Bank Bridge interesting facts. Winged lions of the Bank Bridge: history, signs and treasures. Myths and legends
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Bank pedestrian bridge, thrown across the Griboyedov Canal near the building of the St. Petersburg State University of Economics, connects the Kazan and Spassky islands.
The single-span beam bridge is 28 meters long and 3.1 meters wide.
The span structure consists of two box-shaped beams, welded from channels, united by longitudinal and transverse connections. The walkway is made of single planks laid on cross beam. The steel reinforcement beam on the facades is covered by a cornice made of boards. The role of pylons is performed by cast iron frames (frames), decorated with two sculptures of griffins about 2.4 m high. The frames are attached to wooden grillage, compressed at the top and bottom with massive cast iron plates, to which supporting chains made of round metal links are attached.
Forged iron railing.
History of the bridge
Bank Bridge is an outstanding monument of bridge-building architecture of the first quarter of the 19th century. One of the three surviving pedestrian chain bridges in St. Petersburg (along with the Lion and Pochtamtsky bridges). Named after the nearby Assignation Bank, the bridge was opened to pedestrian traffic on July 24 (August 5, n.s.) 1826, and over 9 thousand people walked across it that day. The bridge is designed to carry pedestrians and is one of six suspension bridges built in 1823-1826.
The first suspension bridge (now does not exist) was built according to the design of engineer P.P. Bazin in 1823 in the Ekateringof park, and the remaining 5 bridges (two transport bridges: Egyptian and Panteleimonovsky - now both rebuilt, 2 pedestrian bridges: Pochtamtsky and Lionsky - now both rebuilt, and Bankovsky, also pedestrian) were built according to the designs of engineer G. M. Tretter.
The design of pedestrian suspension bridges did not differ from similar systems adopted for transport bridges. Metal chains were also used as load-bearing and supporting elements for the decking. But unlike transport ones, where portal ramps served as supports, in pedestrian bridges such a role is played by metal frames embedded in the foundations.
The bridge became especially famous for the corner sculptures of winged lions (often mistakenly called griffins) by the sculptor P. P. Sokolov. Mythical winged lions, images of which were previously found only in furniture decoration and architectural details, were cast in huge sizes for the first time and decorated the street. The figures were cast from cast iron at the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry, the wings were minted from sheet copper and covered with gold leaf
The span on the Bank Bridge consists of 2 chains, suspensions and a wooden sheet. The role of pylons is performed by cast iron ramps (frames), bolted through the masonry to a wooden grillage, pressed at the top and bottom with massive cast iron plates, to which support chains are attached.
By the end of the 19th century, the gratings on the bridge were replaced with metal ones of a simple design, and the lanterns on the heads of the winged lions were destroyed.
In 1952, restoration work was carried out to return the bridge to its original appearance. The following were restored: the railing according to the design of engineer A.L. Rotacha, floor lamps with lanterns and the original lead paint of the cast iron, metal and wooden parts of the bridge was restored. In 1967, the gilding of the architectural details of the bridge was restored.
In 1976, wooden purlins were replaced with metal ones.
In 1988, the gilding was updated with gold leaf. decorative elements bridge.
In 1997, the cast-iron griffins were repaired, the railings were restored, and the electric lighting was repaired.
On January 13, 2017, work began on the restoration of the griffins of the Bank Bridge. They plan to return the griffins to the appearance they had before the restoration of the 1950s. They will not be green, but dark, the color of patinated bronze. In the future, there will be reconstruction of the bridge span. The project also includes repairs to the railings and decor of the crossing. In the summer of 2018, Glavgosexpertiza agreed on the cost of the project.
Additional information
The Bank Bridge is under the protection of the Committee for State Control, Use and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of St. Petersburg.
Bank Bridge is an outstanding architectural monument of the first half of the 19th century century, created in the wonderful collaboration of the German engineer Wilhelm Tretter and Pavel Sokolov, a recognized Russian master of decorative classical sculpture.
