He built a large stone bridge in 1859. Large stone bridge. Let's dive into the past
About 50 stone bridges are operated on the roads of the Russian Federation. Each of them is of an arched type with a circular, less often ellipsoidal outline of the vault. Stone bridges make up only 0.8% of all existing structures. The number of such structures 25 years ago was about 100, half a century ago - more than 150. Even if we take into account those stone bridges that today are transferred to the category of "pipes" or are not on the balance sheet at all, there will be no more than 1 of them on the federal network, 5 %.
The reduction of similar structures is also typical for local networks. So, for example, in the Moscow region, out of the existing 800 stone structures, only 5, about 10 - in the Urals. Approximately 20 bridges are operated in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, in Moscow today there are only 4 arched crossings left. In the North Caucasus, the construction of such structures has practically been suspended. Even in Dagestan, where stone bridge building was given the first place, over the past decade only 3 new structures have appeared. And this suggests that in Russia stone bridges are unjustifiably replacing industrial reinforced concrete and metal structures, and this also applies to areas rich in this rock.
Let's dive into the past
One of the very first constructions in the capital was built of brick through It connects the Trinity Gates of the Kremlin Tower with the Kutafya Strelnitsa. The Stone Bridge in Moscow initially did not have supports with water cutters and vaults. According to the historian Zabelin, the stone building was built in 1367, today it is crossed by a park - the Alexander Garden.
Landmark of the capital of Russia
The large stone bridge in Moscow was built back in 1692. Then he was called All Saints. However, since 1858 the Big Stone Bridge has been considered the first iron structure in Moscow. In the 16th century, it was possible to cross from one coast to another only along a “live” floating ferry. In the 17th century, the construction of a stone bridge began, in 1938 it was already reinforced concrete, but the name remained the same. In order for it to fully correspond to the name, it was lined with granite.
The panorama of the Kremlin, which opens from the Stone Bridge, can be seen on the back of the passports of Russian citizens. In addition, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Sofia, Prechistenskaya and Bersenevskaya embankments are overlooked from this structure.
Other stone bridges were also built in Moscow to cross rivers and ravines. At the end of the 18th century, Kitai-Gorod and the Kremlin were connected by two artificial structures - Spassky and Nikolsky.
Big stone bridge in Moscow: 1680
Until the 15th century, there was a floating ferry on the site of the modern structure. Only in 1643 did the king give the order to start building the first stone bridge. They entrusted this to a master from Strasbourg - Yagon Kristler. All construction work on the construction of the stone bridge was suspended after the death of the tsar and the master, completed by an unknown Russian monk in 1687. It was completed in 1692 and given the name of All Saints.
The stone bridge reached 170 meters in length and 22 meters in width. It had 8 arches, those that were intended for the passage of boats, with 15-meter spans. It was possible to enter from the left bank through the All Saints Gate, at the other end of the bridge there was a tower with a two-hipped top.
Changes since 1858
The dilapidated stone bridge was dismantled and in 1858 it was replaced with a three-span metal one (the first in Moscow). In 1938, a new structure appeared on this site, which was worked on by engineer Kalmykov, architects Gelfreich, Shchuko and Minkus. The length of the bridge is 487 meters (including entrances). It offers an excellent view of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Kremlin, and from here you can see the architectural monument "House on the Embankment", designed by Iofan B.M.
wedding walks
The Big Stone Bridge is known to all residents of the former USSR from the footage of the chronicle of Moscow. The view of this panorama has not changed to the present day and looks very good in the photographs behind the backs of the newlyweds.
The bridge is considered a symbol of unification, so photos taken at this place will constantly remind you of the meaning of this word. Think about how much they have in common. Bridge. Opposite coasts. Two destinies and one family.
small stone bridge
The small stone bridge crosses is in second place after the Patriarchal along the canal of the capital. This construction is located in the Yakimanka area, on the one hand there is Serafimovicha Street, and on the other - Bolshaya Polyanka.
