Blagoveshchensky Bridge: a precious necklace of the Neva. Blagoveshchensky Bridge: the precious necklace of the Neva The first permanent bridge across the Neva was opened

St. Petersburg is known throughout the world as a city of embankments and drawbridges. Thousands of tourists come from all over the world to watch the bridges being raised in the summer. The spectacle is truly amazing. We managed to get into the very depths of Mostotrest and see how the Blagoveshchensky Bridge was being built from the inside.

A little history. Blagoveshchensky Bridge, also known as Nikolaevsky Bridge, also known as Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. This is the first permanent bridge across the Bolshaya Neva, and once the longest permanent bridge in Europe. It connects Vasilievsky Island with the central part of the city (2nd Admiralty Island). Over its century and a half history, the bridge changed its name several times and was rebuilt twice.

Initially it was called Blagoveshchensky, named after the church built nearby. After the death of Emperor Nicholas I in 1855, the bridge was renamed Nikolaevsky. The next time the bridge changed its name was on November 17, 1918 - it was renamed in honor of Lieutenant P.P. Schmidt, a participant in the 1905 revolution, who led the rebellion in Sevastopol on the cruiser Ochakov. And finally, on August 14, 2007, the bridge was returned to its first name - Blagoveshchensky.

Let me start with the fact that many people do not even suspect that real life is in full swing inside bridges. Every day, driving or walking along one of the bridges, how often do we pay attention to the booths that stand on them? That's exactly what it isn't. I remember once thinking that the traffic police or the police were there to regulate traffic and block the bridge. In fact, such booths are bridge control centers.

MOSTOTREST is a separate organization that monitors the serviceability and safety of bridges. The process of raising the bridge is controlled in this small tower. Thanks to the #bloggersbuildbridges project, I looked at it all from the inside.

There is a security check inside the bridges, and you can only get there by presenting your passport. Yes Yes. Exactly. Bridges in the city are always sensitive and strategic objects.

The room from which all processes of distributing and erecting the bridge are controlled. Of course, there are no levers or gears there. Instead, there is a control panel and monitors. After reconstruction, Blagoveshchensky is the most computerized bridge, on a par with Dvortsov. Sensors and cameras literally envelop it, allowing mechanics to centrally monitor everything that happens at the control panel.

After a short story about the bridge, we go down to see it before the wiring. View from below. Very unusual.

In a few minutes, huge hydraulic cylinders will lift the wings of the bridge, weighing more than 2 thousand tons each.

The very heart of the bridge. Room with hydraulic equipment. fotomanya I was surprised by my knowledge of technical issues. I didn’t even know half of it.

It is from here that the huge hydraulic cylinders are controlled. All sensor data is displayed on screens in the control room on control panels.

All sensors are fully computerized, plus they are duplicated in an analogue way.

Before starting wiring, mechanics check the functionality and readiness of all systems. A signal sounds and the bridge release buttons are pressed. Bridges are always raised on schedule, except in special cases. But they may come together a little earlier. It depends on the ship's navigation. "Go!"

The huge wing of the bridge moves upward. Up close, the sight is simply mesmerizing.

Small debris begins to fall down from the bridge. And if it rains, streams of water flow from it like a waterfall.

Literally two minutes and the bridge is already raised.

It looks incredibly cool up close.

Again we climb into the very depths of the bridge to look at the raised bridge from the inside.

A very long staircase leads under the Blagoveshchensky Bridge itself.

It’s a strange feeling when there is a bridge wing weighing more than two thousand tons of concrete and metal above your head. Scares and fascinates at the same time.

When you look at the back side of the bridge wing from the bottom up, you are amazed by the scope of human engineering. But we also fly into space.

When the bridge is raised, ships begin to pass under the bridges.

Here's a video to convey the atmosphere. Cargo tanker, thunderstorm, Blagoveshchensky Bridge.

The opened Palace Bridge is visible in the distance.

We go upstairs to once again appreciate the view from above. The road is blocked. Usually you look at bridges from behind the fence. Now it's the other way around.

The massive wing of the bridge simply cuts through the sky.

Final look.

After a few minutes, the buttons on the remote control will be pressed again, and the bridge will begin to close. The barges have already passed.

The Blagoveshchensky Bridge is ready!

The huge wing of the bridge slowly begins to descend.

And after a couple of minutes the bridge was already closed. The cars start moving. Overnight Blagoveshchensky will get divorced and get married again.

People hurry across the bridge. Life goes on.

Thanks to Mostotrest for the opportunity to look at the bridge from the inside. By the way, if you didn’t know, then on their website mostotrest-spb.ru they have the most up-to-date warning system about the construction and construction of bridges. Whether a bridge is raised or built - you can watch it in real time.

Thank you spbblog for another movement, and thanks to TAXI 068 who took us home at night after the bridges were raised.

P.S. Oh, yes! But what about the story, you say!

The guys were filming a video clip and wanted to capture a drone flying under the Blagoveshchensky Bridge. The weather was windy, and one of the gusts of wind threw the drone, it hit the wing of the bridge from below and got stuck somewhere in its depths. The guys, without hesitation, found a boat from somewhere and decided to save the drone. Dear, it's a pity. We swam to the bridge, found it with lanterns, and what do you think? Yeah. We climbed onto the most collapsed wing of the bridge from below, from the inside. Needless to say, the video surveillance sensors went off and the security reacted instantly. The guys were tied up and taken to a security booth, where they began to torture them with Neva water and electric shock. Kidding. They simply called the police. What a surprise the guys were when they learned that all the bridges were guarded and equipped with sensors and video surveillance. YES, also sensitive objects. As a result, the broken drone was recovered and the guys were released. But their impressions were through the roof.

Blagoveshchensky Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges stretching over the Neva. During the daytime it looks light and weightless, but with the onset of dusk it takes on a majestic appearance. From the embankment side, the Annunciation Bridge resembles a precious necklace placed on the beautiful Neva.

Story

Since the founding of St. Petersburg, so-called temporary bridges have been thrown across the Neva. The first designs for permanent bridges appeared in the 1750s. The construction of such crossings required a large financial investment and engineering thoughts. The spring ice drifts of the Neva added additional complexity to the construction of a permanent bridge. It was also necessary for the new permanent bridge to have a draw span. In order for mast ships to pass through it without difficulty. Thanks to all these difficulties, the city for a long time managed with floating bridges.

Over the years, bridge construction technology developed and in the middle of the 19th century it became possible to build permanent crossings across the Neva. In 1840, a group of engineers drew up and proposed a project for the construction of a permanent bridge. The main idea of ​​the project was to construct a crossing in the form of metal lattice trusses using parallel belts.

In 1841, engineer Stanislav Valeryanovich Kerbedz presented his project for the construction of a three-span chain bridge. On May 22 of the same year, a commission was held, which was attended by bridge building specialists and engineers. The project was carefully studied and highly appreciated by specialists. But, despite this, it was not approved; according to engineers, the bridge design should have consisted of cast iron arches. Kerbedz knew firsthand about such a construction system, because it had already been used in St. Petersburg, and he himself was the author of one of such projects. In 1842, Curbeds provided the commission with a second plan for the crossing, the main fact of which was the use of cast iron arches. On October 15 of the same year, the project was approved and approved.

According to the project, the first permanent bridge in St. Petersburg was supposed to serve as a crossing between the English Embankment and Vasilyevsky Island. The future project was given the name “Nevsky Bridge”.

Construction

During the construction of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, piles were driven to a depth of 10 meters for the first time. Underwater work was carried out using air bells.

Only domestic materials were used in the construction of the bridge. A total of eight spans were built at the crossing. The drawbridge was located on the right bank of the enchanting Neva. It was created according to all the standards of that time. As soon as the mechanism was started, the two wings moved apart in a horizontal plane. It took 40 minutes for the bridge to fully extend.

The technique for extending the Blagoveshchensky Bridge was not new in the field of bridge construction, but for the first time wings were made in the form of metal braced trusses.

The bridge was decorated with cast iron railings, which were made according to the design of Alexander Pavlovich Bryullov.

