Description of the attraction
One of the three suspension bridges that have survived to this day in St. Petersburg is the Bank Bridge, which connects the Spassky and Kazansky Islands through the Griboyedov Canal. This pedestrian crossing was built to cross the Catherine Canal to the entrance to the Assignation Bank in 1825. Because of the "neighborhood" with the nearby bank, the bridge was renamed Bankovsky.
Engineers V. A. Khristianovich and V. K. Tretter became the authors of the project, carried away, like many city planners in St. Petersburg, the creation of the so-called chain suspension bridges held above the water by metal chains. The chains used in the construction of the Bank Bridge are deeply embedded in the jaws of cast iron griffins by P. P. Sokolov, as if the latter, sitting at the corners of the crossing, are trying to hold the bridge.
The griffin is a mythical monster with the body of a lion, the head of a lion or eagle, snow-white wings and sharp claws. The architectural decoding of the griffin is very symbolic: since it is depicted with the body of a lion, the head of an eagle and clawed eagle paws, this combination symbolizes the combination of a sharp mind and remarkable strength. That is why griffins symbolically represent Petersburg. The griffins were not installed on the Bank Bridge by accident: ancient Greek myths tell that they were reputed to be reliable guardians of treasures, the best guardians of gold. Therefore, it was the griffins that were chosen as the main elements of the decorative decoration of the bridge near the bank building.
In addition to the beautiful griffins, the Bank Bridge "flaunted" a beautiful openwork lattice with a pattern of open fans and palm leaves. As a result, the Bank Bridge became known as the most richly decorated and original structure in that place: the houses surrounding it on the banks of the Griboyedov Canal looked much simpler. The bridge has become famous for its original architectural design even far beyond the city limits. Nevertheless, the bridge organically blended into its surroundings: the rich decor of the bridge was "compensated" by its compact size (just over 25 meters long and about 2 meters wide).
The wings of the griffins holding the Bank Bridge were made of gilded copper. This attracted lovers of easy prey to the bridge, who tried to scrape off the gilding from the grate and sculptures. But it was impossible to cash in on such "mining" - the gold was covered with such a thin layer that only the smallest gold dust could be scraped off. But the "gold miners" were not embarrassed by this, and, in the end, the griffins and the lattice of the Bank Bridge fell into complete disrepair - all their gilded elements were badly scratched or broken off. At the end of the 19th century, the grating was removed from the bridge for restoration, after which its trace disappeared without a trace. For a long time, the parapet of the Bank Bridge was the usual railings, which replaced the lost artistic fence.
In 1949 the wooden deck of the bridge was overhauled. In 1952, according to the project of A. L. Rotach and G. F. The cast-iron fence was rebuilt with a perlina, along with it - and the lanterns over the heads of the griffins.
In 1994, the wooden deck of the bridge deck was reconstructed for the second time. In 1997, the griffin sculptures were repaired and the railings were restored. In 2009, the gilding was scraped off the wings of the recently restored griffins, as in the old days. In 2010, two griffins were closed with protective caps for more than three months due to the strengthening of the collapsed part of the canal embankment. Crossing the canal, you can still admire the Bank Bridge, this unique embodiment of romantic trends in the art of Russian classicism of the early 19th century.
