As I recall, Bolisheohtinsky bridge was somehow exhibited on Walking Camera previously, but for sure not as detailed as today.
Bolisheohtinskiy bridge (the bridge of Peter the Great) is located near by Smolny Institute and Cathedral, between Liteiny bridge and Alexander Nevsky bridge.
It connects Tuliskaya street with Anchor (Yakornaya) Street.
The need of the crossing in this place appeared as far back as 1829, when Nikolay I has confirmed the perspective plan of Petersburg. However, technically the bridge could not be build here back then, therefore here was only boat-crossing.
As people began to occupy the coasts (these were workers fringes), in 1887 light temporary bridge has been build somewhere here, but in 1896 the resolution came out on the construction of the permanent bridge.
An international contest has been declared in 1901 on project of this bridge.
None of 16 presented project (including from USA, Germany, France, Austro-Hungary, Spain, Holland) has been approved. An out-of-contest project by the engineer G.Krivoshein and the architect V. Apishkov have been taken.
The constructions of the bridge have begun in summer 1909 and the bridge has been opened in the autumn of 1911.
The inscription on the left side near the door:
"The Bridge was manufactured by K. Rudsky Inc. plant in Warsaw with members of the board Kn. S.E.Lybomirsky, K.A.yasinsky,YU.Obergarte and with director: L.I.Shmidte and S.D.Veerzhbitskom under observation V.G.Belkevich and his assistant I.K.Bykovsky. Adjustable span with mechanisms was manufactured by the Sankt-Peterburg Metallic plant, with director N.D.Lesenko, V.G.Songin, K.P.Fedorov"
(Notes: 1. Poland then was included in Russian empire; 2. Some letters felled out from the board; 3. Miscellaneous Old Russian symbols I have taken away).
The Inscription on the right side near the door:
" The Bridge is erected by the project and under the direction of the chief engineer prof. eng. colon. G.G. Krivoshein. With the participation of his assistants:
On architectural part eng. colon.V.P.Apishkov (the coauthor on architectural part)
main assistant on engineering part eng. colon. S.P.Bobrovsky,
prof. regim. eng. p.s. G.P.Perederiya,
eng. tehnol. G.M.Sheloumov."
From the architectural standpoint, the bridge is executed in modernist style. As someone reminds me, in St.-Peterburg there are two bridges in this modern style. The second bridge is Ekateringofsky (on Rizhsky Prospect).
The board on the tower of the bridge:
"Bridge of Emperor Peter the Great
adjustable span
distance between banisters 2,3+17, 7+2, 9 = 23,9 m.
distance between axis of rotation 24,15x2 = 48,30 m
On 2 wings: wooden weight 7500 poods, weight of metallic parts 58600 poods, weight of ballast 66600 poods.
(Notes: 1. m - meter - the fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equivalent to 39.37 U.S. inches.
2. Pood - a Russian weight equal to about 36 pounds or 16 kg).
Main mechanisms Electric equipment: Wind Pressure 40 k/m2 4x2=8 electromotor on 29 HP(Horse Power), 640 rotat. 110 volts
without wind 4 motors
transmission number 82,9
time for the lifting or lowering the wings 60 sec.
Manual drive: wind 10 k/m2
8x2 = 16 workers. Time for raising the bridge 26 min. (without wind 20 min)
reduction rate 87,9 (without wind 67,7)
Tail mechanisms Electric equipment
1x2 motor 29??, 640 rotat. 440 volts
reduction rate 31,9
time of the lifting of the axis by 2,7?? 33 sec.
(imagine what kind of lever must be there that they can measure millimeters... Mistake?) Manual drive:
4x2 = 8 workers.
the reduction rate - 37,6
time for the lifting of the axis 11 minutes."
"Uninhibited area of the live section 862 square "sazhen'" (not a system international SI!!!).
The uneasiness of the live section 9 %
Weight of the metal for the whole bridge ~670000 poods.
The volume of the stonework 5000 square "sazhen'".
The Cost of the bridge 4.400.000 rubles.
The Cost of conventions 660.000 rubles.
The arched span:
span ?=7,3x17 = 134,3 m
height of the farm ?h = 22,6 m, ?h0=11,5 m
between belts on the medium 4,2 m
between axis of the farms 19,2 m
width of the bridge 2,9 + 17,7 + 2,9 = 23,5 m
distance between banisters = 26,5 m
weight of the metal of the span 3666 tones.
main farm 755 k/m2
Weight of the infrastructure 71??
metal: supporting part 33?? driving part 322??
The calculated load on node of one farm:
Constant 158 tones.
Temporary 54,5 tones.
(crowd 440 k/m2 2 rows in 22 tons)
material: cast iron R = 37-45 k/mm2 ?>=20% R+2?>=85"
The Bridge recently has been restored, as judged by the paint and torch. However letters from the board have already begun to fall out.
During the constructions of the bridge navigation issues have spared most of the attention, so adjustable span (in the center) was made big - 48 meters.
And two more boards:
"Bridge of the Emperor Peter the Great has been finished in 1911 during the seventeenth summer of the successful reign of Emperor Nikolay II
during the existence of:
chairman of the Council of Ministers- V.N.Kokovsev.
minister of Internal Affairs A.A.Makarov
Ancestor - D.V.Drachevsky,
City head - I.I.Glazunov,
His comrade D.I.Demkin
the members of the council: A.V.ALEKSEEV, A.K.BODISKO, A.N.BUZOV. -
V.G.GANIKOV.-G.I.DURNYAKIN. I.F.ONOSHKOVICH-YACYN-V.S.PETROV, P.I.SAVINKOV, N.E.TEYHA, A.N.SHLEYFER,
member of the town executive commission: and ob.head.D.P.SEMENOV Tyan-Shansky, V.N.KRESTIN, M.K.GLAZUNOV.
Representative of the ministries: A.E.ZHIBER, N.A.BELELYUBSKy, S.K.KUNICKy, V.K.ORLOVSKy
experts: N.L.KIRPICHEV, L.N.BENUA, V.G.TYURIN, G.N.SOLOVIEV, V.P.ARSHAULOV, E.R.ULIMAN, K.P.BOKLEVSKy, A.N.KRYLOV, S.F.BALDIN, D.I.VERESCHAGIN"
The second one is short:
"The foundation of the Bridge of emperor Peter the Great has been laid on June 26 1909"
From architectural standpoint, this bridge caused many questions then. Such a purely technical building did not harmonize with the domes of Smolny cathedral nearby. Truthfully, this region was a fringe back then so it did not generate that much attention.
