Trinity Bridge

According to the project, the structure of the Trinity Bridge consisted of a permanent five-span part, a double draw span closer to the left bank of the Neva (where the navigable fairway now passes), and an earthen embankment shortening the bridge on the Petrograd side. However, later a more beautiful decision was made - instead of an economical but nondescript earthen rampart, they decided to build a stone overpass consisting of three spans.



The drawable, lifting part of the Trinity Bridge is a single-span, cantilever-supported truss, with an axis of rotation located in the granite bull of the bridge support.

The imperial style was reflected in all its grandeur in the decorative elements of the Trinity Bridge.

Cast iron grates themselves already represent a separate artistic value. The chiseled, perfectly laid granite of the bulls inspires confidence in the structure's eternal purpose.

Lighting lanterns in the form of three-armed floor lamps are a complete work of art.

There are no absolute truths, but in our opinion, Trinity Bridge can rightfully claim the title of the most beautiful of the city’s main bridges.

The bridge has been reconstructed several times.

In 1955, the obelisks at the entrance to the bridge from the Campus Martius were repaired.

The biggest changes occurred in 1967, when the length of the draw span was expanded to 43 meters.

Ten years later, the width of the roadway was increased.

The last major renovation was carried out quite recently, in 2002. Simultaneously with the restoration of technical elements, the Trinity Bridge was returned to its original decorative elements - symbols of autocracy: double-headed eagles and crowns.

The need for a modern bridge in this area became obvious in the mid-19th century, but only at the end of the century, in 1890, a decision was made to build it and two years later a competition was announced for the best bridge design.

It is obvious that in the capital of the Russian Empire, and especially in its front part, there could not be simple bridges, so the most famous architectural bureaus in the world took part in the competition, including the Eiffel firm, already famous for its famous Paris Tower.

It is not surprising that his project was recognized as the best in the competition and received first prize in the amount of 6,000 royal rubles. At that time, a very impressive amount. But the bridge, the design and the estimate were intended for Russia, so it is also not surprising that the construction of the bridge was entrusted to other specialists. Although they were also French, they perhaps had a better understanding of the rules of business in this country, just as a century later the Swiss Mabetex easily won all the major government construction contracts from the Kremlin.

This side of the issue will remain a mystery to everyone, but the facts are as follows: the bridge was built by the French company Batignolles.

Only five years after the competition, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II (who hardly knew about the pitfalls of the construction business), the first stone was solemnly laid at the foundation of the bridge.

At that time, this was not an ordinary event: it was not for nothing that the current President of France, F. Faura, came to support “his own people.”

Perhaps in the creation of the Trinity Bridge, the reasons for the fall of the Russian Empire were reflected in a mirror. After all, it was built by one French company, and the process was supervised by everyone who could reach out to this process. The State Duma, the military department and not just any, but a “special” commission of the Academy of Arts delegated their supervisors. The list of the highest supervising families was much longer than the number of engineers and architects who directly built the bridge. More than a hundred years have passed, but the rules of the game in Russia have not changed.

But even despite this, the Trinity Bridge was created in just five years.

At the end of the spring of 1903, on its 200th anniversary, St. Petersburg received a gorgeous gift.

The first ceremonial opening of the bridge was entrusted to the emperor himself. It wasn't about hard physical work. Nicholas II just had to press an electric button, which powered the huge electric motors. The whole world, and with it Russia, have already entered the era of electricity.

As expected, there was a solemn gun salute, and an equally solemn religious procession, but this no longer mattered. The Imperial Trinity Bridge was to remain for only 15 years. And then the bridge switched to the service of the revolution, and along with its purpose, it changed its name.

Bridge of Equality - a slightly naive name, like all the first revolutionaries, did not last long either. The era of idealists gave way to the era of communist pragmatists.

In 1934, the bridge received a new name, in honor of one of the leaders, killed on the orders of another.

Until perestroika, residents and guests of Leningrad called this bridge Kirovsky.

The early “democrats” of the Yeltsin period did not know how to create or build, so the whole crowd plunged into the painful creativity of reverse renaming. And Trinity Bridge again became Trinity.

The bridge received its name from the name of the Trinity Cathedral, which did not survive to this day, falling victim to the revolutionary frenzy of the thirties.