The small stone bridge was opened in 1938. Its length is 64 meters with a width of 40 meters. This is not the first structure built on this site. Previously, there was a bridge here, the construction of which was completed in 1788. At that time it was made of wood and was called "Kozmodemyansky". In 1880, it was replaced by a stone bridge with the corresponding name.
The Yakovlevs and Golbrodsky worked on the modern design, for some time there were tram tracks here.
Sights of St. Petersburg
In 1752, a wooden bridge with one span was built across the Krivusha River (today known to us as the Griboyedov Canal). Subsequently, engineer Nazimov developed a new project for the crossing. At that time it was the first building made of stone, which is why it was called the Stone Bridge. St. Petersburg today can boast of this crossing, and no alteration work has been undertaken. The design feature of the bridge is the use of diamond rust. This concept is unfamiliar to many, therefore we will explain in more detail what it is. Diamond rusting refers to the processing of protruding stones in the form of a tetrahedral pyramid, the edges of which, due to special polishing, sparkle brightly when they hit them, resembling diamonds. This technique was often used in construction, but today you rarely see it anywhere. The Stone Bridge (St. Petersburg) was built with four semicircular stairways to the water, which were eliminated in the 19th century.
In 1880, the 7th assassination attempt on the emperor was planned at this place. Members of the "Narodnaya Volya" party planted a bomb under the bridge with the aim of blowing up the crossing when the tsar's carriage was passing through it. Nevertheless, this venture was not destined to come true, since the agents uncovered the plan in a timely manner and Emperor Alexander II crossed the bridge before the Narodnaya Volya arrived on the spot. In 1881, 7 pounds of dynamite were removed from under the structure, but this already happened after the death of the emperor.
St. Petersburg - city of bridges
Peter was honored to be called the guardian of Russian history. In one city, many cathedrals, palaces, chic fountains, magnificent museums and temples have been preserved.
St. Petersburg is the main owner of all kinds of crossings, islands and canals. There are drawbridges, suspension and stone bridges in the city, along which visitors walk. All buildings have a unique solution. Forged frame gives them a certain uniqueness. Every bridge has a story associated with it. This explains the desire of guests to admire the forged masterpieces of art.
Of course, it makes no sense to describe all the bridges of St. Petersburg. Still, their beauty cannot be expressed in words. I would like to note that stone bridges have truly become the pride of the second capital of Russia. The very first bridges such as Prachechny, Hermitage, Stone and Verkhne-Lebyazhy bridges appeared, and today they adorn the city.
In ancient times, bridges were not built in Rus', because any river could be crossed on ice in winter, and crossed by boat or ferry in summer. So-called “living” bridges were built on especially busy paths - rafts or large boats were lined up and covered with wooden flooring, along which people and carts moved from one bank to another. With the first frosts, the structure was dismantled and pulled ashore, and immediately after the spring ice drift, it was restored in its original form. This version of the crossing, simple and inexpensive, still had a serious drawback: twice a year, communication between the banks was interrupted for several days.
Such a temporary inconvenience could be tolerated in other places, but here it turned into a problem, since the streltsy settlements located in Zamoskvorechye turned out to be cut off from the Kremlin, and in the event of popular unrest, the tsar would find himself in a difficult situation. Mikhail Feodorovich, the first of the Romanovs, was fully aware of this danger, because his childhood passed in the Time of Troubles, so the tsar took care of the construction of a modern stone bridge. The architect had to be invited from Europe - their artisans did not have the necessary experience. In 1643, the chamber master Anze Kristler and his uncle Johann arrived from Strasbourg.
Foreigners brought with them a lot of tools and devices necessary for the production of work, and got down to business with true German thoroughness: they made measurements, prepared drawings and estimates, and even presented the tsar with a wooden model of the future bridge. However, the representatives of the customer also tried to go into all the details - apparently, they did not want to blunder, because in those days the king's people were responsible not only for the development of state money, but also for the final result. The clerks of the Embassy Department forced Anze Koestler to answer in writing the question, “Will it be possible for that bridge of his to resist two arshins of ice?”