Let us remind you that the Bank Bridge is not the only collaboration two remarkable professionals: at the same time as this bridge, a similar one was built in many ways (the designs of both bridges were approved on the same day - February 18, 1825, and their opening took place in the summer of 1826). But let's return to our description.
A small pedestrian bridge (according to St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution “Mostotrest” - total length 28 meters, width - 3.1 meters), the narrowest in the Northern capital (the passage between the fences is only 1.8 meters) - one of the few surviving chain bridges . The bridge was built in 1826 at the entrance to the Assignation Bank and was named Bankovsky.
What made it famous was a sculptural group consisting of four winged lions. Mysterious and fantastic, giving everything surrounding area special charm, it is sung in the poems of the Leningrad poet D. Bobyshev:
"...Above the moat
winged lion sitting with winged lion
and looks at the winged lions opposite:
in their motionless angry turn,
perhaps even loving hatred,
he sees himself repeated.”
It is no coincidence that the bridge, located at the entrance to the largest bank, was decorated with figures of lions with gilded wings. IN ancient mythology the image of a winged lion (griffin) symbolizes a formidable guardian of treasures, and treasures in modern understanding easily associated with a bank. Only today, instead of a bank, the building is occupied by the University of Economics, and the allegory is no longer so appropriate.
The second association - with Venice - is more romantic. It is not so obvious on the surface, but remains relevant today.
Due to the abundance of canals, rivers and bridges, St. Petersburg is sometimes called the Russian Venice. Anyone who has visited the legendary city on the Adriatic at least once will remember, of course, its heraldic symbol - the winged lion, whose image adorns the coat of arms of Venice, and numerous statues are scattered throughout the streets, squares and palace facades. It turns out that mythical creatures on the Bank Bridge, which have become one of the symbols of St. Petersburg, make the cities even more related, between which there are twelve hundred years and two and a half thousand kilometers...
In addition to their decorative function, the heavy, cast iron giants, 2.4 meters high, on cast iron pedestals filled with stone, simultaneously serve as a counterweight to the chains holding the span. The chains are attached to cast iron frames hidden under the figures and come out of the lion's mouth. It seems that the griffins are holding the bridge with their teeth.
The design of the bridge is complemented by an amazing lattice with a fan-shaped pattern and beautifully curved lines imitating palm leaves. It was lost during restoration work in late XIX century, together with lamps, which, according to the architect's plan, were attached to the lion heads like sconces. The decoration of the bridge was restored in 1952, but underwent some changes. Thus, the initially black color of the figures became dark green, and the shape of the lanterns changed.
pedestrian
suspension bridge
Bankovsky Bridge- a pedestrian bridge over the Griboyedov Canal in the Central District of St. Petersburg, connects the Kazan and Spassky islands. An outstanding monument of bridge-building architecture of the first quarter of the 19th century. One of the three surviving pedestrian chain bridges in St. Petersburg (along with the Lion and Pochtamtsky bridges).
Location
Located between houses No. 27 and 30 on the embankment. Griboyedov Canal.
The axis of the bridge is oriented opposite the center of the gate of the State Assignation Bank - at the place where the canal, changing its direction, makes a turn. Near the bridge is the Kazan Cathedral.
The nearest metro station (410 m) is Nevsky Prospekt-2, exit to the Griboyedov Canal.
Name
The bridge was named after the Assignation Bank located nearby (now the building houses the St. Petersburg State University of Economics).
Story
The need to build the bridge was caused by population growth in the area adjacent to the Catherine Canal.
The bridge project was developed by engineer G. M. Tretter and V. A. Khristianovich. Simultaneously with Bankovsky, a project was drawn up for the second chain pedestrian bridge across the canal - the Lion Bridge. On February 18, 1825, both projects were approved, and construction of the bridge began in the summer of the same year. The work was expected to be completed by October of the same year, but due to delays in the production of metal parts of the bridge, assembly of the bridge began in the spring of 1826. For the construction of bridge supports, the backfill of the embankment was dismantled (without dismantling the granite cladding). The production of cast iron and metal parts, as well as the assembly of elements on the construction site, was carried out by the Berda plant. On July 24, 1826, the bridge was opened to traffic.
