Egyptian Bridge in St. Petersburg: photo and reviews of tourists

Few people know that the majestic St. Petersburg has outstripped even the Italian city on the water by the number of bridges. Each of them has its own name and interesting history, which the indigenous inhabitants of Northern Venice know. In a city full of rivers and canals, tourists come to enjoy local attractions. No matter how the shrouded Peter mists change, bridges will always be its main symbol and the pride of the inhabitants.

Fascination with the culture of Ancient Egypt

At the beginning of the XIX century in Russia began a craze for Ancient Egypt, and St. Petersburg was no exception. Increased attention to the past civilization led to the fact that a bridge was built across the Fontanka, decorated in the style of the country of the pyramids. In this article, we will consider interesting facts related to the construction of the structure, about which many ancient legends are composed, and we will tell in detail where the Egyptian bridge is located in St. Petersburg.

Unusual bridge

The project of the city, unusual for the city, was done by masters who created a lot of sights. In 1825 the construction of a picturesque bridge began, which differed in appearance from the present one. All the guests were greeted with gates painted with hieroglyphics, and the unusual Egyptian ornament was surprising with its color. The Egyptian bridge in St. Petersburg was installed on poles, lined with granite, and the entire structure was supported by three powerful chains.

Of particular interest were the four sphinxes, with a high golden comb on their heads, and the appearance of a mythical animal more like Greek sculptures. Egyptian creatures depicted with male features of face, and not feminine, as in this version.

One of the many legends tells us that the face of the Sphinx imitates the image of the extremely attractive wife of Emperor Alexander I.

Funeral songs of the structure

August 25 Egyptian bridge in St. Petersburg, decorated with hieroglyphs, was inaugurated. The people called this bridge "singing" for the fact that when walking they heard strange mournful sounds that made chains. And many noted that the design in a fashionable style sang to itself a funerary song.

Caving and its versions

In the winter of 1905, a chain structure collapsed under a squadron of a cavalry regiment, and it was only by a lucky chance that no one was injured. Only four dark sphinxes looked at what was happening.

Then the residents remembered the gloomy sounds and concluded that it was a real rock that haunted the structure. A connoisseurs considered the main culprits of the accident miscalculations in the design.

However, the real reasons that strong chains are torn are unknown. Builders who repeatedly repaired the bridge, noted the good condition of the structure as a whole. The military was accused of swinging the structure due to a harmonious step in the foot, and in many textbooks, the collapse of the structure is associated with the so-called resonance effect.

Witnesses of the tragedy claimed that the soldiers did not walk on the bridge, but were riding horses, so this version is considered very doubtful. Contemporaries call the main cause of the accident is the fragility of the cold metal.

Mystical legends

The Egyptian bridge in St. Petersburg from the moment of its appearance was covered with various legends and rumors. The people did not skimp on fantasy, and the most fantastic explanations of the incident were put forward. They remembered a girl deceived by the military, who in her heart wished to fall under the ground to her abusers.

It was said that the granite blocks with which the Egyptian bridge was lined in St. Petersburg were taken out of the walls of the notorious trench before the Mikhailovsky Castle. Ostensibly the stones were originally imported from ancient temples, where mystical rituals were held, and the pagan gods brought their fury to people.

Another version of the catastrophe is associated with the curse of the sphinxes, although they had nothing to do with Ancient Egypt, but the people still attributed them a supernatural power. The sounds of chains holding the Egyptian bridge in St. Petersburg, a photo of which captivates with its beauty, attributed human rumor to mystical creatures, giving them a prophetic gift.

Wooden building

For a while the traffic across the bridge stopped, but after the construction of the wooden bridge, which served faith and truth for about 50 years to the citizens of St. Petersburg, it was restored again. Because of the inconveniences arose the question of the erection of a new bridge. In 1955, more than 20 projects were submitted, of which only one met all the requirements of the external appearance.

New design with the same appearance

True, the design was simplified, but the design remained the same - in the Egyptian style. And the old sphinxes are watched with an indifferent expression on their faces for passing people. On the modern bridge, in order to avoid new troubles, the slab of the roadway is well fixed on nine frames.

In 1989, another incident happened. On the statue of the Sphinx, a truck drove up, the figure fell into the river and was seriously injured. During the restoration it turned out that the heads of the sculptures had gilding, which had worn off with time.

In 2004, the sphinxes were returned to their original appearance, perhaps even in the hope that they would no longer make sad sounds, and the Egyptian bridge in St. Petersburg would never be the cause of the tragedy.

Reviews of tourists

Visitors who visited the landmark for the first time admire how organically the structure looks on the Fontanka, in the area where it is so nice to stroll in the afternoon and evening.

Guests of the city on the Neva note that the original bridge, which you can not pass, beckons with a flash of mystery. This is a delightful place for beautiful photo shoots, especially in the dark, when the faces of the Sphinx change as a result of the play of light.

Many talk about a special atmosphere, immersing in the mysteries of ancient Egypt, and the developed imagination of tourists draws the most fascinating paintings.

Egyptian Bridge in St. Petersburg: how to get there?

Harmoniously blended into the face of the city, the bridge that spans across the Fontanka in the Admiralteysky District of North Palmyra enjoys well-deserved fame among tourists.

The nearest metro station is "Baltiyskaya", and next to it there is a public transport stop "Lermontovsky Prospekt". It is worth to pass very little, and your eyes will open in all its splendor Egyptian bridge in St. Petersburg.

The address of the structure is as follows: Embankment of the Fontanka River, 34, 37.

Now, instead of portals at the entrance to the bridge, there are stylized obelisk lights, giving a special atmosphere to this place. The original structure is an integral part of the mysterious image of the northern capital, and the sphinxes serve as a wonderful decoration of the building in a remote area from the heart of the city.