For a century and a half after the city was founded, there was no permanent bridge over the Great Neva. People crossed using pontoon and wooden bridges. For almost a century, work took place on successive projects, which, however, turned out to be too expensive and risky due to the nature of the river: wide, with considerable depth, strong current and muddy bottom, with retrograde sea currents, carrying large critters from the Ladoga in spring, yet navigable.

The challenge was taken up by the Polish engineer Stanislaw Kierbedź. Born 210 years ago, in 1810, in what was then Vilnius Governorate, and a graduate of Vilnius University and the St Petersburg Institute of the Corps of Communication Engineers, he presented a design for a permanent cast-iron bridge on stone supports in 1842. The concept was subjected to numerous expert opinions. Despite widespread disbelief in its success, Tsar Nicholas I approved the project. A Pole was entrusted with directing the construction. It lasted twice as long as expected - almost eight years - and consumed enormous resources. Kierbedź personally supervised the works and the purchase of major components.

Architecture of the Blagoveshchensk Bridge
The crossing connected the University Wharf on Vasilyevskaya Island with the English Wharf, near which the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Blagoveshchensky) was erected. Hence the name. The bridge had eight spans, seven of which were constructed with cast-iron arch girders, while the eighth, a beam, could be lifted. At 20.3m wide and 298.2m long, it was at the time the longest cast iron bridge in the world.

It was not only the structure that was admired, but also the artistic setting of the bridge which emphasised the maritime character of the city. The cast-iron balustrades with motifs of Neptune's trident, shells and hippocampus (sea horses) were the work of the St Petersburg architect Alexander Briulov. According to the design of the architect Andrei Stackenschneider, the chapel of St Nicholas the Miracle Worker, patron saint of sailors, was erected on the bridge (it was demolished in 1930). The idea of decorating the bridge with sculptures by Peter Klodt and Nikolai Pimenov was not realised for financial reasons.

The construction was a unique event in the life of the tsars' capital. St Petersburgers watched with disbelief but also undying admiration as huge steam engines drove piles into the river bed, struggling against the swift current. The Blagoveshchensk Bridge was opened on 21 November 1850, with more than 50 000 people attending the ceremony. After a service in the church, Nicholas I with his entourage and Colonel Kierbedz passed over the bridge on foot to Vasilyevskaya Island. A commemorative medal was minted to mark the occasion, and the Tsar conferred the rank of Major General on the creator of the bridge.

History of the Blagoveshchensk Bridge
The bridge changed its name many times. During the construction phase it was called Nevsky. After the death of the emperor in 1855, it was renamed Nikolaevsky, and in 1918, in honour of one of the leaders of the 1905 revolution, it was named after Lieutenant Shmidt. Between 1936 and 1938, the bridge's structure was significantly altered, with the cast-iron arches (in time moved to Tver on the Volga) replaced by steel elements. From the Kierbedzia Bridge, the supports and balustrades have survived. The former lanterns still adorn the Mars Field today.

In 1952, a massive plaque was placed on the bridge pavilion with the inscription: Bridge named after Lieutenant Shmidt, the first permanent bridge across the Neva, built in 1842-1850, designed by the Russian (sic!) engineer S.V. Kierbedz. In 1937-1938, the bridge was newly built to the design of academician G.P. Perederyi and architect L.A. Noskov.

The bridge underwent another major reconstruction in 2005-2007. The grand opening ceremony on 15 August 2007 was attended by Kierbedzian's great-granddaughter living in Italy. At that time, the historic name was restored and a new plaque commemorating the creators of the bridge was installed. Today, its mock-up can be seen in the St Petersburg Bridge Museum.

Stanislav Kierbedź in St Petersburg
The Blagoveshchensk Bridge was an outstanding technical achievement. It cemented the career of Eng. Kierbedź, who was also the creator of the first fixed bridge across the Vistula in Warsaw and directed the construction of the St. Petersburg-Warsaw Railway, among others. In addition, he held many important ministerial posts. While working in the service of the Tsar, recognised as a Russian engineer, he invariably felt Polish. He was a protector of his compatriots, employed Polish engineers wherever he could, and helped Polish students. He contributed to the construction of the St Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church in St Petersburg. The Kierbedzia House, famous for its old Polish hospitality, played a significant role in the life of St Petersburg's Polish community.

1842-1850

Stanisław Kierbedź (architekt)(aperçu)

Ewa Ziółkowska