There are different versions regarding the time of construction of the first wooden drawbridge over the Moika River at the alignment of Nevsky Prospect. Local historian Antonov, in his book "Bridges of Saint Petersburg," writes that it was built in 1717-1718. Historian Burenina, in the book "Walks along Nevsky Prospect," names 1720 as the year of construction, while Shultz Jr., in the book "Nevsky Perspective. From the Admiralty to the Moika," gives a third option — 1716. In any case, in 1735 the bridge was repaired and painted green, which is when it received its first official name — the Green Bridge. Similar "color" names were then given to other bridges over the Moika: the Blue and the Red.
The Green Bridge was next rebuilt in 1752, then again in 1777. At that time, it consisted of three wooden beam spans on stone supports and received another name — the Police Bridge, after the nearby houses of General Police Chief Chicherin and the Main Police Office. Despite this, in private correspondence and announcements, Petersburgers often habitually continued to call the crossing the Green Bridge.
By the beginning of the 19th century, Nevsky Prospect had become the main street of the city, and the crossing needed to be rebuilt. From autumn 1806, construction began here on the first cast-iron bridge in Russia. At the suggestion of engineer William (who became Vasily Ivanovich in Russia) Heste, hollow cast-iron boxes (caissons or tubings) were used during the reconstruction of the Police Bridge. These were laid in a row and bolted together. Heste based his design on a technical proposal by English engineer R. Fulton, published in 1796. However, the Englishman did not implement the idea, whereas Heste refined and applied it in Petersburg.
The wedge-shaped caissons were manufactured at the Sestroretsk Arms Factory under the supervision of engineer Karl Shpekle and at the Demidov Ural factories. Their size was standard: 2.8 x 1.53 x 0.38 m, with a thickness of 2.5 cm. The seams between them were filled with a putty made of sulfur, ammonia, and cast iron filings in a ratio of 1:1:16.
This design of the crossing has survived to the present day, with only the external appearance having changed. The sidewalks of the new Police Bridge were laid at the same level as the roadway, separated from it by a granite parapet with metal bars. The bridge was decorated with cast railings and granite obelisks topped with gilded spheres.
The bridge project proved so successful that in 1807 it was approved as a standard design for all bridges over the Moika. By 1818, two more such crossings had been built (the Red Bridge in 1814 and the Potseluyev Bridge in 1816).
Traffic intensity on Nevsky Prospect increased every year. In 1842, the Police Bridge was widened according to engineer Gotman's project. Sidewalks were attached to the main structure by cantilevers. At the same time, solid granite parapets were installed, and the granite obelisks were replaced by lighter cast-iron lamp posts.
In 1844, the Police Bridge became the first in Saint Petersburg to have an asphalt surface. The technology then differed from the modern one: pre-cast asphalt blocks were laid on the roadway. The newspaper "Northern Bee" wrote:
“Asphalt, cast in cubic form, withstands the harshest test, because hardly anywhere is there more traffic than on the Police Bridge.”
The reconstruction of the Police Bridge sidewalks was unsuccessful. In September 1859, Petersburgers welcomed Danish Princess Dagmar, who soon became the wife of the heir to the throne (the future Alexander III). Nevsky Prospect was then crowded with throngs of people. Especially many gathered on the Police Bridge, as it offered a better view of Nevsky Prospect’s perspective. The bridge’s railing could not withstand the pressure, and as a result, some people had to take a swim in the Moika. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
In the 19th century, police booths stood on both sides of the crossing, and lamps were installed at all corners.
When tram tracks were laid on Nevsky Prospect, the need arose again to reconstruct the Police Bridge. Between 1904 and 1907, the number of cast-iron boxes in the bridge deck was increased. The external appearance of the Police Bridge was redesigned by architect Ilyin. The facade arches of the bridge were decorated with ornamentation, and the lamp posts were replaced with gilded candelabras.
On January 9, 1905, the day known as "Bloody Sunday," troops lined up on the Police Bridge and fired on demonstrators marching to the Winter Palace.
In 1918, the bridge was renamed the "People’s Bridge." In 1938, the entire roadway and sidewalks were asphalted. In the 1930s, the lamps were lost; they were restored in 1951 during restoration work by architect Rotach. At that time, trams ceased to run across the bridge. Later, in 1967, the same architect restored the gilding of the decorative details of the People’s Bridge.
The historical name was restored in November 1997, and the bridge once again became known as the Green Bridge. The length of the structure is 39.8 meters, and the width is 38.67 meters.
Sources:
N. V. Trach, "The 'Color' Bridges of the Northern Venice"
Antonov B. I.: "Bridges of Saint Petersburg." Glagol Publishing, 2002
https://walkspb.ru/istoriya-peterburga/most/narod-most
