Lion Pedestrian Bridge description and photo - Russia - Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersburg (Topic)

Lion Pedestrian Bridge description and photos - Russia - Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersburg. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

The bridge of the four lions connects the Spassky and Kazansky islands in the Admiralteisky district of St. Petersburg through the Griboyedov canal. More precisely, the bridge connects Malaya Podyacheskaya Street and Lion Lane. Located in the sharpest bend of the channel. The Lion Bridge is an object of the cultural heritage of Russia.

The bridge got its name from four sculptures of lions, cast from cast iron according to the models of the sculptor Sokolov (he is also the author of the Egyptian bridge sphinxes and Bankovsky griffins).

The Lion Bridge is one of the suspension chain bridges in St. Petersburg, built in 1825-1925. The bridge is one of the most notable and remarkable suspension bridges in the city thanks to the figures of lions, hiding the cast-iron parts of the supports and from the jaws of which chains come out, holding the bridge. The pillars of the bridge, lined with granite, are made of hewn stone and rubble, and are located at the same level with the canal embankment. The foundation of the bridge supports were grillages installed on wooden piles. The deck of the bridge is supported by metal chains consisting of circular links. The lattice of the Lion Bridge, in comparison with the decorative elements of other bridges, at first glance seems unpretentious and even ascetic. However, it was the pattern of a series of elongated rhombuses, connecting corners with each other and small flower rosettes, edged with semicircles, that subsequently found the most widespread use in the architecture of St. Petersburg.

The authors of the architectural project of the Lion Bridge were the German bridge engineer Wilhelm von Tretter, from 1814 to 1831 served in Russia, and V.A. Christianovich. In the course of the joint work of these design engineers, all the suspension bridges of St. Petersburg were built: Pochtamtsky, Panteleimonovsky, Bankovsky, Egyptian, Lion.

The official opening of the Lion Bridge took place in 1826 on July 1. On the very opening day, in three hours, according to the surviving information, about 2,700 people walked across the bridge.

The bridge was restored several times. Unfortunately, for some time, as a result of restoration, it lost its original appearance and changed not for the better. During the restoration of the 1880s, the graceful cast gratings were replaced with a wrought iron fence, the lions were painted dark gray (instead of the original white) and ceased to be visible in the evening. In addition, during the restoration, the lanterns were removed from the middle of the bridge and have not been restored. In this form, the bridge continued to remain until 1954 (despite the capital reconstruction of 1948-1949 under the leadership of engineer A.M. Yanovsky with the complete replacement of wooden beams with metal ones) when finally, in accordance with the project of the architect Alexander Rotach, they were returned fence, lanterns and white paint for the lions. At the same time, the deck of the bridge was repaired.

The latest restoration of the Lion Bridge was carried out on the eve of the celebration of the three hundredth anniversary of the city in 1999-2000. Then its beams were replaced by a span structure, the supporting cables and skeletal frames were repaired, and the figures of four lions were restored.

It is noteworthy that, despite its relatively small size (its length is 27.8 m , width - 2.2 m.), The Lion Bridge is one of the most iconic in the northern capital and is a permanent tourist pilgrimage site. It is considered one of the most romantic places in St. Petersburg and offers a very picturesque view of the banks of the Griboyedov Canal with preserved century-old trees.

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Topic: Lion Pedestrian Bridge description and photo - Russia - Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersburg.