Bank Bridge

About

Bank Bridge (Bankovsky most) is a 25 m (82 ft) long and 3.1 m (10 ft) wide single-span beam pedestrian bridge crossing the Griboyedov Canal near the former Russian Assignation Bank in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It connects Kazansky Island and Spassky Island in the city's Tsentralny District. The bridge is in front of, and takes its name from, the former Assignation Bank building (now housing the Saint Petersburg State University of Economics). The bridge was one of six suspension bridges built between 1823 and 1826. The design for the Bank Bridge, and another farther upstream (later known as the Bridge of Lions), were approved on 18 February 1825, with construction expected to be completed by October of that year. Difficulties during the construction process delayed completion until the middle of the following year. It opened on 24 July [5 August N.S.] 1826, with more than 9,000 people crossing it on the opening day. The bridge engineer was Wilhelm von Traitteur, who conceived of a pedestrian separation structure suspended by cables. He was an engineer who also built other bridges over the Griboyedov Canal, Fontanka and Moika. The general management of the bridge construction was carried out by colonel E. A. Adam. The bridge has sculptures of four winged lions crowning the abutments. They were designed by sculptor Pavel Sokolov (1764–1835), who also contributed lions for Bridge of Lions and sphinxes for Egyptian Bridge. Casting the metal parts for the bridge was carried out by the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry, but the chains were delayed until December, and the lions until March 1826. The bridge began to be assembled in spring that year, with the Bridge of Lions opening on 1 July 1826, and the Bank Bridge on 24 July. von Traitteur wrote "regarding the lions and griffins themselves, I do not in any way claim their appearance to be accurate, for it is the sculptor's job to give their models all the beauty they are capable of. Since this work requires a talented artist and the necessary time, I referred this matter to Academician Sokolov, whom I know for his talent." The company paying for the bridge objected to the price of Sokolov's wor

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.