The German vouched for his bridge: “he will make six sharp stone bulls, and on those bulls the ice will fall, passing, and that collapsed ice will learn to pass under the bridge between the arches of the pavements, and the arches will be spacious, there will be forty arshins of free space , and sharp slopes will be made between the free places at the pillars; and there will be no damage to the bridge from the ice. But the construction of a bridge across the Moscow River, having barely begun, immediately stopped - both the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and the German architect Anze Koestler died in 1645. They returned to the project only in 1682, when Princess Sophia ruled the country, for whom the archers also meant a lot.
Prince Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn, a favorite of the princess and a great admirer of European culture, including architecture, ordered the completion of the bridge according to Kristler's drawings, which was completed in five years by Elder Filaret, before accepting monasticism by the famous "bridge stone worker". Outlandish for those times, the structure, apparently, cost a lot of money to the treasury, for it became a proverb: "more expensive than the Stone Bridge." On the left bank of the river, the bridge began from the All-Saint Strelnitsa with a passable gate in the wall of the White City adjoining the Kremlin. The two central arches of the bridge, the largest in size, served for the passage of barques with goods.
Other arches had water flour mills with dams and overflow gates. On the right bank of the river, the bridge went out to Bersenevka and circled, in which the guardsmen of Ivan the Terrible were still drinking. Over the past century, the tsar's tavern has not lost popularity and was known throughout Moscow under the name "Savernyayka". However, one should go to this cheerful place with caution and better in the company of friends, because lonely revelers became easy prey for thieves who settled under the last arch on the left side of the bridge - “under the ninth cell”, as they said then. Having stunned and robbed a person, the robbers threw him into the river, and this they called "ends in the water."
The leader of the gang was the legendary murderer Vanka Cain. At some opportunity, the clerks of the Rogue Order recruited him as an informer, but ... "they wanted the best, but it turned out as always." Using connections with thieves, Vanka continued to rob, and connections with the Rogue Order made him invulnerable. So the first "werewolf in uniform" should be considered just him, Ivan Osipov. In the 18th century, buildings appeared on the bridge - although its width was only eleven fathoms: a tobacco customs house, a beer yard and four stone tents of Prince Menshikov. However, it was not trade, but ice drifts and floods that posed the main threat to the bridge.
In the reign of Empress Anna Ivanovna, it was ordered to remove the mills and clean the bulls so that there was free passage of water between them, but nevertheless, the spring flood of 1783 caused too serious damage to the structure. Two years later, the Vodootvodny Canal was dug, which made it possible to overhaul the pillars of the Stone Bridge, and at the same time it was cleared of all benches and fenced with stone railings. However, the width of the roadway and the width of the arches remained unchanged, and the bridge resisted the spring pressure of water worse and worse, so it had to be repaired after the floods in the 19th century.
The new bridge, solemnly opened in 1859, was designed and built by engineer-colonel Tannenberg at the behest of Emperor Alexander II. The design consisted of three large cast-iron arches on two stone bulls with powerful ice cutters. These sharp protrusions on the western side of the bridge piers entered the Moscow folklore in a bike about a certain high-ranking official who asked what they were for, and when he received an answer to his question, he became alarmed: “What will happen if the ice comes from the other side ?. .” The bridge we walk on today was built in 1938. It has only one span of one hundred and five meters above the water.
If you pass it to the end, then a wonderful view will open from the landing of the stairs, familiar to the older generation from the pictures on Soviet three-ruble bills (there were such green pieces of paper in those days when a bottle of vodka cost three rubles sixty-two kopecks). This is one of the few places - not counting the roofs, of course - from where all five Kremlin stars are not only clearly visible, but even fit into the frame of an ordinary camera. Therefore, photographs are often taken here, and sometimes films are shot. For example, “The meeting place cannot be changed” - remember, when a soldier admires ruby stars, and Gleb Zheglov shoots a cigarette from him: “Kamel ... trophy”.
