Tripartite Bridge or Three-Arched Bridge is the name commonly applied by

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

ers to a pair of diminutive

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

s, similar in design and decoration and situated perpendicularly to each other in front of the

Church of the Savior on Blood The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, ''Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi'') is a Russian Orthodox church in Saint Petersburg, Russia which currently functions as a secular museum and church at the ...

. The ensemble consists of 15-meter-long Theatre Bridge across the

Griboyedov Canal The Griboyedov Canal or Kanal Griboyedova () is a canal in Saint Petersburg, constructed in 1739 along the existing ''Krivusha'' river. In 1764–90, the canal was deepened and the banks were reinforced and covered with granite. The Griboyedo ...

and 18-metre-long Malo-Konyushennyi Bridge across the

Moika River The Moyka (russian: Мо́йка /MOY-ka/, also latinised as Moika) is a secondary, in comparison with the Neva River in Saint Petersburg that encircles the central portion of the city, effectively making it an island or a group of islands ...

- both resting on a single Moika pier. Lipkin Bridge is also sometimes included in this group. The bridges were first constructed in wood during the reign of

Empress Anne Anna Ioannovna (russian: Анна Иоанновна; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicization of names, anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the duchy of Courland from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Emperor of Russia, ...

. A century later, architect Carlo Rossi conceived to unify the structures facing the

Mikhailovsky Palace The Mikhailovsky Palace (russian: Михайловский дворец, tr=Mikhailovskiy dvorets) is a grand ducal palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located on Arts Square and is an example of Empire style neoclassicism. The palace cu ...

into a uniform Neoclassical ensemble. His plans were realized between 1829 and 1831 when the bridges were rebuilt and decorated with identical lamp posts and ironwork fences featuring

palmette The palmette is a motif in decorative art which, in its most characteristic expression, resembles the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It has a far-reaching history, originating in ancient Egypt with a subsequent development through the art o ...

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

s, and

gorgon A Gorgon (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. W ...

s. Thanks to repairs undertaken in 1936, 1953 and 1999, the bridge remains in good condition, and is still open to road and foot traffic.

References

Tripartite Bridge on www.saint-petersburg.org
{{architecture-stub Bridges in Saint Petersburg Bridges completed in 1831 Carlo Rossi buildings and structures Three-way bridges Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg