Within walking distance from the Volkovskaya metro station, on the territory of the Volkovskoye cemetery, there is a famous necropolis called "Literary bridges". The monument attracts attention by the fact that it is the burial place of many prominent personalities who lived in the 19th and 20th centuries: writers and poets, composers and actors, scientists and public figures are buried here. Since 1933, the cemetery has been considered closed, but in rare cases, burials are still held here. To date, more than 500 tombstones are available for viewing by visitors, representing both cultural, historical and artistic value.
To understand the cultural value that this object has, it is necessary to mention who is buried at the Literary Bridges of the Volkovskoye cemetery.
Historical background
The cemetery itself was founded in 1756 and was intended for the poor. For several decades, the place was not landscaped, up to some sitesit was difficult to get at all due to the lack of any roads and paths.
The history of the "Literary bridges" of the Volkovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg dates back to 1802, when the famous writer and public figure Alexander Radishchev, the author of "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", was buried here. The location of the grave is unknown; the tombstone has not been preserved either. However, information about the burial is contained in church reports, and in 1987 a corresponding memorial plaque was opened on the territory of the necropolis.
Early burials
One of the earliest burials dates back to 1831, when Anton Delvig, Pushkin's friend, was buried at the Volkovskoye cemetery. Literary Bridges did not exist at that time as a separate cultural object, and the ashes of the poet a hundred years later were transferred to the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, however, in the context of the events associated with the formation of the necropolis, this event should be noted.
In 1848, the famous critic V. G. Belinsky was buried here, and in 1861 - N. A. Dobrolyubov. Their tombstones are located side by side and surrounded by a common iron fence. Another well-known domestic critic, D. I. Pisarev, rests nearby.
Late 19th - early 20th century
Later, towards the end of the 19th century, famous writers M. E. S altykov-Shchedrin, I. S. Turgenev, N. S. Leskov, A. I. Kuprin anda lot others. In the 20th century, when it was decided to move or destroy some of the city's cemeteries, the remains of I. A. Goncharov, A. A. Blok and other prominent representatives of Russian literature, art, and science were transferred to the necropolis. In some cases, however, only commemorative signs were transported, but not the ashes of the deceased.
Despite the fact that the object of cultural heritage is called "Literary Mostki", scientists, revolutionaries, representatives of various professions who have gained fame and respect in their field of activity are also buried at the Volkovskoye cemetery. Famous doctors, academicians I. P. Pavlov and V. M. Bekhterev, the creator of the periodic table of chemical elements D. I. Mendeleev, the traveler and ethnographer N. N. Miklukho-Maclay, the inventor of radio A. S. Popov.
In 1935, the object became part of the State Museum of Urban Sculpture.
How to get there
The nearest metro station from which you can get to the necropolis is Volkovskaya. The question of how to get to the Literary Bridges of the Volkovsky cemetery should not arise: immediately after exiting the metro, you can see the burials on the opposite side of the road. The desired site, where the necropolis is located, is located in the northern part of the cemetery. Accordingly, in order to reach the goal, the visitor will need to go around it along the perimeter, walking along the fence along Kasimovskaya street, turning into Kamchatskaya.
Another way is to get off at the Obvodny Kanal metro station andtake bus number 74 to the desired destination. You will need to pass 7 stops, the final point of the route will be located on the right hand relative to the direction of travel.
Finally, you can get off at Ligovsky Prospekt station and wait for tram number 49 or 25. Any of the above methods will take you to Literatorskie mostki, and in order to be sure not to make a mistake, you can ask the conductor to notify you of the required stop. The purpose of the trip in this case will be on the left.
Working hours and excursions
The cultural site is open to the public on weekends as well as on weekdays - the exception is Thursday, when the museum is closed. Opening hours of the "Literary bridges" of the Volkovskoye cemetery in the summer - from 10 to 19 on any of the indicated days. In the period from September to May, admission to the territory is carried out from 10 am to 5 pm.
In addition, there are various excursions during which visitors can not only look at the resting places of the great ones, but also learn a lot about their biography, as well as the history of the necropolis itself, much more interesting than it might seem at first glance.
The cost of a ticket for an independent visit is only 100 rubles, and for categories of citizens with benefits - 50 rubles. The cost of excursions can vary depending on the duration and starts from 1000 rubles. At the same time, on Thursdays, when the Literary Bridges of the Volkovsky cemetery are closed forindependent visit, excursion service is carried out as usual.
For information or booking excursions, you can use the phone number listed on the official website.
In conclusion
It is not known why the necropolis was called "Literary Bridges", because the last refuge was found here by representatives of various professions. However, there is something poetic in visiting this place - the tourist plunges into the atmosphere not of a cemetery, but of a cultural heritage site that keeps the memory of several hundred famous and even outstanding personalities who left their mark on history.
Understanding the fact that people whose names we know and love from books since childhood, whose works have moved forward domestic and world science, are buried in this land, gives rise to a desire to learn more about their biography and the history of their native country. The "Literary bridges" of the Volkovskoye cemetery are an integral part of the city's image and keep the memory of people whose names are worthy of memory and respect for future generations.