How to get to the Big Stone Bridge: st. Borovitskaya metro station
Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge is perhaps the most famous of all Moscow bridges. Most spectacular postcards with views of the Kremlin feature the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, which connects the two banks of the Moskva River near the Borovitsky Gates of the Kremlin. Both pedestrians and cars can move along this bridge, and, despite the name, it is made of metal. Near Borovitsky Hill, the bridge leads to Mokhovaya and Znamenka streets. And the other end of the bridge, lying on Bolotny Island, leads to Bolshaya Polyanka Street.
In ancient times, up to the 15th century, a floating bridge was located on this site. Such a crossing was a log flooring laid on a base of rafts. Floating bridges were very practical - they could be easily dismantled in the event of an enemy attack, or in winter, when the river was covered with ice.
When the raids of the Tatar hordes on Moscow ceased, and the population of Zamoskvorechye increased significantly, it became necessary to install a permanent strong bridge. In 1643, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich invited Yagon Krilster, a craftsman from Strasbourg, to build the first permanent stone bridge. The king personally examined the drawings provided by the master. The bridge was well adapted to the conditions of the area, at its base were to be installed six iron-covered ice-cutting bulls, which would protect the bridge during the ice drift. The arches of the bridge were planned to be 30 meters high, and the structure itself had to withstand the passage of a large cannon outfit. It was a grandiose idea for those times, but due to the death of the architect and the royal customer, construction was suspended for a long time.
The construction of the bridge was completed only in 1682-1687 by a Russian monk, whose name has not been preserved. The new bridge was 170 meters long and 22 meters wide. In total, the bridge had 8 arches, the central arches were with spans of 15 meters so that ships could pass under them. The entrance to the crossing from the left bank was carried out through the All Saints Gate of the White City, and the bridge was at first also called the All Saints. To protect the bridge from a possible enemy attack, a tower with two tents was built on the right bank. In addition, according to tradition, the bridge served not only as a crossing, but also as a trade, on both sides of it there were portable stalls and shops.
For a long time, the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge across the Moscow River served the city, but by 1859 it was dilapidated and needed to be updated. The stone bridge was dismantled, and the first metal three-span bridge in Moscow was built in its place.
The modern Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge was built in 1938. A group of specialists consisting of engineer N.Ya. worked on the development of the project. Kalmykov and architects: V.A. Schuko, V.G. Gelfreikh, M.A. Minkus. The total length of the bridge, including the entrances, is 487 meters. The width of the river span is 105 meters, and the coastal span is 42.5 meters. The width of the bridge is 40 meters. The railings are cast-iron gratings depicting the Soviet coat of arms of Moscow. The bridge offers a wonderful view of many Moscow sights. From here you can see the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the House on the Embankment, Sofia, Prechistenskaya and Barsenevskaya embankments.
This is perhaps the most famous bridge in the capital. It is he who, most often, can be seen on the species photos of Moscow. Here, you and the Kremlin, and the Moscow River and, in fact, the Big Stone Bridge, raised high above the water. So to say, "the brand of the capital."
Just next to him, Gleb Zheglov and Volodya Sharapov, in the film "The meeting place cannot be changed", met a soldier admiring the views of Moscow. It was after the war, which means they had already seen the bridge built in 1938.
A scene from the film "The meeting place cannot be changed." From left to right: Sharapov - soldier - Zheglov.
It is certainly convenient, as it has the best location in terms of car traffic (its predecessors would invariably become the culprits of traffic jams if they were kept). It is quite high and allows small ships to sail freely along the river. The bridge offers one of the best views of the central part of the city, and it itself has a very beautiful design. However, the history of his predecessors is much more exciting.