The new crossing turned out to be another architectural work of art in St. Petersburg. The grand opening of the bridge was scheduled for November 21, 1850. Notable guests were invited to this memorable day. It all started with a prayer service, then Emperor Nicholas I and his children set off on foot along the new crossing to Vasilievsky Island. He rode back with the heir in an open carriage. Following them was another carriage; the Duke of Leuchtenberg and the rest of the emperor's sons were present in it.

New name and reconstruction

In 1855 after the death of Nicholas the First. It was decided to name the crossing after him. This is how the Nikolaevsky Bridge appeared in St. Petersburg.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, shipbuilding began to develop rapidly. The Nikolaevsky Bridge has become inconvenient for new ships. In 1901, engineers decided to redo the crossing; the main idea was to move the drawbridge to the center of the river bed. But the implementation of the plan was prevented by the First World War.

In 1905, there was an uprising on the legendary cruiser Ochakov. Pyotr Petrovich Schmidt was the leader of this riot; he was subsequently executed for organizing a mutiny on a cruiser. In the fall of 1918, it was decided in honor of the memory of Schmidt to rename the Nikolaevsky Bridge. This is how the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge entered the pages of history.

In 1931, large-scale construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal began. Because of this, the traffic load on the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was significantly increased. Before this, in 1930, the right-bank support was deformed, and due to the additional load on the crossing, the fate of the bridge was sealed. The City Duma decided to completely rebuild the bridge. Many engineers prepared a detailed plan for the reconstruction, but in the end, in 1936, the project of engineer Grigory Petrovich Perederia was chosen.

The reconstruction of the crossing lasted for 3 years and was completed in 1939. During this time, the design of the bridge was completely changed, all parts of the mechanism were updated. All that remains of the old bridge are the famous Bryullov railings. The piles were not changed due to financial considerations. And besides, despite the time threshold, they were in good condition.

During the reconstruction of the bridge, the electric welding method was used for the first time to connect steel mechanisms. During the repair of the bridge piers, the Swedish method of underwater concreting was used.

New bridge

The renewed Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge looked graceful; it complemented the grandeur of the Neva with its appearance. The length of the bridge was 331 meters, width 24 meters. The total weight of the crossing was 2,400 tons.

The bridge was raised using the middle span in 55 seconds. Commemorative plaques with the names of the authors of the project were installed in the center of the bridge. There was also a plaque dedicated to Pyotr Petrovich Schmidt.

The strength test of the bridge was scheduled for September 8, 1938. On this day, five huge boxes were installed near the right bank roadway. Each of them contained 900 tons. All of them were filled with water from the Neva and left for three hours. Such improvisation was equivalent to installing cars on a five-tier bridge. Three hours later, the experiment was completed and all the water from the boxes was returned to the river. Next, the same check had to be carried out on the left bank side of the structure. Traffic along the crossing was opened on November 5 of the same year.

The bridge has become one of the main decorations of the Neva River. During the daytime, he served the residents of the city like a sleeping handsome man, and with the onset of dusk, he came to life with numerous lights, and his reflection shimmered with moonlight reflections on the beautiful Neva. From year to year he stood like a knight; any crossing in the world could envy him for his strength. In 1976, the flooring of the drawbridge was replaced with metal.

Every year, like everything material in this world, the bridge gradually began to decay. In 2004, a decision was made about a new reconstruction. This process, according to experts, should have taken more than one year. The Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was an important crossing, and it was almost impossible to close it for several years. Therefore, it was decided to construct a temporary crossing during the closure of the bridge. Construction of the backup bridge began in 2005 and was completed in 2006.

The reconstruction of the bridge was completely entrusted to the Stroyproekt Institute. According to the reconstruction project, the bridge, after completion of construction work, should look like it did in the mid-19th century. The organizers explained their decision by the fact that architectural complexes, including bridges, needed to be restored to their former appearance.

The external resemblance was preserved as much as possible, but the technical parameters were much improved. First of all, this concerned the width of the bridge; it was increased from 24 to 37 meters. The drawbridge was also changed. Its overall weight and width were increased, and therefore it was necessary to change the corresponding supports at the crossing. This required a lot of time and engineering thought.

