“Seven poods of dynamite? Is that enough?” a hushed voice once echoed near this very spot. That’s the question that lingered in the minds of revolutionaries who plotted beneath Kamenny Bridge. Today we’ll delve into the story of this seemingly ordinary yet historically charged structure.
The Stone Bridge, or Kamenny Most, stands gracefully over the Griboyedov Canal. Its construction dates back to 1774-78. It earned its name as one of the first stone bridges in Saint Petersburg.
Engineer V.I. Nazimov designed it. Engineer I.N. Borisov oversaw its construction. The Kamenny Bridge replaced a wooden Middle Bridge from 1752. Before that, all bridges were wooden. This made Kamenny Bridge a significant innovation.
The arch is granite. The facade features alternating flat granite blocks and pyramid-shaped blocks. Originally, there were curved stairs to the water. These were removed in the late 19th century. Apart from that, the bridge remains largely unchanged. The railings match the canal embankment’s design.
Kamenny Bridge wasn’t just a feat of engineering. It also became a stage for revolutionary drama. In 1880, the Narodnaya Volya planned to assassinate Emperor Alexander II here. They planted dynamite under the bridge. They hoped to detonate it as the emperor’s carriage passed.
Doubts plagued the conspirators. Would 115 kilograms of dynamite be sufficient? The assassination attempt was never carried out at Kamenny Bridge. After Alexander II’s assassination, the dynamite was found. It was extracted during the Trial of the Fourteen.
Even the first buses in St. Petersburg faced challenges here. The bridge’s arch was steep. Full buses often required passengers to disembark. People had to walk across while the empty bus drove over it.
Kamenny Bridge connects Kazansky and Spassky islands. It carries Gorokhovaya Street. The bridge blends seamlessly with the canal’s embankments.
So, as you stand on Kamenny Bridge, remember its layers of history. From innovative engineering to revolutionary plots. The Stone Bridge has silently witnessed Saint Petersburg’s evolving story.