So, the first crossing appeared at this place in time immemorial and most likely passed through the ford. Its significance was constantly growing, since important roads and waterways converged here, and the settlement itself, which became part of the Suzdal principality, served as a stronghold military point on the border with several principalities (Smolensk, Novgorod, Ryazan and Seversk).
From what time, it is not known, but a floating bridge appeared here, which was a simple wooden structure made of planks laid on top of rafts that covered almost 100 meters of the water surface. Such bridges were used everywhere and had many disadvantages. Firstly, they had to be bred and brought together during the passage of ships, which took a lot of time. Secondly, they could have suffered from a fire during the period of ice drift and freezing. So the bridge had to be built annually, after the ice melted and before it appeared. At a time when the crossing was cleared, and the ice was already beginning to break, it was very difficult, dangerous, and sometimes simply impossible to get to the other side. Nevertheless, contemporaries praised the wooden "Moskvoretsky bridges". Foreigners also noted them. In the 17th century, Pavel of Aleppo, a traveler and clergyman from the now infamous city of Aleppo, visited Moscow. He left the following notes: “The bridge near the Kremlin, opposite the gates of the second city wall, arouses great surprise: it is even, made of large wooden beams, fitted one to the other and tied with thick ropes of linden bark, the ends of which are attached to the towers and to the opposite riverbank. When the water rises, the bridge rises, because it is not supported by pillars, but consists of boards lying on the water, and when the water decreases, the bridge also sinks. When a ship approaches with supplies for the palace from the regions of Kazan and Astrakhan ... from Kolomna ... to the bridges approved (on piles), then its mast is lowered and the ship is escorted under one of the spans; when they approach the mentioned bridge, then one of the connected parts of it is released from the ropes and taken away from the path of the ship, and when it passes to the side of the Kremlin, then that part (of the bridge) is brought back to its place. There are always a lot of ships that bring all kinds of supplies to Moscow ... On this bridge there are shops where a brisk trade takes place; there is a lot of movement on it; we go for a walk there all the time... troops are constantly moving back and forth across it. All city maids, servants and commoners come to this bridge to wash their clothes in the river, because the water here is high, on a level with the bridge.
Moskvoretsky floating bridge. Engraving by Peter Picard. XVII century.
An engraving by Peter Picard, made in the 17th century and depicting a neighboring similar bridge on the Moskva River, will help to imagine what the floating bridge looked like.
The 17th century was very difficult for Moscow and many other lands of the state. Our country experienced the consequences of the Time of Troubles, the devastation of the land by the Poles, frequent changes of rulers. Military settlements grew, and the artisanal people revived after a long period of chaos. There was a need to firmly connect the banks of the Moscow River with a stone bridge. Only in Moscow itself, there was no experience in such construction, except for two small brick bridges built back in the 16th century, which is why they turned to a foreign specialist. In 1634 they invited a "chamber master" from Strasbourg - Christler. He did not come alone, but with a nephew and many necessary tools. On the basis of their calculations, Russian masters made a wooden model, and foreigners prepared all the necessary calculations, which was presented in the Ambassadorial order. However, the construction costs were not jocular, and the Duma clerk Grigory Lvov and the stone master Stepan Kudryavtsev, who conducted the examination, had to be convinced of their expediency. The craftsmen guaranteed that the bridge would withstand “two arshins of ice” (about 1.5 meters), thanks to six stone “bulls” on powerful supports. They also assured the experts that "The vaults will be made thick and solid, and there will be no damage from great burdens." The width of the bridge allowed troops and artillery to pass through. And from the side of the Kremlin, the structure was supposed to be connected with a powerful bridgehead, which would allow protecting the approaches to the "heart" of Moscow. The project was presented to the Tsar - Mikhail Fedorovich and finally approved.
Almost immediately began to prepare the necessary material. Unfortunately, the first royal Romanov failed to go down in history as the builder of the "miracle bridge", since he died in 1645. By a sad coincidence, Johann Kristler followed the customer a year later. A grandiose undertaking was postponed for many years.
