2007 a new reconstruction of the bridge was carried out according to the project of the Stroyproekt Institute. After reconstruction, the bridge received its former historical name - Blagoveshchensky and fragments of railings created by A.P. Bryullov.
Thus, since the opening of the bridge in 1850, its length has increased from 300 m to 331 m, and its width from 24 m to 37 m.
In the 21st century, the bridge was again reconstructed. In 2006, reconstruction of the bridge began. The general designer was the Stroyproekt Institute. For this purpose, in September 2005, construction of a temporary bridge began next to the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, which was put into operation on May 9, 2006.
The people immediately dubbed him “the son of Lieutenant Schmidt.”
During the reconstruction period, this temporary bridge carried traffic and pedestrians. It’s a pity that they didn’t leave it... At the same time, traffic on the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was blocked, and dismantling of the spans and then the bridge supports began.
The bridge was restored to the appearance of the arched Nikolaevsky (Blagoveshchensky) Bridge, changed during the reconstruction of 1938. Tram traffic has been removed from the bridge and barriers have been installed to separate oncoming lanes.
Modern photos are mine, old (C) different places on the Internet. The basis of information (C) “Bridges of St. Petersburg”, “Legends of St. Petersburg”, Wikipedia and other Internet.
A drawbridge over the Neva River (Bolshaya Neva) in St. Petersburg, the first permanent city bridge across the Neva. A wooden pontoon (floating) bridge connected the banks of the river near this place in 1727, and in 1843-1850 a permanent cast-iron arch bridge was built according to the design of S.V. Kerbedz. In 1936-1938 and 2005-2007, the bridge underwent major reconstruction, and in the latter case the bridge was restored to its historical appearance.
The first pontoon bridge was located in a slightly different place - from St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Menshikov Palace (this place was chosen for him by A.D. Menshikov himself), it was called St. Isaac's and lasted until the construction of a permanent bridge. The new bridge, built in 1850, was named Blagoveshchensky after the Annunciation Church of the Horse Guards Regiment, which previously stood on modern Truda Square. After the death of Nicholas I in 1855, the bridge was renamed Nikolaevsky. In Soviet times, it was renamed again, this time the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. And only after reconstruction in 2007, the bridge was returned to its previous name - Blagoveshchensky.
The construction of a permanent bridge was a consequence of the rapid development of the Russian capital. The project for the new Nevsky Bridge was approved in 1842, and the following year construction work began, which ended only in 1850. The long construction period was caused by the complexity of deep-sea work in a place where the Neva has a strong current. The eight-span cast-iron bridge, built according to the design of military engineer S.V. Kerbedz, was made of arched structures and was raised near the right bank, and for this, for the first time in Russia, a rotary system was used.
In the design of the bridge railings, symbols of the water element were used - Neptune's trident, a shell and two hippocampi, and seahorses. The interior space of the bridge pillars was decorated with figures of various vessels. The chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built on the drawbridge bull. And gas metal lanterns were responsible for lighting the bridge. It was planned to supplement the decor with allegorical sculptures, but there was no longer enough money for this.
It was while parked near the Blagoveshchensky Bridge that the cruiser Aurora fired its famous shot, which served as the beginning of the storming of the Winter Palace in 1917.
The bridge, which was built during reconstruction in the 1930s, significantly changed the size and design of the structure. It acquired more modern features, the draw span became central, and the mechanism changed from rotary to vertical. The old design of the bridge was used in other construction works - lanterns on the Field of Mars, and cast iron arches on the Novovolzhsky Bridge in Tver.
At the beginning of the 21st century, it was decided to carry out another reconstruction of the bridge, at the same time returning the structure to its former historical appearance.
The Blagoveshchensky Bridge is a kind of border at the beginning of the Gulf of Finland.
The length of the bridge is 331 m, width is 37 m. At the time of construction, it was 300 m long and was considered one of the longest in Europe.
The Blagoveshchensky Bridge is included in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects (historical and cultural monuments) of Russia.
Note to tourists:
A visit to the Blagoveshchensky Bridge will be of interest to tourists interested in the architecture of the 19th-20th centuries, to everyone who wants to see the drawbridges of St. Petersburg, and can also become one of the points of the excursion program while exploring neighboring attractions -
Even Peter I dreamed of turning the northern capital of his empire into a “Russian Venice,” fortunately there were plenty of rivers and rivulets here. Today, St. Petersburg can rightfully be proud of one of the most extensive systems of canals, rivers and bridges in the world.
As we know from history, construction began simultaneously with the founding of the city, since without these structures communication between its individual districts was simply impossible. The first bridge, naturally, was wooden. It connected the Peter and Paul Fortress, which became a kind of starting point, with
Since then, bridges have become one of the symbols of Northern Palmyra. The vast majority of them are real masterpieces of engineering, and by studying the triumph you can follow the development of domestic construction science, since they almost always used the most advanced technologies at one time or another.
