A short time ago Troitskiy (Trinity) bridge, also known as
Kirovsky, has been opened after repairs and reconstruction.
So now it's the best time for taking photos while it looks like just
constructed.
We'll go over the bridge from the right
side of Neva, exactly from the mosque - the subject of the previous
album, to the left one. Just in case, Neva flows from Ladozhskoye lake
into Finnish gulf. :)
The bridge connects Kamennoostrovskiy, former
Kirovsky, prospect and Troitskaya, former Revolution, square with
Suvorov square located nearby Mars field.
The bridge was consequently called as: Peterburgskiy, Suvorovskiy,
Troitskiy, Ravenstva (Equality) since 1917, Kirovskiy since 1934, and
Troitskiy again.
Bridge length - 582 metres. It was the
longest bridge over Neva before the construction of Alexander Nevskiy
bridge.
Width of Troitskiy bridge - 23.6 metres.
Here is the history of Troitskiy bridge:
In 1803 here was Voskresenskiy (Resurrection), or Peterburgskiy pontoon
bridge. Earlier, since 1786, it was in another place - near present
Chernyshevskiy prospect, called Voskresenskiy that time.
In 1825 after the creation of Suvorov square, it has been connected
to Troitskaya square via Suvorovskiy bridge, also a pontoon one (little
by little it has been getting the name of Troitskiy), but that time
lantern posts were standing at the sides, and the bridge had cast-iron
lattices. Lantern posts were probably restored later, after the
permanent bridge construction.
A.S. Pushkin wrote his wife exactly about the pontoon bridge:
"... Adventures of mine began at Troitskiy bridge - Neva was so
high that the bridge has been standing on its ends: a rope was
stretched, and police didn't allow carriages to pass. I almost intended
to return to Chernaya Rechka..." (Black river)
An international contest for the project
of the permanent bridge has been announced in 1892. The project of
Gustave Eifel - author of the worldwide known tower - has been awarded
with the 1st prize in amount of 6000 roubles, among sixteen projects.
In 1896 a second contest has been announced. Having only three projects,
it has been won by architects V.Chabrol and G.Patouliar of the French
firm "Construction Company Batiniol". Being represented during the first
contest yet, their project didn't participate that time due to formal
reasons.
The project was supplemented by Russian engineers and architects. For
instance, the author of the stone pier is G.G.Krivoshein.
The bridge has been under construction
since 1897 till 1903, as usual for the anniversary - 200 years of
Saint-Petersburg. :)
In 1965-1967 the drawspan has been reconstructed.
Previously it turned at 90 degrees on rollers opening two passageways
for vessels, 23 metres wide each.
After the reconstruction it became a single-winged lifting span 43
metres long, looking similar to the rest non-lifting ones.
The granit arch has been made at the left side - the same as the one
had already been at the right side.
Moreover, the slopes to the water have been broadened and granit benches
have been made.
View to the spit of Vasilyevskiy island
with the Stock Exchange building (by the way, it's completely repaired
now) and Rostral columns.
View to Dvortsovyi (Palace) bridge and
Kunstkamera on the right.
"San-Galli Plant".
These small inscriptions were also reconstructed during the recent
repair.
Lanterns and Isaac Cathedral dome.
Saviour-on-Blood.
Despite currently popular elimination of
tram lines in the city, the one passing over Troitskiy bridge has been
left and reconstructed following modern requirements.
The rails are
put at the surface level without using sleepers. Almost invisible except
the small edge borders.
However, the figured pylons standing along the bridge center line
were a little bit shorter before repairs. Exactly the spires were less
stretched.
There are two types of posts on the
bridge: having one or three lamps.
As it's written in the source, the
sphere at the top is larger in order to look equal to the others.
The monogram at the post base means
"Alexander III" - the bridge construction has been started during his
reign. Alexander the Third and president of France F.For have
participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony.
This picture shows that the lamp segments
are imitated with interlaced wires.
Possibly, the goal is safety in
case of lamp glass breaking.
Another view to Dvortsovyi bridge. Pay
attention that the lattice pattern here along the drawspan differs from
other ones.
Let me make an insertion here - Troitskiy
bridge in cloudy weather.
Suvorov square and Mars field are on the
right.
The glittering dome protruding on the
right of the mosque belongs to just erected chapel, apparently in
commemoration of Troitskaya (Trinity) church that has been standing on
Troitskaya square in former times.
It's simply out of place there,
especially with such a smooth dome having no joints and thus even more
striking.
Back to serene sky. :)
These two
column-obelisks are standing at the bridge entrance of Mars field
(Suvorov square) side.
They resemble the Rostral columns.
Royal eagles in Soviet time were replaced with five-pointed stars.
Today both birds are returned back.
Also the monograms of empress Maria Fyodorovna (at the right picture)
and Alexander III (mentioned above), text framing and the crowns above
it were restored.
The text of the inscription says:
"Troitskiy bridge has been finished in 1903 during the ninth year of
successful reign of HIS MAJESTY EMPEROR NIKOLAY II, during the
authorities of V.K.Pleve as Minister for Internal Affairs, N.V.Kleygels
as city Governor, P.I.Lelyanov as City Head, S.A.Tarasov as Deputy Head,
and the members of the city council M.A.Anichkov, A.A.Buzov,
M.F.Eremyev, I.T.Kryukov, I.P.Medvedev, V.S.Petrov, V.A.Troynitskiy.
The bridge construction and working-out were carried out under the
leadership of the city executive committee having A.I.Glukhovskiy as
chairman and members N.A.Arkhangelskiy, A.N.Veretennikov, P.N.Kazin,
N.V.Klimenko, F.B.Nagel, A.I.Kovsharov, A.G.Redko, M.F.Andersin and
P.A.Likhachyov, representative of the Ministry for Internal Affairs
L.I.Novikov, and representatives of the Ministry for Means of
Communication L.F.Nikolai, F.G.Zbrozhen, N.B.Boguslavskiy, A.B.Berngars
and G.N.Solovyov with the participation of the Committee from IMPERIAL
Arts Academy under the presidence of R.A.Gedike and members L.N.Benua,
A.N.Pomerantsev, M.P.Botkin, G.I.Kotov and M.A.Chizhov.
The metal part of the bridge with stone piers 225 sazhens long has been
constructed under its own project by French construction company
"Batiniol" having U.Gouznui as president, E.Fouke and L.Galiare as
Administrators.
The stone part of the bridge 38 s. long has been constructed by
A.Simonov and E.Knorre under the project of G.G.Krivoshein".
It's astonishing that a lot of dots are missed and the size of
letters is chosen in quite a strange manner so that the shortage of the
required space at the end of the text is obvious. It's difficult to
determine the exact reconstruction, during which these problems have
arisen. :)
Symbols on the rostra.
Pulkovo meridian runs along the axis of
Troitskiy bridge.
View of the bridge from Suvorov square.
Finally, let's have a farewell look at
the other side of Neva with the mosque from the previous album.