They returned to the project only in the 80s of the 17th century and completed the bridge for 5 years. The work was already carried out under the guidance of a Russian master, at the same time a monk. In the 90s, the bridge was completed and received the name of All Saints, according to the gates of the White City, to which it approached. (On the modern map of Moscow, this is the exit to the Moscow River of Lenivka Street, near the Kremlin). The opposite, Zamoskvoretskaya side ended with a tower representing a bridgehead. All Saints Bridge at the end of the 17th century.
All Saints Bridge at the end of the 17th century. Drawing by Apollinary Vasnetsov.
The total length of the bridge was 140 meters, and the width was 22. This is approximately 3 times wider than the medieval streets of the center of Moscow. With such dimensions, the bridge has turned into a separate city, which is now even hard to imagine! Wooden benches and stone chambers were built on it, where they located: a beer yard, a tavern office and a prison, trade in various goods. Above all this towered the "upper ambush" used for the cultural drinking of low-alcohol drinks. Below were glaciers to store goods. At the top, a shopping, business and entertainment center for a decent audience has unfolded. People came here to enjoy the views of the city and entertainment, such as fistfights, which were arranged on the ice and, with delight, watched the ice drift from the safe height of the bridge.
In 1697, on the occasion of the capture of the Azov fortress, young Peter I, through this bridge and the Triumphal Gates located there, entered the Kremlin at the head of his troops. In addition, religious processions to the Donskoy Monastery from the Assumption Cathedral took place on the bridge every year.
The All Saints Bridge had another interesting feature: the river was blocked by a dam between the supports and a mill was built. Which, unfortunately, was the beginning of its destruction due to the increased load. In addition, some researchers are inclined to believe that our builders could not comply with all the construction technologies conceived by Kristler due to lack of experience, which also weakened the construction and, by the way, greatly increased the estimate. The bridge turned out to be very expensive and even entered into the common, at that time, proverb “More expensive than the Stone Bridge”.
As it is not surprising, but only Anna Ioannovna, in 1731, took care of the safety of the bridge and its appearance, ordering to dismantle the dams, flour mills and part of the shops. However, the bridge continued to collapse. Unfortunately, after the loss of gloss and splendor, the bridge was enveloped in notoriety. Under its spans, a thief's den with the logical name "Under the Stone Bridge" was formed by a thief. The most famous character there was Vanka-Cain, at the initial stage of his grandiose career, a thief, a robber and, in combination, an informant of the Detective Order. True, he organized his service in such a way that the entire Moscow police was in his service, and by this time he had already moved from under the bridge to one of the best mansions. Nevertheless, the so-called "pechura" - pits dug under the spans of the bridge, were replenished with new criminal elements, under the patronage of Vanka-Cain. By the way, it was from there that the thieves' expression "ends in the water" came from, since the robbed were often simply dumped into the Moscow River near the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. The case was staged on such a grand scale that people from St. Petersburg, who were not involved in these cases, had to be sent to restore order. According to the testimony of that time, the inhabitants of Moscow were afraid to spend the night at home, realizing that neither the wall nor the castle would save them. After each night, the dead and robbed were found in the city, and each morning began with the identification of the victims. This dark time ended only in the 50s of the XVIII century with the defeat of the gangs and the exile of Vanka-Cain to hard labor.
In the 60s of the XVIII century, the bridge was reconstructed, under the leadership of Dmitry Vasilyevich Ukhtomsky, who is considered the founder of the Russian architectural Moscow school, which had features of lush baroque, while maintaining the national flavor. However, in this case, the famous architect did not rebuild the bridge, but only simplified its design by dismantling the six-gate tower and removing some of the benches in order to relieve the extra load. I did not come across any documents that testify to the strengthening of the supports, but it is possible that the bridge stood for the next 20 years, precisely thanks to these works. During that period, he was remembered as the last road of Pugachev, who was led to execution across the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge to Bolotnaya Square, located one block across the Moscow River, in 1775.