The bridge became especially famous for the corner sculptures of winged lions (often mistakenly called griffins) by the sculptor P. P. Sokolov. Mythical winged lions, images of which were previously found only in furniture decoration and architectural details, were cast in huge sizes for the first time and decorated the street. Work on the creation of models from May to September 1825, the sculptor also made alabaster forms.
The sculpture was supposed to be minted from copper sheets, but then the figures were cast from cast iron at the Alexander Iron Foundry, the wings were minted from sheet copper and covered with gold leaf.
During the operation of the bridge, the cast iron railings were replaced by forged iron railings of a very primitive design, the lanterns above the heads of the lions were broken.
Art casting railing consists of semicircular sections with radially arranged rods connected curly inserts. The design of the fence resembles the railings of the Demidov Bridge.
The width of the bridge between the railings is 1.85 m, the length of the bridge is 20.1 (25.2) m, the distance between the axes of the chains is 2.24 m.
Bridge in art
- The sculptures of the Bank Bridge are mentioned in a poem by Dmitry Bobyshev dedicated to Evgeniy Rein.
- IN feature film"Magic Power", in the final episode of the third novella " Magic power art", Arkady Raikin, and then the marching girls, pass through the Bank Bridge.
- The drawing of the winged lion of the Bank Bridge is part of the logo of the Krupskaya factory.
Gallery
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Winged lions of Bankovsky Bridge
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View of the bridge from the water
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General form bridge
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Suspended structures bridge
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Notes
Literature
- Bunin M. S. Bridges of Leningrad. Essays on the history and architecture of bridges in St. Petersburg - Petrograd - Leningrad. - L.: Stroyizdat, 1986. - 280 p.
- Gorbachevich K. S., Khablo E. P. Why are they named like that? On the origin of the names of streets, squares, islands, rivers and bridges in Leningrad. - St. Petersburg. : Norint, 1996. - 359 p. - ISBN 5-7711-0002-1.
- Novikov Yu. V. Bridges and embankments of Leningrad / Comp. P. P. Stepnov. - L.: Lenizdat, 1991. - 320 p.
- Tumilovich E. V., Altunin S. E. Bridges and embankments of Leningrad. Album. - M.: Ministry Publishing House Municipal Services RSFSR, 1963. - 298 p.
- Kochedamov V. I.. - L.: Art, 1958. - 60 p.
- Punin A. L. The story of Leningrad bridges. - L.: Lenizdat, 1971. - 192 p.
- Gorbachevich K. S., Khablo E. P. Why are they named like that? On the origin of the names of streets, squares, islands, rivers and bridges in Leningrad. - 3rd ed., rev. and additional - L.: Lenizdat, 1985. - P. 40. - 511 p.
- City names today and yesterday: St. Petersburg toponymy / comp. S. V. Alekseeva, A. G. Vladimirovich, A. D. Erofeev and others - 2nd ed., revised. and additional - St. Petersburg. : Lik, 1997. - P. 24. - 288 p. - (Three centuries of Northern Palmyra). - ISBN 5-86038-023-2.
- Kochedamov V.I.// Architectural heritage. - L., 1959. - No. 9. - pp. 209-220.
Links
An excerpt characterizing the Bank Bridge
In the movement of the Russian army from Tarutino to Krasnoye, fifty thousand were left sick and backward, that is, a number equal to the population of a large provincial city. Half the people dropped out of the army without fighting.And about this period of the campaign, when troops without boots and fur coats, with incomplete provisions, without vodka, spend the night for months in the snow and at fifteen degrees below zero; when there are only seven and eight hours of the day, and the rest is night, during which there can be no influence of discipline; when, not like in a battle, for a few hours only people are introduced into the realm of death, where there is no longer discipline, but when people live for months, every minute struggling with death from hunger and cold; when half the army dies in a month - historians tell us about this and that period of the campaign, how Miloradovich was supposed to make a flank march this way, and Tormasov there that way, and how Chichagov was supposed to move there that way (move above his knees in the snow), and how he knocked over and cut off, etc., etc.