But there was little time, so the engineers came to a different solution. The heavy wings of the bridge were supported at the ends of the side spans. For the first time in the history of bridge construction, lead blocks were used in the manufacture of counterweights. The lifting of the wings of the draw span had to be carried out using a hydraulic drive system. This method made the ascent easy and quick.

It was decided to leave the foundation supports. Even though more than 150 years had passed since they were laid, they were still in working order.

The grand opening of the bridge took place on August 15, 2007. The plans of engineers and architects were realized. Looking at the reconstructed crossing, one could mentally be carried away to the mid-19th century; the external similarity was obvious. The bridge regained not only its appearance, but also its historical name. Now the crossing was called “Blagoveshchensky Bridge”.

Today, the Blagoveshchensky Bridge never ceases to amaze with its beauty and grandeur. Despite the passage of time, it is still one of the main decorations of the Neva River. His life is inextricably linked with the city and its inhabitants.

1. According to legend, during the construction of the bridge, Nicholas the First promised Kerbedz a rank for each span of the bridge built. After these words, the project was completely redone and 5 additional spans appeared at the crossing.

2. One day, when the emperor was driving across the Annunciation Bridge, he saw a decrepit carriage, there was an unpainted coffin on it, the carriage was traveling towards the cemetery, accompanied by two disabled elderly people. Seeing such a spectacle, the emperor sent his servant to find out who was being buried. It turned out that they were burying a retired soldier who had served his entire life in the name of God, the Motherland, and the Emperor. Having learned this news, Nicholas the First got out of the carriage and followed the cart. After some time, a crowd of thousands was already following the coffin.

• Construction of an arched cast iron bridge named after. Lieutenant Schmidt, b. The Nikolaevsky Bridge, according to the design of the Russian railway engineer S. Kerbedz, was started in December 1842 and completed in November 1850, i.e. 8 years from the start of construction. The cost of the bridge amounted to 4,381 thousand rubles according to the executive estimate. Before the construction of this bridge on the river. Neva there were only one floating bridges on pontoons.<…> Having been in operation for 86 years, the bridge named after Lieutenant Schmidt has long failed to satisfy the growing demands of shipping and urban traffic, both due to the worn-out state of individual elements and its limited dimensions. Even in pre-revolutionary times, under the St. Petersburg Railway District, two bridge reconstruction projects were drawn up: in 1906 by Professor Krivoshein (the author of the Okhtensky Bridge over the Neva) and in 1909 by engineers Vitol and Glushkov. But the task of reconstruction b. The Nikolaevsky Bridge, very technically complex, remained unimplemented in pre-revolutionary times. In 1934, by resolution of the Council of Labor and Defense, an interdepartmental commission was formed on the issue of rebuilding Leningrad bridges from the point of view of eliminating obstacles to navigation. The commission, having considered the presented four options for rebuilding the bridge named after Lieutenant Schmidt, decided to rebuild the drawbridge according to the second of the presented options, according to which the new drawbridge is located on the right bank, but extends somewhat into the river. By decree of the STO of September 5, 1935, it was proposed to develop this option into a technical project and submit it for approval to the People's Commissariat of Public Utilities. The drafting was entrusted to prof. G.P. Perederiy, who during the development process found that carrying out the reconstruction of the bridge according to the intended option presented great difficulties, and even excluded guarantees of the success of the work itself. These circumstances led to the fact that, instead of the indicated option, prof. Peredery proposed a new option for rebuilding the bridge, which was accepted for implementation. The solution proposed by prof. Perederiy, was approved by the Presidium of the Leningrad Council and submitted for approval by the government. On May 6, 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR finally approved the option of rebuilding the bridge according to the scheme proposed by prof. Perederiy. The total length of the bridge being rebuilt along the top between the abutments is equal to 331 m. The number of spans remains the same. The eighth right-bank span, on the site of the old draw span, is covered with reinforced concrete double-hinged arches with granite cladding. The deck of the bridge roadway is laid on a reinforced concrete slab made of asphalt concrete, and the ends are laid in the tram deck; sidewalks, each 3 m wide, are laid asphalt on consoles. At the same time, the useful width of the bridge between the sidewalk railings opposite the existing one increases. Location of the bridge. Lieutenant Schmidt, as the first bridge at the entrance to the Neva in the old part of the city with complete architectural ensembles, surrounded by remarkable architectural monuments, required special attention when choosing individual structures and the silhouette of the bridge. If the old bridge with cast iron arches resting on granite abutments with pylons represented a successful combination of the engineering part with the external architectural part, then the new project is inferior to the external qualities that were in the old bridge. The grating (architect Stackenschneider) and lanterns (architect Peretyatkovich) from the old bridge are preserved, which are examples of highly artistic cast iron casting. On the outside, to give greater lightness to the lines of the beam, which is somewhat heavy and dry in outline, it is given some ornamentation along the consoles and lower chords. In this way she connects with the rich old lattice. The control pavilions, in the form of low towers, are designed in stone forms that do not dominate the silhouette of the bridge and do not violate the overall urban ensemble. In December 1936, work began on the reconstruction of the bridge named after Lieutenant Schmidt. The total cost of reconstruction of the bridge will be 23 million rubles.