And in 1783 - there was a collapse of 3 arches. A fisherman who was under the bridge died, a laundress who was washing clothes and 2 more people who were nearby. To carry out restoration work, they dug the Drainage Canal, because of which there appeared, in the very center of the city, a long and narrow island, bent like a piece of Krakow sausage, with the name Bolotny, which included the very Bolotnaya Square.
The next repair made it possible to extend the life of the decrepit Stone Bridge for several decades. Thus, he witnessed the fire in Moscow in 1812. On its stones, the Napoleonic army retreated from the devastated city, and then, for a long time, building materials were transported to restore the burned center. It became very old and weak, constantly in need of repair, but when in 1859 it was decided to demolish the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, most Muscovites perceived it as a sad loss. “How much effort and dependency it cost to break this two-century-old monument! The very difficulty of breaking proved the strength of its masonry and the goodness of the material, of which only one part was enough to build a huge house. Moscow residents with curiosity and regret were going to look at the destruction of this bridge, which for a long time was revered as one of the curiosities not only of our ancient capital, but in general of all of Russia, ”wrote Snegirev, one of the eyewitnesses.
The bridge was broken, dismantled and even blown up with powder charges until the place was completely cleared. And yet, the memory of him managed to be preserved, at least in urban legends. Firstly, in Moscow there is still a house located at the address: Mokhovaya street, house 7, which was built, according to local residents, from the wreckage of the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. The reason for this was a note in the newspaper "Moscow Gubernskie Vedomosti" dated 1859. It said: “The merchant Skvortsov built a large profitable house on the corner of Mokhovaya, according to the project of the architect Nikolsky, from the old material bought left over from the demolition, with the addition of new. The facade of this building is quite beautiful, there are good shops below; in the upper floors of the apartment of various sizes. Documentary evidence that the wreckage was part of the bridge, I could not find. Nevertheless, Moscow local historians, in their works, often adhere to this version.
The house, by the way, was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century according to the project of a St. Petersburg architect in the Northern Art Nouveau style. Its author, Vasily Vasilyevich Schaub, did a lot to develop this trend in architecture and created many different buildings that can now be seen on Vasilyevsky Island and the Petrograd side in St. Petersburg.
Secondly, many researchers believe that during the construction of the Palace, and now the Lefortovo bridge, the supports were made according to the model of the Bolshoy Kamenny. So it is considered a monument to this legendary building.
And recently, they began to create a graphic reconstruction of the Kremlin at the beginning of the 18th century. So now you can see how the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge and the Kremlin looked several centuries ago.
What is there to say! Even during the construction of a new, metal bridge, the name "Big Stone" was preserved behind it. It was designed by engineer-colonel Tannenberg. The new design had two stone pillars with ice cutters protruding far forward, on which cast-iron spans rested. Despite the fact that it was the first metal bridge in Moscow, it did not arouse any interest or enthusiasm among the local residents and they got rid of it rather quickly, especially since there was a suitable occasion. At the beginning of the 20th century, it greatly complicated the transport situation in the very center.
Big Stone bridge (metal). XIX century. A Moscow anecdote of that time told about an unlucky official who looked with surprise at the huge ledges of supports and, having found out that these were ice cutters, said indignantly: “And if the ice goes from the other side ?!”
In 1921, already the Soviet authorities announced a competition for the design of a new bridge. And only on the second attempt did a variant appear that arranged the commission. It was built in 1938, slightly moved downstream to Borovtskaya Square. The upper surface of the bridge is straight; it is supported by an arc-curved metal structure resting on two stone coastal pillars. At the top is a metal fence decorated with the Soviet coat of arms of Moscow, surrounded by banners with ears of corn on the sides. The design turned out, frankly, unpretentious. But, the main thing in it is that its shape and height block the view of only the Kremlin walls and at the same time emphasize its high location, serving as a kind of pedestal for the Kremlin towers and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. At the same time, the Big Stone Bridge is one of the best viewing platforms in the city. Engineer N. Ya. Kalmykov, in company with architects: Vladimir Alekseevich Shchuko and Vladimir Georgievich Gelfreich (authors of the Smolny Propylaea), Mikhail Adolfovich Minkus, "stepping on the throat of his own song", made the simplest bridge, poorly remembered, which fades into the background, allowing you to see the main thing - a magnificent panorama of the banks of the Moscow River, which has preserved a large number of the most recognizable sights of the capital.