The Russians, half dying, did everything that could be done and should have been done to achieve a goal worthy of the people, and are not to blame for the fact that other Russian people who were sitting in warm rooms, assumed to do what was impossible.
All this strange, now incomprehensible contradiction of fact with the description of history occurs only because the historians who wrote about this event wrote the history of the wonderful feelings and words of various generals, and not the history of events.
For them, the words of Miloradovich, the awards that this and that general received, and their assumptions seem very interesting; and the question of those fifty thousand who remained in hospitals and graves does not even interest them, because it is not subject to their study.
Meanwhile, one has only to turn away from studying the reports and master plans, but delve into the movement of those hundreds of thousands of people who took direct, direct participation in the event, and all the questions that previously seemed insoluble suddenly with extraordinary ease and simplicity receive an undoubted solution.
The goal of cutting off Napoleon and his army never existed except in the imagination of a dozen people. It could not exist because it was meaningless and achieving it was impossible.
The people had one goal: to cleanse their land from invasion. This goal was achieved, firstly, by itself, since the French fled, and therefore it was only necessary not to stop this movement. Secondly, this goal was achieved by actions people's war, which destroyed the French, and, thirdly, the fact that a large Russian army followed the French, ready to use force if the French movement was stopped.
The Russian army had to act like a whip on a running animal. And an experienced driver knew that it was most beneficial to hold the whip raised, threatening it, and not to whip a running animal on the head.
When a person sees a dying animal, horror seizes him: what he himself is, his essence, is obviously destroyed in his eyes - ceases to exist. But when the dying person is a person, and the loved one is felt, then, in addition to the horror of the destruction of life, one feels a gap and a spiritual wound, which, just like a physical wound, sometimes kills, sometimes heals, but always hurts and is afraid of an external irritating touch.
After the death of Prince Andrei, Natasha and Princess Marya felt this equally. They, bent morally and closing their eyes from the menacing cloud of death hanging over them, did not dare to look life in the face. They carefully protected their open wounds from offensive, painful touches. Everything: a carriage driving quickly down the street, a reminder about lunch, a girl’s question about a dress that needs to be prepared; even worse, the word of insincere, weak sympathy painfully irritated the wound, seemed like an insult and violated that necessary silence in which they both tried to listen to the terrible, strict chorus that had not yet ceased in their imagination, and prevented them from peering into those mysterious endless distances that opened for a moment In front of them.
Just the two of them, it wasn't offensive or painful. They spoke little to each other. If they talked, it was about the most insignificant subjects. Both of them equally avoided mentioning anything related to the future.
To admit the possibility of a future seemed to them an insult to his memory. They were even more careful to avoid in their conversations everything that could be related to the deceased. It seemed to them that what they experienced and felt could not be expressed in words. It seemed to them that any mention in words of the details of his life violated the greatness and sacredness of the sacrament that had taken place in their eyes.
Incessant abstentions of speech, constant diligent avoidance of everything that could lead to a word about him: these stops with different sides on the border of what could not be said, what they felt was brought before their imagination even more purely and clearly.
But pure, complete sadness is just as impossible as pure and complete joy. Princess Marya, in her position as one independent mistress of her destiny, guardian and educator of her nephew, was the first to be called to life from the world of sadness in which she lived for the first two weeks. She received letters from relatives that had to be answered; the room in which Nikolenka was placed was damp, and he began to cough. Alpatych came to Yaroslavl with reports on affairs and with proposals and advice to move to Moscow to the Vzdvizhensky house, which remained intact and required only minor repairs. Life did not stop, and we had to live. No matter how hard it was for Princess Marya to leave the world of solitary contemplation in which she had lived until now, no matter how pitiful and as if ashamed she was to leave Natasha alone, the worries of life demanded her participation, and she involuntarily surrendered to them. She checked accounts with Alpatych, consulted with Desalles about her nephew, and made orders and preparations for her move to Moscow.