(Smirnov I.A. Redevelopment of the bridge named after Lieutenant Schmidt // Architecture of Leningrad. 1937. No. 3. P. 28-31).

Significant work was the reconstruction of the bridge named after Lieutenant Schmidt, connecting the central part of the city with Vasilievsky Island. The old arched trusses, erected by Kerbedz, were replaced with new, beam, welded construction, with a solid wall (Fig. 395). The work on welding bridge trusses was the largest achievement in this area at that time. To improve the conditions for navigation on the Neva, the iron trusses of the bridge were installed at a higher level, for which it was necessary to rebuild all the bridge supports. The drawbridge span, previously located near the bank, has now been moved to the middle of the river. The old patterned cast iron grating has been preserved and serves as a link between the new bridge structure and the embankment. The old cast-iron trusses of the bridge were in such good condition that they were used in Kalinin on the bridge over the river. Tvertsa. (Shchusev P.V. Bridges and their architecture. 1952. P. 301)

His popularity does not disappear. Every year, tourists from all over the world flock to it.

Where is it located and description

The Blagoveshchensky Bridge is spread between the two banks of the Bolshaya Neva - on one side it rests on Vasilievsky Island, on the other on the embankment of the Admiralteysky District. If you look deeper, it links together Trezzini Square on the University Embankment and Truda Square on the other side.

If you approach someone on the streets of the city and ask where the Blagoveshchensky Bridge is located in St. Petersburg, you may hear that it is located right on the border of the Neva Bay and the Neva. That is, practically in the Gulf of Finland. This is the first bridge in St. Petersburg.

The movement of vehicles and pedestrians is allowed on it. It has eight lanes and sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists. For safety, they are fenced off with a metal parapet.

The unique cast iron grate of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge is known far beyond the borders of St. Petersburg. This is a project created by Karl Bryullov’s older brother, architect Alexander Bryullov. As a basis, he took images of hippocamps - sea horses with fish tails. Along with them, he added Poseidon's trident and sea shells.

The railings, lighting and pavilions of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge are protected as the cultural heritage of Russia and are under the care of the State Property Inspectorate. It has eight spans, including a two-winged, adjustable one. It is located in the very center of the structure and can be raised at an angle of 72 degrees. The distributing mechanism is jacks operating on hydraulics.

The bridge is 331 meters long, 37 meters wide, and its weight is 4.3 tons.

Interesting! In 1850, the bridge in St. Petersburg was recognized as the longest among its European counterparts. Then it was a little shorter, and its length was three hundred meters.

History of construction

The history of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge in St. Petersburg began in 1842 after the emperor’s decree on the construction of a new permanent crossing across the Neva. Its drawing was created by engineer Stanislav Kerbedz. He developed the first Russian bridge project using metal in the structure.

In 1843, the construction was started. It was planned that the work would be completed in 4 years, but it turned out differently. The term extended to eight years.

The Neva is a full-flowing river with a strong current. The job of driving piles into the bottom was not as easy as the builders had expected. It slowed down the process of building the bridge.

All metal parts of the structure were manufactured at the city plant of Ch. Byrd.

