Lomonosov Bridge, Lomonosov Street, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191038
The Lomonosov Bridge over the Fontanka is one of the oldest and most beautiful bridges in the city, which has not only changed several names but also altered its structure a few times: it was once a drawbridge. At the same time, it is the only one of the crossings over the Fontanka that has managed to preserve its architectural appearance almost unchanged for over 130 years. The bridge connects Spassky and Nameless Islands. Nearby are Zodchy Rossi Street, a bust of Lomonosov, and the square of the same name.
Upstream is the Anichkov Bridge, downstream — the Leshtukov Bridge. The bridge was built according to a standard design by Jean Rodolphe Perroné and is one of the outstanding monuments of the city's bridge-building culture. The Lomonosov Bridge stands at the intersection of the river with Lomonosov Street. It is a stone three-span structure 62.9 meters long and 16.1 meters wide. The railings are cast iron on granite pedestals, with a pattern repeating the design of the Fontanka embankments.
It changed several names before being called the Lomonosov Bridge: until 1798 — the Catherine Bridge, from 1798 to 1948 — the Chernyshev Bridge (named after Count General G.P. Chernyshev), near whose estate it was built. It is worth noting that originally this bridge was absent from urban planning schemes, and therefore construction began later than others, when the embankment was already faced with granite. However, probably at the request of Catherine II, the bridge was included in the project for the arrangement of the Fontanka banks and was initially called the Catherine Bridge. The Chernyshev Bridge was not planned during the development of the Fontanka embankment project and was started later than others, when the embankment was already clad in granite. It was built in 1785-1787 according to a standard project of stone bridges over the Fontanka River.
The bridge consisted of two side stone arches faced with granite and a central lifting part — a wooden double-leaf drawbridge span. Granite towers were placed on the river piers, housing lifting mechanisms with long chains. The decking of the side parts of the bridge was paved with cobblestones (until the 1830s, bridges on the Fontanka had end pavements), and the middle span was covered with wooden decking. The sidewalks were lower than the roadway and fenced off from it by high granite parapets along the entire length of the side parts of the bridge. The railings repeated the pattern of the railings on the Fontanka embankment but were interrupted by granite reveals at the junctions with it. Similar parapets, but pointed, were installed on the piers between the water-facing columns of the gazebos. On the four corners of the bridge at the entrances stood stone lantern obelisks with two oval-shaped lanterns on metal brackets. Another feature of the structure is the lanterns — true works of art. Made in a hexagonal shape, they are supported by brackets in the form of mythical hippocamps — winged creatures resembling unicorns, with the head and body of a horse and a fish tail. Currently, the lanterns have been restored and covered with gold leaf.
In the mid-19th century, due to increased urban traffic, stone tower-type bridges — Simeonovsky, Anichkov, Semenovsky, Obukhovsky, Izmailovsky — began to be rebuilt by demolishing the towers and replacing the lifting spans with permanent ones. The Chernyshev Bridge and Staro-Kalinkin Bridge most fully preserved their original appearance. The Chernyshev Bridge is the only one among its peers that stood unchanged for over a hundred years, undergoing only routine repairs.
The ensemble of bridges, while remaining an outstanding work of architecture, no longer played the previous role that stemmed from the border position of the Fontanka, beyond which in the 18th century the suburbs essentially began.
In 1911-1912, the bridge underwent major repairs. The piers and arches were reinforced, and the wooden span structure in the middle span of the bridge was replaced with a metal beam structure.
At the entrance to the bridge in 1915, the obelisks with lanterns were restored according to the design of academician architect Fomin. The above-water parts of the piers and abutments were also relaid. The sidewalks were raised above the roadway level, and the parapets separating them from the roadway were removed. The entire roadway was paved with cobblestones, the sidewalks on the side parts with granite slabs, and the central part with asphalt.
Granite drainage gutters were laid along the sidewalks.
In 1950, the granite obelisks with lanterns, damaged during the city's blockade, were restored, and in 1967 the architectural details were gilded. In 2006, the obelisks were restored again, refreshing the gilding of the lanterns, spherical finials, and hippocamps.
The bridge can be seen in the film "The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia." Although the academician and great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov has no connection to the bridge, a belief has taken hold among St. Petersburg students that visiting the bridge helps in the process of acquiring knowledge. It is believed that if you visit the Lomonosov Bridge before an exam, you can draw a "lucky" ticket.
Sources:
https://vecherka.spb.ru/?p=29926
https://mostotrest-spb.ru/bridges/lomonosova
Kochedamov V. I. Bridges of Leningrad. — Leningrad: Iskusstvo, 1958