One of the most famous and interesting in engineering terms is the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, which has changed its name several times over its century and a half history, being called either the Nikolaevsky Bridge or the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge.
It went down in the history of the city as the first permanent pontoon. The Blagoveshchensky Bridge connects Vasilyevsky Island with the historical center of St. Petersburg and, in addition, marks the conditional border between the Neva and the Gulf of Finland.
Its construction began in 1843 and lasted about seven years. The construction was headed by the famous architect S. Kerberidze, and A.P. Bryullov took an active part in the artistic design of the structure. It was he who designed the famous openwork railings, which, depicting the trident of Neptune, symbolize the violence and power of the water element.
By the time of its opening in 1850, the Annunciation Bridge, with its length of three hundred meters, was considered the longest in Europe. One of its eight spans was liftable, and - for the first time in history - a rotary system was used to operate the lifting mechanism. The Blagoveshchensky Bridge received its name in honor of the square of the same name that comes close to it.
Another name - Nikolaevsky - was given to the bridge after the death of Emperor Nicholas I in 1855. By the way, there was also a chapel built a little earlier near the drawbridge, consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In Soviet times, this engineering structure began to be proudly called the “Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge” - in honor of the famous leader
During its existence, the pontoon has experienced two large-scale reconstructions. The first of them, carried out in the 1930s, was caused by a sharply increased number of ground transport passing through it and an increase in the carrying capacity of ships passing under it.
The most recent ones date back to 2006-2007, when the building was restored to its original appearance. Even earlier, Lieutenant Schmidt was erased from the history of the city, and the bridge received its name back - Blagoveshchensky.
Blagoveshchensky Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges stretching over the Neva. During the daytime it looks light and weightless, but with the onset of dusk it takes on a majestic appearance. From the embankment side, the Annunciation Bridge resembles a precious necklace placed on the beautiful Neva.
Story
Since the founding of St. Petersburg, so-called temporary bridges have been thrown across the Neva. The first designs for permanent bridges appeared in the 1750s. The construction of such crossings required a large financial investment and engineering thoughts. The spring ice drifts of the Neva added additional complexity to the construction of a permanent bridge. It was also necessary for the new permanent bridge to have a draw span. In order for mast ships to pass through it without difficulty. Thanks to all these difficulties, the city for a long time managed with floating bridges.
Over the years, bridge construction technology developed and in the middle of the 19th century it became possible to build permanent crossings across the Neva. In 1840, a group of engineers drew up and proposed a project for the construction of a permanent bridge. The main idea of the project was to construct a crossing in the form of metal lattice trusses using parallel belts.
In 1841, engineer Stanislav Valeryanovich Kerbedz presented his project for the construction of a three-span chain bridge. On May 22 of the same year, a commission was held, which was attended by bridge building specialists and engineers. The project was carefully studied and highly appreciated by specialists. But, despite this, it was not approved; according to engineers, the bridge design should have consisted of cast iron arches. Kerbedz knew firsthand about such a construction system, because it had already been used in St. Petersburg, and he himself was the author of one of such projects. In 1842, Curbeds provided the commission with a second plan for the crossing, the main fact of which was the use of cast iron arches. On October 15 of the same year, the project was approved and approved.
According to the project, the first permanent bridge in St. Petersburg was supposed to serve as a crossing between the English Embankment and Vasilyevsky Island. The future project was given the name “Nevsky Bridge”.
Construction
During the construction of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, piles were driven to a depth of 10 meters for the first time. Underwater work was carried out using air bells.
Only domestic materials were used in the construction of the bridge. A total of eight spans were built at the crossing. The drawbridge was located on the right bank of the enchanting Neva. It was created according to all the standards of that time. As soon as the mechanism was started, the two wings moved apart in a horizontal plane. It took 40 minutes for the bridge to fully extend.
The technique for extending the Blagoveshchensky Bridge was not new in the field of bridge construction, but for the first time wings were made in the form of metal braced trusses.
The bridge was decorated with cast iron railings, which were made according to the design of Alexander Pavlovich Bryullov.
The new crossing turned out to be another architectural work of art in St. Petersburg. The grand opening of the bridge was scheduled for November 21, 1850. Notable guests were invited to this memorable day. It all started with a prayer service, then Emperor Nicholas I and his children set off on foot along the new crossing to Vasilievsky Island. He rode back with the heir in an open carriage. Following them was another carriage; the Duke of Leuchtenberg and the rest of the emperor's sons were present in it.
New name and reconstruction
In 1855 after the death of Nicholas the First. It was decided to name the crossing after him. This is how the Nikolaevsky Bridge appeared in St. Petersburg.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, shipbuilding began to develop rapidly. The Nikolaevsky Bridge has become inconvenient for new ships. In 1901, engineers decided to redo the crossing; the main idea was to move the drawbridge to the center of the river bed. But the implementation of the plan was prevented by the First World War.