Due to construction, the area adjacent to the Neva had to be improved. Blagoveshchenskaya Square and the cathedral of the same name appeared on the left bank. The embankment on the right bank was increased.

The Blagoveshchensky Bridge in St. Petersburg was opened in 1850, and the first crossing across it was made by Nicholas I, accompanied by his family.

At the beginning of the 20th century they decided to rebuild it. The prerequisites for this existed before, but the implementation of the plans was prevented by political events in the country at that time.

The builders made it all-welded; electric welding was used during the alteration. All that remained of the old structure was the support and the cast iron fence. Excess parts were sent for the construction of other facilities, for example, cast iron structures “went” to Tver. They were used to build a crossing across the Volga.

The renewed bridge stood until the 70s, until the decision was made to carry out a major overhaul. In particular, the wooden flooring needed to be replaced, so it was replaced with a more durable metal flooring.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a new stage of design improvement began. Engineers decided to redesign the appearance of the bridge. Make it look like a distant predecessor from the 19th century. And return to what the bridge in St. Petersburg was previously called - Blagoveshchensky.

The steel structures were replaced, but the foundation of the support turned out to be strong - it was left untouched. The width of the bridge has also increased, partly due to the removal of tram tracks. The draw span also became larger, and the lifting of the bridge wings became smoother and faster due to the replacement of the draw system with a hydraulic one.

The renovated Blagoveshchensky Bridge was opened in August 2007.

Interesting! The first reconstruction of the bridge took place only 70 years after its commissioning.

Interesting facts about the Blagoveshchensky Bridge

• Huge foreign liners often moor next to it. They bring many tourists from all over the world. Their influx is especially observed during white nights.
• He holds the record for the number of titles. As soon as they didn’t call him! Initially, this name returned to him only after 152 years! It managed to be Nikolaevsky, thanks to Emperor Nicholas I, who died in 1855. In Soviet times, it was given a different name - Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, in honor of the man who led the uprising at Ochakovo. Only in 2007 did it again begin to be called Annunciation, in memory of the cathedral on the square of the same name. Unfortunately, the cathedral was demolished in 1929.
• It took a long time to build, seven whole years. This was caused by difficulties in working at depth in places where the Neva had a strong current.

• On the inside of the racks there are images of various vessels; they wanted to add allegorical sculptures as decoration, but they did not receive funds for this from the city treasury.
• The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built right on it.
• For the first time in Russia, a rotary system was used during its construction.
• Near it was the well-known cruiser Aurora, from which a salvo was fired at the Winter Palace in 1917.
• Decorative details were used on other architectural buildings.

Interesting! The location for the St. Isaac's Bridge, the predecessor of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, was chosen by Alexander Menshikov himself, a confidant of Peter I.

Blagoveshchensky Bridge: layout schedule

It is, of course, important for guests of the city to know what time the wiring starts and when the Blagoveshchensky Bridge is lowered. This helps them plan their day and route so that they have time to admire an unforgettable spectacle.

They breed it in St. Petersburg twice a day. To make information about the schedule more clear, it is placed in a table (Moscow time):

Address and how to get there

The exact location of the Blagoveshchensky Bridge: the city of St. Petersburg, English Embankment, 38.

It can be reached by metro. The nearest metro station will be Vasileolevskaya. But you can also get there from Admiralteyskaya.

If you move along the surface, the closest public transport stops will be: “Truda Square” and “9th line V.O.”

The best way is to walk. This will give you the opportunity to get to know the city and see places where excursions don’t take you. For example, you can walk to St. Isaac's Cathedral or go to one of the many cafes located on the Neva embankment.

Blagoveshchensky Bridge (formerly Nikolaevsky, Lieutenant Schmidt) is located on the English Embankment in the alignment of Truda Square, on Vasilyevsky Island - at the junction of the Lieutenant Schmidt and Universitetskaya embankments. It became the first permanent bridge on the Neva River. Before the construction of the permanent bridge, there was a floating St. Isaac's Bridge, which was located upstream in the alignment of Decembrist Square (formerly Senate) and Universitetskaya Embankment on Vasilyevsky Island. It was built in 1727 and became the first floating bridge on the Neva River. Until this point, communication was carried out on ships. It got its name from the Church of Isaac of Dalmatia. The floating bridge was built from wooden barges equipped with wooden purlins and decking. In two places the bridge had lifting parts for the passage of ships. The floating bridge was repaired several times, and in 1816 the barges were replaced with pontoons and made according to the design of engineers A.A. Betancourt and G. Tretter. They have survived to this day.

