Obukhovsky Bridge, Stone bridge over Fontanka River in Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Obukhovsky Bridge is a bridge over the Fontanka River in central Saint Petersburg, carrying Moskovsky Prospekt across the water. The structure is made of reinforced concrete and faced entirely with granite slabs on its outer surface.
A wooden crossing was built here in 1717 and was replaced by a stone bridge between 1785 and 1786. The structure was fully rebuilt in 1938 with a new concrete base, replacing the earlier stonework.
The bridge appears in Nikolai Gogol's story 'The Overcoat', where the main character walks through this part of the city. Readers of Russian literature sometimes visit just to stand on the same crossing mentioned in the text.
The bridge is part of everyday vehicle and pedestrian traffic along Moskovsky Prospekt and is accessible at all times. Those walking along the Fontanka can easily include it in a broader walk through the city center.
During the 1938 rebuilding, engineers chose to cover the new concrete frame with the original granite stones taken from the previous structure. This means the bridge looks much the same as it did in the 18th century, even though its core is entirely modern.
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