VWHR+F6 Petrodvortsovy District, Saint Petersburg, Russia
At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter the Great gifted Alexander Danilovich Menshikov a plot of land in the territory of the future Alexandria. In 1714, his neighbor became Bruce, who built a two-story palace on the upper terrace. Between 1721 and 1725, Menshikov acquired plots from previous owners in 1726 and began remodeling Bruce's house into his estate palace "Monkurazh" ("Otrada"). However, the construction was never completed — in 1727, Menshikov fell into disgrace and was exiled. The ruins of Menshikov's palace gave the name to the Ruined Bridge, a single-span bridge thrown over a ravine with a stream-canal.
The length of the bridge is 45 meters, the width is 13 meters.
The bridge was designed by architect Adam Menelas and approved in 1827 — construction began immediately. The work lasted 5 months; the supports and arches were made of brick and roughly hewn granite boulders. Its entire appearance was gloomy and heavy due to embrasures with grilles and doors bound with iron. The bridge structure has a single through span and connects the banks of a deep ravine, along the bottom of which flows a stream. Roughly hewn stone was used for its construction. Birch trunks laid on granite blocks serve as railings. The decorative design was completed in 1829 with the installation of four vases made of Pudost limestone, carved by the stonemason cooperative of master Kopylov. The pedestals were faced with Putilovo stone by the same master. The bridge entrances are marked by massive pedestals with huge vases. Below the bridge, a dam with a waterfall was arranged. All this gives the bridge a romantic appearance, quite in harmony with the park’s landscape style.
During the Great Patriotic War, the bridge was damaged, but its eastern part with two vases has been well preserved.
Not far from the Ruined Bridge, in 1830, a bust of Peter I, 78 centimeters tall and made of copper, was installed on a round granite pedestal.
Sources:
https://rutraveller.ru/place/5789
https://www.citywalls.ru/house21387.html
https://sinekvan.livejournal.com/516895.html
http://www.ilovepetersburg.ru/content/ruinnyi-most
