Stone bridge over the Vitochka River.
To be honest, I didn’t expect such a big stir around. Today I want to draw your attention to another bridge, it is older and in much worse condition, despite the fact that it is located right at the entrance to Novgorod.
We are talking about a stone bridge over the Vitochka River, between the villages of Trubichino and Vitka. Each of us drove past it dozens, hundreds, and maybe thousands of times, but never even saw this bridge. This happened due to the fact that a new bridge was built next to it, which is higher than the old one and at the same time located close to it.
Stone bridges on federal roads of Russia less than 50 left. The bridge is interesting because it is the last bridge in Russia, built at the end of the 18th century according to the first standard design using ellipsoidal vaults. This the only one on the road network there is a three-span (3x8.6 m) bridge. In 1995, the bridge across officially became an object of cultural and historical heritage (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated February 20, 1995 N 176).
It seems to me that this particular bridge could become the tourist gate of the city. On the bank of the Vitochka River, with a view of the bridge and the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1786), there should be an information platform for tourists. Now it is located under the fence and wires of the trolleybus depot.
If the bridge was restored and the surrounding area between the bridge, river and temple was landscaped, it would create an excellent roadside recreation area.
Bridge condition
Now the bridge is in very poor condition. The walls of the intermediate supports are severely damaged and the destruction continues. During the construction of the new bridge, the two outer spans were closed, because of this, all the water passes only through the central span, actively destroying the intermediate supports. Defects in the masonry joints, which have been slowly developing over many decades, have led over the years to a situation that could lead to the collapse of the bridge. The supports are scary to look at.
In 2004, the federal agency of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation released a document, “Stone Bridges of Russia,” which described in detail the problems of the bridge and the actions necessary to preserve it.
A little history
In 1786, by order of Catherine II, a “commission on the construction of roads in the state” was created, which was engaged in the improvement of highways. Naturally, the main object of its activity was the highway between St. Petersburg and Moscow. It was crossed by many rivers and rivulets, over which wooden bridges were thrown, requiring constant repair.
It was decided to begin the construction of stone bridges according to standard designs, then they were called “exemplary”. Engineers have developed a whole series of “exemplary” bridge designs of one, two and three spans. Standard projects were simply “tied” to local conditions.
Hundreds of bridges were built according to standard designs. No country knew such a progressive construction method in the 18th century. But over time, most of the bridges were destroyed, especially during the Great Patriotic War. And then they didn’t think about their historical value. Roads expanded, design requirements changed, and bridges were simply dismantled. Our bridge is one of the last.
Related links
- Stone bridges of Russia. Federal Agency of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.