Anichkov Bridge, Nevsky avenue, St. Peterburg, Russia
Anichkov Bridge is one of the architectural highlights of Nevsky Prospekt, and essential viewing for any visitor to St. Petersburg, both for the spectacular views of the surrounding palaces from the vantage point of its humped back, and for the famous sculptures – the Horse Tamers – that crown its four corners.
Carrying Nevsky Prospekt across the Fontanka River, the first Anichkov Bridge was a wooden structure erected as early as 1716. Its name honors the engineer of that first bridge, Mikhail Anichkov.
In the 1780s, a series of almost identical stone bascule bridges were built across the Fontanka, and Anichkov Bridge was one of them – Lomonosov Bridge is the most famous to have survived intact. There are numerous historic pictures of Anichkov Bridge in this period, and the bridge was a popular attraction thanks to its central location.
Epic Russia Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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