23.06.2024

Saint Petersburg

Upon arriving in Saint Petersburg, my father and I leisurely strolled along Nevsky Prospect. Our first stop was Vosstaniya Square, where the underground building stands as a fascinating landmark in its own right. Here once stood the wooden Orthodox church in St. Petersburg, tragically destroyed by the communists in 1941. Continuing our walk, we encountered an obelisk next to the monument dedicated to Alexander III. Not far from there, the Moscow train station proudly displays the inscription: "Leningrad is our Hero City."

Right on the building of Moskovsky Training Station, there is a beautifully crafted clock showing the current time in Saint Petersburg. My dad and I headed to the opposite side, down the street that runs parallel to Nevsky Prospect. There, we were greeted by a beautifully crafted iron clock and the Tsar's chariot (Russian kareta). Later, we discovered the memorial circle, established in 2017, which showcased the street's name changes over the last hundred years.

On one side there's nothing special about that part of the street, but on the other side, if you're interested in history, you can envision how the town has changed in various periods of this captivating country's past.

I fell in love with Saint Petersburg at first sight. It is a city where every stone seems to have a story to tell when you gaze upon it.

As we strolled down Nevsky Prospect, my father and I were captivated by the array of cinemas lining the street. Amongst them, the grand building of "Kolizei" stood out with its beautifully carved, old-fashioned letters and charming galleries.

Then, we reached Anichkov bridge and four horses carved by the sculptor Peter Clodt in 1841.

Story of Anichkov bridge

In 1715, Peter the Great made the decision to eliminate the pedestrian ferry service in this area for the first time. He issued a directive to construct a bridge beyond the Bolshaya Neva on the Fontannaya River instead.

During that era, the construction of wooden bridges was a common occurrence in St. Petersburg, with crossings popping up here and there, each lacking any significant historical significance. When the bridge over the Fontanka River was being built by the soldiers of the nearby Admiralty “construction battalion” under the leadership of Major Mikhail Anichkov, it naturally acquired the name “Anichkov”, emphasizing the second syllable. In later years, a rumour gave birth to a legend surrounding a mysterious Anechka - the enigmatic heroine of a romantic tale, supposedly linked to either an architect or one of the bridge's builders. For a period, locals even referred to the bridge as Anechkin. However, this story remains nothing more than a charming myth.

Anichkov himself hailed from an esteemed family with ancestral ties reaching back to the 14th century. Following the completion of the bridge, he ascended to the rank of colonel and came to possess the land on which the Alexandrinsky Theater now stands. Anichkov Lane, extending from there to Sadovaya Street, presently bears the name Krylov Lane.

The Anichkov Palace, erected in the 1740s, was simply named due to its close proximity to the eponymous bridge and held no connection to the Anichkov family.

In 1739, the Committee for St. Petersburg Structures proposed naming the bridge Nevsky; however, this moniker failed to take hold.

Stone age.

In 1785, the wooden bridge was replaced by a stone structure. Prior to this, the Fontanka River boasted stone bridges such as the Prachechny, Panteleimonovsky, Izmailovsky, Semenovsky, and Obukhovsky bridges, as well as the Lomonosov and Belinsky bridges.

However, the wooden bridge had already started to deteriorate by the 1720s. Furthermore, its narrowness made it challenging for two carriages to pass each other on it. In 1921, Dutchman Herman van Boles took on the task of reconstructing the bridge, with Domenico Trezzini realizing his design.

«Нынешнего 1721 года в январе месяце повелено отпустить из города архитектору Андрею Тризину к строению подъемного мосту, который строится через фонтаную речку, для ящиков дикого камня, из города четырнадцать саженей...» (This year, 1721, in the month of January, it was ordered that the architect Andrei Trizin be released from the city to build a drawbridge, which is being built across the fountain river, for boxes of wild stone, fourteen fathoms from the city.)

As documented during that era, Boles's intervention resulted in the bridge being equipped with a drawbridge that could be operated by two individuals (previously, a section had to be disassembled to accommodate passing ships). In 1749, under the architectural guidance of Semyon Volkov, the reconstruction of Anichkov Bridge commenced. One of the motivating factors behind this refurbishment was the Empress's receipt of elephants as a prestigious gift from the Persian Shah, which were planned to be ceremoniously paraded along Nevsky Prospekt.