Natasha remained alone and since Princess Marya began making preparations for her departure, she avoided her too.
Princess Marya invited the Countess to let Natasha go with her to Moscow, and the mother and father joyfully agreed to this proposal, noticing every day the decline in their daughter’s physical strength and believing that both a change of place and the help of Moscow doctors would be useful for her.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Natasha answered when this proposal was made to her, “just please leave me,” she said and ran out of the room, barely holding back tears not so much of grief as of frustration and anger.
After she felt abandoned by Princess Marya and alone in her grief, Natasha most of the time, alone in her room, sat with her feet in the corner of the sofa, and, tearing or kneading something with her thin, tense fingers, looked with a persistent, motionless gaze to what the eyes rested on. This solitude exhausted and tormented her; but it was necessary for her. As soon as someone came in to see her, she quickly stood up, changed her position and expression, and took up a book or sewing, obviously impatiently awaiting the departure of the one who had disturbed her.
It seemed to her that she would now understand, would penetrate, what her soulful gaze was directed at with a terrible question beyond her power.
At the end of December, in a black woolen dress, with a braid carelessly tied in a bun, thin and pale, Natasha sat with her legs in the corner of the sofa, tensely crumpling and unraveling the ends of her belt, and looked at the corner of the door.
She looked where he had gone, to the other side of life. And that side of life, which she had never thought about before, which had previously seemed so distant and incredible to her, was now closer and dearer to her, more understandable than this side of life, in which everything was either emptiness and destruction, or suffering and insult.
She looked to where she knew he was; but she could not see him otherwise than as he was here. She saw him again the same as he was in Mytishchi, at Trinity, in Yaroslavl.
She saw his face, heard his voice and repeated his words and her words spoken to him, and sometimes she came up with new words for herself and for him that could then be said.
Here he lies on an armchair in his velvet fur coat, resting his head on his thin, pale hand. His chest is terribly low and his shoulders are raised. The lips are firmly compressed, the eyes shine, and a wrinkle jumps up and disappears on the pale forehead. One of his legs is trembling almost noticeably quickly. Natasha knows that he is struggling with excruciating pain. “What is this pain? Why pain? How does he feel? How it hurts!” - Natasha thinks. He noticed her attention, raised his eyes and, without smiling, began to speak.
“One terrible thing,” he said, “is to associate yourself forever with a suffering person. This is eternal torment." And he looked at her with a searching look—Natasha now saw this look. Natasha, as always, answered then before she had time to think about what she was answering; she said: “This cannot go on like this, this will not happen, you will be healthy - completely.”
She now saw him first and now experienced everything that she felt then. She remembered his long, sad, stern look at these words and understood the meaning of the reproach and despair of this long look.
“I agreed,” Natasha was now telling herself, “that it would be terrible if he remained always suffering. I said it that way then only because it would be terrible for him, but he understood it differently. He thought it would be terrible for me. He still wanted to live then - he was afraid of death. And I told him so rudely and stupidly. I didn't think that. I thought something completely different. If I had said what I thought, I would have said: even if he were dying, dying all the time before my eyes, I would be happy compared to what I am now. Now... Nothing, no one. Did he know this? No. Didn't know and never will. And now it will never, never be possible to correct this.” And again he told her the same words, but now in her imagination Natasha answered him differently. She stopped him and said: “Terrible for you, but not for me. You know that I have nothing in life without you, and suffering with you is the best happiness for me.” And he took her hand and pressed it as he had pressed it on that terrible evening, four days before his death. And in her imagination she told him other tender, loving speeches that she could have said then, which she said now. “I love you... you... I love you, I love you...” she said, convulsively squeezing her hands, gritting her teeth with fierce effort.
