In St. Petersburg, the "Green Bridge" connects, stretching across the Moika River, the second Admir alteisky and Kazansky islands in the central region. Nevsky Prospekt passes through this bridge. 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 Prospekt. A wooden bridge was built at the intersection of the road with the Moika River around 1720.
During the operation, the bridge was periodically repaired and improved throughout the 18th 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, having a beam system, with three spans. The spans of the structure were made of wood, while the bridge piers were made of stone.
Cast-iron bridge
By the beginning of the 18th century, the wooden bridge was outdated, and it was decided to buildcast iron. This was done in 1808 under the guidance of the architect V. Geste. "Green Bridge" was the first cast iron structure of this type in St. Petersburg. The span of the bridge was covered with a shallow vault for reinforcement, and pile grillages served as the basis for the structure. The idea of such a solution was borrowed from the design 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 roadway, and then they were divided by metal strips between parapet and granite stones. The railings installed from the side of the river were cast; granite obelisks were installed as decorative elements, which were crowned with gilded balls.
Due to the fact that cast iron has a high strength, the arch of the "Green Bridge" was made much more elegant and thinner than massive granite bridges. This technique gave the whole structure a light, weightless look. The bridge turned out to be 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" (Petersburg) was improved in 1842, expanding it to facilitate traffic along Nevsky Prospekt. This became possible due to the fact that the footpaths were carried out towards the river with the help of metal consoles.
Graceful cast-iron gratings were replaced with deaf onesgranite parapets. At the entrances to the bridge, lampposts made of cast iron were installed, while granite obelisks were removed. Two years later, for the first time in the Russian Empire, pavement tiles made of asph alt 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 once again expand the Green Bridge. Five box arches were added to each side of the bridge, for which the bridge piers were also widened.
Gold-plated elements appeared in the decoration of the structure, and cast-iron lanterns were replaced with more elegant ones made of iron, decorating the tops with hexagonal lamps.
Improvements in the 20th century
In 1938, it was decided to insulate 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. Sidewalks and roadways were covered with asph alt, which had the same composition, adding special additives to it for durability.
In 1951, another planned repair was carried out, during which they gradually began to restore the original appearance of the bridge. After 10 years, and then in 1967, the restoration of the candelabra, lanterns and fences of the bridge was carried out.
In the future, minor cosmetic repairs were carried out at various intervals 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 we do not take into account its subsequentextension. Nevertheless, it was possible to preserve its architectural elegance and sophistication of that time. In addition to being used for its intended purpose, the bridge is also a real attraction. Interesting fact: the bridge was also called "Police" and then "People", but still returned to its original name.
All its elements are thought out with great precision, and at the same time, attention is paid to the aesthetic side. Near the bridge there are a large number of sights 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 Prospekt, you will definitely find yourself on this bridge, which has become an engineering and architectural masterpiece.
