Anichkov Bridge. History of creation

St. Petersburg is considered one of the most beautiful cities. Its cozy quiet streets, pierced with canals, are connected by magnificent bridges. And many of them have an ancient history and count their existence from time immemorial. Anichkov Bridge, located on the Fontanka, is one of the most famous in St. Petersburg. It began to be built during the reign of Peter the Great, in 1715. For all its long history, crossing the Fontanka River was repeatedly rebuilt, appearing in the final version only after seventy years.

Initially Anichkov Bridge was a fairly simple wooden structure. Supports were upholstered in ordinary boards and painted under stone rusts. Managed the construction of engineer M. Anichkov, in whose honor the structure was named. In those days, this bridge was the southern boundary of St. Petersburg, so it housed a barrier and there was an outpost where visitors checked documents and charged a fee. In connection with the development of navigation, in 1721 the Anichkov Bridge was improved. Its middle part became elevated, which made it possible to skip smaller 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, built according to the project of the Frenchman J. Perrone, was with a movable middle part, towers and chains with a lifting mechanism. On this principle, other stone bridges of St. Petersburg were also erected, the photos of which are shown above.

Over time, the city grew, and Nevsky Prospekt expanded. The old ferries were too narrow for large streets, so again there was a need for their reorganization. A new reconstruction of the bridge was made in 1841 (under the supervision of engineer I. Butac). Now it has become much wider, the spans were laid out of brick, the supports are decorated with granite. In addition, the Anichkov Bridge has ceased to be a drawbridge. The decorative grating of the fence was used drawings of the famous German architect K. Shinkel. Instead of towers on the ferry appeared sculptures - the work of sculptor P.K. Klodt. The creations of the architect among themselves formed a certain logical sequence, the essence of which is reflected in the title - "Tamers of horses". Each of the sculptures symbolized a certain stage of the struggle of people with the elements and an undeniable victory over it. The grand opening of the construction took place in November 1841. However, the quality of the work proved to be very unsatisfactory, after several years, the deformation of the arches was discovered. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the state of the crossing was altogether threatening. Then in 1906 the question arose about the reconstruction of the Anichkov Bridge. Works on the strengthening of the structure were conducted under the guidance of the architect P. Shchusev.

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 the Anichkov Palace. Only in 1945 they returned to the pedestals.

Many memorable historical events survived St. Petersburg. Anichkov Bridge, the Admiralty, the Peter and Paul Cathedral and many other attractions are unwitting witnesses to the transformations associated with the development and improvement of the city.