In connection with the construction of the permanent Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, the floating bridge in 1850 was moved upstream and installed in the alignment of Dvortsovoy Proezd and Pushkinskaya Square (formerly Birzhevaya) and received the name Dvortsovoy.

With the start of construction of the permanent Palace Bridge, in 1912 it was returned to its old location - to Decembrist Square, after which it again became known as St. Isaac's Bridge. In 1916, the floating bridge burned down from a spark from a passing tugboat. Isaac's floating bridge was the first and last bridge, which served for 189 years.

The construction of a permanent bridge across the Neva River was preceded by enormous creative activity of bridge builders. The route of the bridge was also a subject of discussion. Engineer of the Railway Corps, Lieutenant General M.G. Destrem proposed a bridge route that ran from the source of the Kryukov Canal. The author proposed enclosing part of the Kryukov Canal from its source to the intersection with the Admiralty Canal in an underground pipe and creating a bridge area with a church in the middle in this place. This affected the layout of the area adjacent to Labor Square. The Admiralty Canal was filled in (enclosed in a pipe) in the area from Decembrist Square to the Kryukov Canal, and in its place Profsoyuzov Boulevard was laid out.

From 1750 to the start of construction of the bridge, more than 40 projects for a permanent bridge across the Neva River were developed. The development problem has plagued the city for years. Among the authors of the project were such self-taught inventors as I.P. Kulibin, serf peasant M. Kalashnikov, Rzhev tradesman M.I. Nemilov and others, as well as foreign-born engineers P.P. Bazin, I.K. Gerard, European engineers A.S. Loudon, I.H. Brunel, B.P. Clayperon, J.-R. Perrone, Defontaine, A.L. Vitberg, V.I. Geste and others. The winners of this long-term competition were engineer S.V. Kerbedz and architect A.P. Bryullov.

In 1842, the project for a permanent bridge was approved by the Tsar, after which construction began, which was completed 8 years later - in 1850. On the opening day, the bridge was named Blagoveshchensky after the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment church located on the bridge square, and in 1855 it was renamed Nikolaevsky. After the revolution, the bridge was named after Lieutenant Schmidt.

The new bridge was a structure consisting of eight spans, of which seven permanent spans of different sizes were covered with 2 hinged cast-iron arches. There were 13 arches in each span. The swing span was located near the right bank and was covered by a single-arm, asymmetrical rotating metal span structure, consisting of 2 parts: a lower part and an upper part with a clear span of 21.33 meters. The length of the bridge in those years was 298.2 meters, width - 20.3 meters, including the roadway - 13.87 meters and two sidewalks of 3.2 meters each.

The abutment of the left bank was a solid mass of rubble masonry on a pile foundation. The abutment of the right bank was extended 15.0 meters into the river bed, its length was 90.0 meters and was equal to the length of 2 parts of the draw span, located during the draw along the bank. The foundations are lined with granite.

The intermediate supports were located on a pile foundation and were fenced with 2-row sheet-pile lintels with stone backfill, which greatly limited the under-bridge dimensions. The body of the supports consisted of masonry with hydraulic limestone mortar. The supports are lined with granite.

The support of the draw span was wide and, to absorb the pressure of the arches, had a central core with rows inclined according to the course of the pressure curve, spread by a reverse stone vault laid along the bottom of the draw span.

The covering on the permanent spans was an end pavement, and on the movable spans it was a boardwalk. A unique artistic cast iron railing was installed on the bridge. The main motif of the design was “seahorses” (newts). The authorship of the drawing is attributed to the architect A.P. Bryullov, but his signature is not on the drawings. One of the drawings contains the inscription S.V. Kerbedza that Lieutenant Belmering drew and drew the railings. However, an expert on St. Petersburg antiquities V.Ya. Kurbatov believed that the drawing belonged to Auguste Montferrand. The construction of the bridge was carried out under the leadership of engineer S.V. Kerbedza. The bridge existed in this form for 85 years.