St. Petersburg has many epithets associated with its natural and city-forming features. One of them is the name Venice of the North. And there is more than one confirmation of this. For example, the fact that a huge number of bridges are thrown across its numerous rivers and canals: different in design features and unique in design. One of them is the bridge over the Griboyedov Canal with unique images of griffins as functional and decorative elements.
History of the Bank Bridge
In St. Petersburg, this pedestrian bridge was thrown over the Griboyedov Canal in 1826. The authorship of the project belongs to engineers V. Tretter and V. Khristianovich. And the decision to build a bridge in the chosen location is connected with the need to ensure a crossing across the canal to the entrance to the Assignation Bank, which was previously located in an ancient building on the canal embankment, where the Bank Bridge is now located - at the address: Griboyedov Canal Embankment, 27-30 . In addition, the bridge connects two central islands - Kazansky and Spassky, combining two sections of the historical center of the city into a single territory.
It was planned to complete the construction in the year of foundation - 1825, but the process was delayed due to the untimely casting of cast iron structures for the structure at the Charles Bird plant.
Gradually, the Bank Bridge in St. Petersburg deteriorated, and parts of it were replaced with cheaper ones that violated the historical compliance with the project. Therefore, in 1949, during restoration work, it was decided to return the Bank Bridge to its original appearance. Restoration work at this stage was completed by 1997. But due to an act of vandalism in 2009, when the gilding was scraped off the wings of the newly restored griffins, the damaged elements of the bridge had to be restored again. And in 2015, it was decided to replace it on the Bank Bridge wooden flooring.
Myths and legends
According to one of the griffin figures, they can bring financial well-being if certain ritual actions are performed: you need to put a coin on the paw of one of the griffins, rub the paw and kiss the place above the tail. Sometimes they say that it is enough to simply walk across the bridge holding banknotes in your hands. Or shake small coins, more of which should be poured into your pocket, so that the sound is as loud as possible.
According to another, student legend, which originated among students of St. Petersburg state academy economy and finance, near which the bridge is located, griffins, being guardians of knowledge, can help them during the session.
There is also a legend that does not concern financial well-being. It is associated with the fulfillment of a cherished desire, for which you simply need to rub the griffin’s thigh, located on the side of the Kazan Cathedral.
Features of the design solution
The Bank Bridge over the Griboyedov Canal in St. Petersburg is one of the unique historical bridges of the suspension type. The bridge is held in place by chains running along the entire length of the bridge and through the mouths of griffins, attached to massive cast iron plates, lying on the shore near the exit from the bridge.
The bridge has one span. The structure is supported by special pylons in the form of cast iron frame frames. The main platform of the bridge is limited on both sides by a unique cast-iron fence.
Decorative decoration: unique fence
The cast-iron fence of the bank bridge consists of links-sections of rods arranged in a fan-shape and completed with semicircular arcs, which resembles a half-flower like a daisy. Between the sections, connecting them into a single whole, are fixed cast iron structures made up of 6 curls, similar to currencies. The upper frame of the bridge fence consists of parallel beams connected by evenly spaced cast iron rings. Some argue that the elements are more reminiscent of unfolded fans and palm leaves. Some elements of the fence, like the wings of the sculptures decorating the bridge, were covered. By the end of the 19th century, most of the details had lost their gilding, which was constantly scraped off by local residents for easy money. The grille was dismantled for restoration, but disappeared. And only by the middle of the next century it was restored by the architect Rotach according to surviving sketches.
The mythological miracle of the fairy bridge
But the real miracle of the bridge is the sculptural images of griffins. Since the bridge was built near the Assignation Bank building, such an artistic decision does not look strange, because griffins are mythological creatures Greek origin with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle - are considered good guards and a symbol of wealth, as well as the unity of strength and reason. In addition, these were creatures that obeyed god sunlight Apollo and the goddess of retribution Nemesis. And they even carried teams of them. In addition, the wheel of fate was turned. And in Ancient Egypt they were associated with the power of the pharaoh defeating his enemies.
