Initially, Petersburg was conceived asthe city is the capital, it was supposed to give the impression of solemnity, austerity, royalty and majesty. He is. Only gray granite and constant clouds make it a bit gloomy. Maybe that's why the bridges connecting the islands are colorful: green, yellow, red, blue. They give the gray and heavy water of the river Moika a little bright shade. By the way, many guests, having visited St. Petersburg, will not remember the Blue Bridge, although they visited it. It is called so - invisible bridge.

Why is the bridge called blue?
This bridge, spreading over the Moika, servesmeans of communication between the two islands - Kazan and the 2nd Admiralty. Having a wide width, it harmoniously fits into the ensemble of St. Isaac's Square and is perceived as its continuation, connecting with Voznesensky Avenue and Antonenko Lane. Therefore, many people do not notice him, thinking that this is just a continuation of St. Isaac's Square.
This building is wider than all in St. Petersburg.The blue bridge is 97.3 meters wide. His length is 32.5 meters. Due to this width and asphalt pavement, the bridge completely merges with the surface of the square.
Why is the bridge called blue? The name goes back to the history of St. Petersburg - Blue Bridge was previously a wooden, painted paint of this color.

Famous Blue Bridge
Famous building was due to itswidth, but so it was not always. Initially it was a narrow wooden and lifting, painted with bright blue paint. It was a kind of tradition - to paint the bridges on the river Moika in different colors. This is how the Blue Bridge appeared in St. Petersburg (you can see its photo in the article), without which today the city is hard to imagine.
The initial transition, built in the XVIII century,was, as already mentioned, the most typical for the city lifting wooden bridge. But at the very beginning of the XIX century, a new one was built - stone, 41 meters wide, which at that time already exceeded its 32-meter length. And after strengthening the banks of the Moika, the bridge was expanded again.
A little more time passed, and a luxurious palace on St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg was built, named after the daughter of Nicholas 1 Mariinsky. Blue bridge had to expand again. So, as a result of the renovations, its width reached 97.3 meters, which allowed the structure to fit organically into the complex of St. Isaac’s Square, becoming one with it.

Bridge history
In the XVIII century on the site of St. Isaac's Square wasmeadow, which belonged to the Admiralty. In those days, the construction of residential buildings took place on the banks of the Moika. In the 30s of the XVIII century, the Admiralty ceased to be considered as a fortress. Meadow lands began to be sold for development, and the Moika River, as part of the city, also underwent changes. Its bottom was deepened, reinforced with wooden shields of the shore. The construction of bridges began, which were able to bring together parts of the city located on the islands.
In the place of St. Isaac was supposed to buildThe trade area, and not far from the bridge being described, build a salt pier. Over the years, the Blue Bridge in St. Petersburg was rebuilt, and the tram tracks ran across it. For this, it was strengthened and instead of the usual lampposts they put gold-plated candelabra.
By the beginning of the XX century, he took a modern look. And art critics call it the bridge-square. Today it is a local celebrity - not every city has such a special bridge.
Once, in the XIX century, the area of the square near the bridgebore the name of the slave market. Here, before 1861, it was possible to buy workers or hire an artel of bricklayers or carpenters. It was a kind of labor exchange that brought people together to look for work.

Attractions around the bridge
The bridge, although it is quite famous itself,It is located in such an area of the city, where a part of the most significant sights of the northern capital is concentrated. Its patterned fence resembles a fence on the granite embankment of the Moika, which allows the bridge to become part of the ensemble of the district.
Next door are:
- Mariinsky Palace;
- a monument to Nicholas 1 on the square;
- Saint Isaac's Cathedral;
- the famous "Bronze Horseman" and many other famous historical buildings.
Not far from the bridge stands the famous pillar-rod(level gauge). At the top of it is strengthened the trident of Neptune. And on the trunk marked mark the largest floods in the city. On it is easy to establish the water level in the river Moika. The city has experienced several severe floods, which local residents recall with horror. Column-rod serves as a kind of monument to flood victims.

How to get to the bridge
So, if you decide to see the describedpoint of interest, how to get to the Blue Bridge in St. Petersburg? Nearby is the Nevsky Prospect metro station, you need to get out in the direction of the Griboedov Canal, then change to the number 27, 22, 3 bus or trolleybus No. 22, 5.
Want to walk a bit? In this case, you need to get to the station "Sennaya Square" and then go along the canal to the Blue Bridge and St. Isaac's Square.