The main reason for the reconstruction of the bridge was the condition of its draw span, which did not satisfy the conditions of navigation on the Neva River. In addition, the draw span was not located in the middle of the river, but at the right bank abutment, where the depth and opening of the draw span were insufficient to allow passage of ships with deep draft.

The question of reconstructing the drawbridge arose back in 1885, when the Sea Canal was built from the Gulf of Finland to Gutuevsky Island, and deep-sea ocean vessels could not enter the Neva.

In 1936-1938, according to the project of engineers G.P. Perederia and V.I. Kryzhanovsky, architects K.M. Dmitrieva and L.A. Noskova, the bridge was completely rebuilt. The number of spans remained the same - 8. The old draw span was covered with a reinforced concrete span structure of a 2-hinged arch system. Cast iron arched spans were replaced by 3-span all-welded metal spans of a continuous beam system.

The swing span is located in the middle of the bridge. The superstructure is an all-welded metal double-wing, a drop-down system with rigidly attached counterweights, with an electromechanical drive, and a fixed axis of rotation. In the induced state, the drawable span structure turns into a beam-cantilever system. The opening in the light is 42.0 meters.

During the reconstruction, some of the supports were used without changes. The swing span supports were expanded to accommodate swing mechanisms, counterweights and a control panel using existing pile foundations.

The covering on the permanent spans is asphalt concrete on reinforced concrete slabs, and on the draw span - wooden. The end pavement remains in the tram lane.

The railing was restored to its original state. The length of the bridge was 328.7 meters, width - 24.0 meters, including the roadway - 11.8 meters, tram lane - 6.2 meters and two sidewalks of 3.0 meters each. New pillars with hexagonal lanterns were installed on the bridge.

The Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge is one of the first all-welded bridges. In the process of rebuilding the bridge, the method of underwater concreting was used, as well as a new method of testing superstructures with static water load.

The removed cast iron arches were transported to the city of Kalinin and installed on one of the bridges over the Volga River. Old lanterns were installed on the Champ de Mars around the monument to the fighters of the revolution.

Work on the reconstruction of the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was carried out under the leadership of Professor G.P. Perederia and V.I. Kryzhanovsky.

In 1975-1976, according to the project of Lengiproinzhproekt engineers B.B. Levin and B.N. In Brudno, a major overhaul of the draw span was carried out. Also, as part of the project, the wooden flooring was replaced with eposlan concrete on an orthotropic slab, new waterproofing, expansion joints and drainage pipes were laid, and a metal power fence was installed.

Work on the overhaul of the draw span was carried out under the leadership of the chief engineer of SU-1 Lenmostostroy E.V. Leikin, chief engineer of Lenmosttrest RSU G. Kiselev and superintendents B.P. Romanova, and N.I. Tarasenko. Technical supervision was carried out by Directorate inspector V.A. Kononov and maintenance engineer A. Mumrin.

In May 2006, the bridge was transferred for reconstruction. The reconstruction work was carried out by the organization Mostootryad 19 OJSC according to a project developed by Stroyproekt Institute CJSC. The author of the reconstruction project is T.Yu. Kuznetsova, the architect is A.E. Goryunov, the chief engineer of Mostootryad 19 CJSC is N.A. Tarbaev, the responsible contractor is I.E. Kan. Technical supervision was carried out by the St. Petersburg State Institution “Directorate of Transport Construction”, the chief supervision engineer was O.V. Zyryanov, the supervision inspector was O.T. Minagulov. Technical solutions for the project were developed based on an analysis of the results of historical and archival research and a detailed examination of structures. The railing, lighting supports and bridge pavilions are historical and cultural monuments and are under the protection of KGIOP.

Government Decree St. Petersburg dated August 14, 2007 No. 920, signed by Governor V.I. Matvienko, the bridge over the Neva River near Truda Square and Trezzini Square has been returned to its historical name - Blagoveshchensky Bridge.