In 1905, there was an uprising on the legendary cruiser Ochakov. Pyotr Petrovich Schmidt was the leader of this riot; he was subsequently executed for organizing a mutiny on a cruiser. In the fall of 1918, it was decided in honor of the memory of Schmidt to rename the Nikolaevsky Bridge. This is how the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge entered the pages of history.
In 1931, large-scale construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal began. Because of this, the traffic load on the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was significantly increased. Before this, in 1930, the right-bank support was deformed, and due to the additional load on the crossing, the fate of the bridge was sealed. The City Duma decided to completely rebuild the bridge. Many engineers prepared a detailed plan for the reconstruction, but in the end, in 1936, the project of engineer Grigory Petrovich Perederia was chosen.
The reconstruction of the crossing lasted for 3 years and was completed in 1939. During this time, the design of the bridge was completely changed, all parts of the mechanism were updated. All that remains of the old bridge are the famous Bryullov railings. The piles were not changed due to financial considerations. And besides, despite the time threshold, they were in good condition.
During the reconstruction of the bridge, the electric welding method was used for the first time to connect steel mechanisms. During the repair of the bridge piers, the Swedish method of underwater concreting was used.
New bridge
The renewed Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge looked graceful; it complemented the grandeur of the Neva with its appearance. The length of the bridge was 331 meters, width 24 meters. The total weight of the crossing was 2,400 tons.
The bridge was raised using the middle span in 55 seconds. Commemorative plaques with the names of the authors of the project were installed in the center of the bridge. There was also a plaque dedicated to Pyotr Petrovich Schmidt.
The strength test of the bridge was scheduled for September 8, 1938. On this day, five huge boxes were installed near the right bank roadway. Each of them contained 900 tons. All of them were filled with water from the Neva and left for three hours. Such improvisation was equivalent to installing cars on a five-tier bridge. Three hours later, the experiment was completed and all the water from the boxes was returned to the river. Next, the same check had to be carried out on the left bank side of the structure. Traffic along the crossing was opened on November 5 of the same year.
The bridge has become one of the main decorations of the Neva River. During the daytime, he served the residents of the city like a sleeping handsome man, and with the onset of dusk, he came to life with numerous lights, and his reflection shimmered with moonlight reflections on the beautiful Neva. From year to year he stood like a knight; any crossing in the world could envy him for his strength. In 1976, the flooring of the drawbridge was replaced with metal.
Every year, like everything material in this world, the bridge gradually began to decay. In 2004, a decision was made about a new reconstruction. This process, according to experts, should have taken more than one year. The Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was an important crossing, and it was almost impossible to close it for several years. Therefore, it was decided to construct a temporary crossing during the closure of the bridge. Construction of the backup bridge began in 2005 and was completed in 2006.
The reconstruction of the bridge was completely entrusted to the Stroyproekt Institute. According to the reconstruction project, the bridge, after completion of construction work, should look like it did in the mid-19th century. The organizers explained their decision by the fact that architectural complexes, including bridges, needed to be restored to their former appearance.
The external resemblance was preserved as much as possible, but the technical parameters were much improved. First of all, this concerned the width of the bridge; it was increased from 24 to 37 meters. The drawbridge was also changed. Its overall weight and width were increased, and therefore it was necessary to change the corresponding supports at the crossing. This required a lot of time and engineering thought.
But there was little time, so the engineers came to a different solution. The heavy wings of the bridge were supported at the ends of the side spans. For the first time in the history of bridge construction, lead blocks were used in the manufacture of counterweights. The lifting of the wings of the draw span had to be carried out using a hydraulic drive system. This method made the ascent easy and quick.
It was decided to leave the foundation supports. Even though more than 150 years had passed since they were laid, they were still in working order.
The grand opening of the bridge took place on August 15, 2007. The plans of engineers and architects were realized. Looking at the reconstructed crossing, one could mentally be carried away to the mid-19th century; the external similarity was obvious. The bridge regained not only its appearance, but also its historical name. Now the crossing was called “Blagoveshchensky Bridge”.
Today, the Blagoveshchensky Bridge never ceases to amaze with its beauty and grandeur. Despite the passage of time, it is still one of the main decorations of the Neva River. His life is inextricably linked with the city and its inhabitants.
1. According to legend, during the construction of the bridge, Nicholas the First promised Kerbedz a rank for each span of the bridge built. After these words, the project was completely redone and 5 additional spans appeared at the crossing.
2. One day, when the emperor was driving across the Annunciation Bridge, he saw a decrepit carriage, there was an unpainted coffin on it, the carriage was traveling towards the cemetery, accompanied by two disabled elderly people. Seeing such a spectacle, the emperor sent his servant to find out who was being buried. It turned out that they were burying a retired soldier who had served his entire life in the name of God, the Motherland, and the Emperor. Having learned this news, Nicholas the First got out of the carriage and followed the cart. After some time, a crowd of thousands was already following the coffin.