Description of the attraction
In the 18th century, next to the town hall square was built a stone bridge "Kivisild" (Tartu Kivisild), dedicated to Empress Catherine II. In 1775, a large fire broke out in the city of Tartu, which burned down most of the city center. The Empress provided funds for the restoration of the city, including for the construction of the bridge. Work on the construction of the bridge began in the spring of 1776. The bridge was opened for traffic in 1784. Construction took place under the leadership of I. A. Tsaklovsky and I. K. Siegfriden. This bridge, which became a royal gift to the city, was built from granite blocks. Convicts, participants in the Pugachev uprising, worked on the construction. The bridge had two arches, the middle part was lifting. It was the first stone bridge in the Baltic countries. On its support was embossed the text: “River, stop your flow! Catherine ordered. " The constructed Stone Bridge has become one of the symbols of the city of Tartu.
Unfortunately, during the Second World War, the bridge was destroyed. Its fragments were removed only during the construction of the current pedestrian arch bridge. The reinforced concrete arches of the new bridge rest on the foundations of the former Stone Bridge. The new Kaarsild arch bridge, which connects the banks of the Emajõgi River, was opened to pedestrians in 1960. In 2004, a model of the former Stone Bridge was installed next to the bridge. In St. Petersburg there is a twin brother of the stone bridge in Tartu. This is the Lomonosov Bridge on the Fontanka River, built in 1785-1787.