Although the drawbridge had to be sacrificed, lanterns on wooden poles illuminated the entrance to the Anichkov Bridge. At over 200 meters in length, this historic bridge was almost four times longer than its contemporary counterpart. Three decades later, the Fontanka River underwent a transformation with the installation of granite embankments, and all bridges were redesigned in line with the vision of the French architect Perrone. The Anichkov Bridge was also reconstructed, now boasting a granite structure with three spans and a new adjustable mechanism.

Acquisition of the stalions.

The reconstruction of the bridge was initiated by engineer-major Ivan Buttats, with engineer Alexander Reder also involved. Signed by Nicholas I in December 1840, the project began to take shape, culminating in the laying of the first stone of the new Anichkov Bridge on May 22, 1841. With Lieutenant General Andrei Gotman overseeing the work under the Puteya Institute's direction, rapid progress was made. New brick arches were in place within three months, and the vaults were adorned with pink granite salvaged from the construction of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Completed in just six months, discussions then turned to the bridge's aesthetic design.

Initially, the plan included adorning the vaults with bronze plates, embellishing the bulls with decorative vases, and featuring horse groups on the coastal abutments. However, they eventually opted to focus solely on the horse groups for the decoration.

During that period, the renowned St. Petersburg animal sculptor Pyotr Klodt was creating sculptures of horses guided by young men, intended to embellish the pier along the Neva embankment near Admiralteysky Boulevard. Ultimately, the lions and vases were left on the pier, while the horses were repurposed. In November 1841, a platoon of sappers relocated them from the foundry on Vasilyevsky Island to the Fontanka River, where they were positioned on the western bank. Plaster copies painted bronze adorn the eastern bank of the river.

Klodt devoted an additional year to crafting a second set of equestrian groups, yet their fate did not align with adorning the Fontanka as initially intended. Following Nicholas I's directive, the sculptures were gifted to the Prussian king Frederick William IV and dispatched to Berlin. Simultaneously, the chief police officer responsible for overseeing the bridge's condition noted the deteriorating state of an alabaster horse figure, citing cracks and peeling alabaster that marred its appearance. Furthermore, one of the plaster replicas has suffered significant decay, resulting in the loss of its tail.

Brand new bronze sculptures on Anichkov Bridge

The sculptures were only mounted on October 9, 1843, and remained there for a brief three years before being gifted to King Ferdinand II of Sicily and transported to Naples. Taking this event as a sign, Klodt decided against replicating the sculptures and instead embarked on creating a fresh composition centered on man's triumph over nature.

By 1848, sketches for the final two groups were prepared, and in 1850, the sculptural pieces were finally installed on the bridge. The four depictions symbolize the stages of horse taming: from a man holding a cord in the first group, to the horse's struggle for freedom in the second, the gradual assertion of human will in the third, and finally, a man peacefully walking alongside a subdued horse in the fourth. Notably, the horses in the third and fourth groups are adorned with horseshoes, distinguishing them from the earlier groups.

Legend has it that during the opening ceremony of the bridge, Nicholas I affectionately patted the artist on the shoulder and remarked, "Klodt, you create horses better than a stallion!"

Subsequently, three additional pairs of identical sculptural groups were situated in Strelna, Peterhof, and at the Golitsyn Kuzminki estate near Moscow. These majestic installations swiftly evolved into principal emblems of St. Petersburg, embodying the city's rich artistic and historical legacy.

Back to Petersburg 2024.

We stood by the Fontanka River for a while and watched the sailboats glide by. One day, I would like to take a ride under the bridge, but not today. We had only one day in Saint Petersburg, but I wish to stay for at least a couple of months. Without leaving Anichkov Bridge, we ventured a bit further and came across the bank building adorned with neoclassical columns. I believe that in the Rostov region, the Rostov circus building is also designed in that style.

A bit further along, we encountered the memorial to Catherine the Great and the Alexander Palace, but we opted not to visit as our time was limited. We continued walking from the Fontanka until would get tired.

On the way I Found two sculptures devoted to science and art on one of the buildings, one of the public Library departments, Kazansky temple, the buildings of German church, Holland church, the Holland church is now closed. There's one of the city libraries there now.

Saint Petersburg is a literary haven, boasting numerous bookstores and charming book-lined streets. If you ever find yourself with the opportunity to visit Saint Petersburg, make sure to seize it - you won't be disappointed. What I've mentioned barely scratches the surface. Given the chance, I would certainly stay longer to fully immerse.