Central administrative district. Connects Borovitskaya sq. from Serafimovicha street and (through the Maly Kamenny bridge continuing it) from the street. Big Glade.
On the site of the later bridge, apparently, from the very beginning of Moscow, there was a ford through which the road from Ryazan to Novgorod ran through Volok Lamsky, known as Volotskaya. Then a floating (“live”) bridge was built, which was bred to allow ships to pass. Against the bridge at the end of the XVI century. All Saints (Water) Gates of the White City were built, so named after the Church of All Saints standing nearby (near the modern Cathedral of Christ the Savior), which is on the moat.
In 1643, the chamber master Anze Kristler from Strasbourg was invited to build the Stone Bridge. Together with his uncle Ivan, he made a wooden model of the bridge with a blueprint. The place of construction was also determined, a little higher than the confluence of the Neglinka River with the Moscow River. However, things did not go beyond the start of work.
Work resumed in 1682 and was completed in 1687, the bridge was built according to the design of Christler. The length of the bridge was 149 m, the width was 21 m. So much money was spent that Muscovites, talking about something very expensive, said: "More expensive than the Stone Bridge." The bridge was named after All Saints. Other names of the bridge were: Bersenevsky and Novy Kamenny (Stary Kamenny meant the Trinity Bridge across the Neglinka, near the Trinity Tower of the Kremlin). Over time, the modern name was established behind the bridge.
In 1689, the traveler de la Neuville reports: “Prince Golitsyn built a stone bridge with 12 arches on the Moscow River, very high due to large floods.”
The bridge started from the corner of the Government House or the House on the Embankment (now Serafimovicha Street, 2) and went to Lenivka Street. Numerous shops were built on the Stone Bridge; it became a favorite place for walking. On the Zamoskvoretsky side, for the protection of the bridge and for beauty, they put a tower with three pairs of gates, completed with two tents. On the abyss, a special observation deck on the tower, a pub was set up with a view of the Kremlin. There was a mill under the bridge.
In 1783, from the pressure of water, overload and poor maintenance, three arches of the bridge collapsed with eleven furniture shops of the merchant Epaneshnikov. 4 people died. During the repair, all the shops and the bridge tower were dismantled. The bridge stood in this form until the middle of the 19th century.
In 1859, on the site of the old Stone Bridge, a new one was built according to the project of engineer Tanenberg. This time it was three-span, with metal trusses.
On March 16, 1938, the modern Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge was opened according to the project of engineer N.Ya. Kalmykov and architects V.G. Gelfreikh, M.A. Minkus and V.A. Shchuko .. They decided to send him not to the narrow Lenivka, but to the place of the newly punched passage, closer to the Kremlin. Now the length of the bridge, together with the approaches, is 487 m. The height is 8.8 m from the normal retaining level (NSL) of the Moskva River. High metal arches blocked the river with one span. The construction of new bridges across the Moscow River in 1938 was associated with the opening of the Moscow-Volga Canal. Large Volga ships now had to go along the Moscow River, therefore, the spans of the bridges had to be raised to a considerable height.
Until 1945, a tram line ran over the bridge.
Thus, the names Kamenny and Vsekhsvyatsky competed from the very moment the bridge was built. It was the first stone bridge across the Moscow River, which was reflected in its subsequent name.
From the bridge you can see the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the House on the embankment, Bersenevskaya, Prechistenskaya and Sofiyskaya embankments.
An object of cultural heritage of regional significance.