Made at the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry according to Sokolov’s design, the griffins on Bankovsky Bridge received bright shining wings covered with gray cast iron color. thin layer gold leaf And it was precisely because of this that in the future they often suffered at the hands of seekers of wealth. Even now, the griffins have been sent back for restoration, but this year, 2018, they are expected to return to their pedestals.
In addition, the figures of griffins were decorated with wonderful lanterns attached to their foreheads. The lanterns had a round shade of milky-white glass with a gilded top, reminiscent of the sepals of a berry and an arched tripod-“peduncle”.
Near Bankovsky Bridge
The historical environment of the Bank Bridge is rich and amazing. First of all, of course, this is the building of the Assignation Bank, established back in 1768 and located in the building on Sadovaya Street, erected according to the design of the Italian architect Also - the building of the Kazan Cathedral - a monument Patriotic War 1812, erected in early XIX century by Andrey Voronikhin.
In addition, this territory was one of the most important trading places in the city - the Bolshoy Gostiny, Apraksin and Shchukin courtyards were nearby. And a little further - on Nevsky Prospekt - famous building Singer company and Engelhardt mansion. In the distance, along the embankment, you can see the domes of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
In 1825, a suspension bridge was built at the entrance to the Assignation Bank across the Catherine Canal. The authors of his project were engineers V.K. Tretter and V.A. Khristianovich. Construction work was headed by foreman I. Kostin. The Byrd plant was engaged in the production of cast iron and metal parts and their assembly. Based on the nearby bank, the bridge began to be called Bankovsky. Traffic on the new crossing was opened on July 24.
Bankovsky Bridge is one of three suspension bridges that have survived to this day in St. Petersburg. It became famous far beyond the city for its architectural design. The chains holding the bridge are fixed inside four griffins placed at the corners of the crossing. They became one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. Cast figures of mythical animals were made by sculptor Pyotr Pavlovich Sokolov. The wings of the griffins are made of copper and gilded. According to ancient greek mythology Griffins were reliable guardians of treasures. That is why they were chosen as decorative design bridge near the bank building.
For a long time, simple railings served as the parapet of the Bank Bridge. They replaced the artistic fence that was lost at the end of the 19th century. In 1952, according to the design of A.L. Rotach and G.F. Perlina, this fence was restored along with the lanterns above the heads of the griffins. It was restored in 1994 wood covering bridge decks.
The poet V. Rozhdestvensky dedicated the following lines to the Bank Bridge:
Griffins of the Bank Bridge
At the semicircle of the wall
Arise with the vision of Ariosto
And they see dark dreams.
Dressed in snow sheepskin coats,
In the glow of gilded wings
They are hefty cereals.
Inscribed in the lace of the railing.
And above the silence of the channel
In the prickly frost of fences,
Where winter bewitched them,
They look with dead eyes.
Dmitry Bobyshev, 1964:
Winged lion sitting with winged lion
and looks at the winged lions sitting
in the exact same position on the other
the end of the bridge and those looking at it
with the same eyes.
Lion's post.
Any one of them is different, not a bridge
holds the third creature,
and I’m already two-thirds ready,
and maybe now at the edge of the ditch
he is a dying brotherhood
will leave.
But in pairs from the mouth
tension rod iron
each of them has a chain thread
the links are so tight,
that seems impossible to unravel
cemented memory and oblivion,
impulse and stillness,
up and down,
without tearing the cast iron body
opponents.
Only gentle litter
there is some nonsense floating through the air.
And this gateway dregs,
unable to muddy the original,
wanting to dive below the surface,
twitches channel mirror
an unclean reflection.
Above the moat
winged lion sitting with winged lion
and looks at the winged lions opposite:
in their motionless angry turn,
perhaps even loving hatred,
he sees himself repeated.
In 2008, the restoration of the griffin figures took place. During the restoration work A treasure was discovered in the hollow sculptures - a huge number of coins that tourists left behind for good luck. Notes with requests were also found among the money. For city residents, the griffins of the Bank Bridge have become not only an architectural decoration, but also a symbol of good luck.