Zverev Bridge
Encyclopedia
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
that spans Vodootvodny Canal
Vodootvodny Canal
Vodootvodny Canal is a 4 kilometre long, 30-60 metre wide canal in downtown Moscow, Russia. It was built in 1780s on the old riverbed of Moskva River to control floods and support shipping. Canal construction created an island between Moskva river and the canal. The island acquired its present...
in Zamoskvorechye
Zamoskvorechye
Zamoskvorechye District is a district of Central Administrative Okrug in Moscow, Russia. Population: The district contains the eastern half of historical Zamoskvorechye area , and the territories of Zatsepa Street and Paveletsky Rail Terminal south of the Garden Ring...
district of downtown Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It was built in 1930 by N.Ya.Kalmykov (structural engineering
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
) and I.A.Frantsuz (architectural design).
History and specifications
The oldest pedestrian bridge in Moscow, it connects Sadovnichesky (formerly Zverev) lane with Bolshoy Tatarsky Lane. The name Zverev belonged to a local merchant family; in soviet time, it was deemed improper for a lane, but quite acceptable for a small bridge in a working-class neighborhood. Today, both sides of Vodootvodny Canal are a mix of expensive residential and office space, but in 1930 the Canal was flanked by industrial properties - textile mills in SadovnikiSadovnicheskaya Street
Sadovnicheskaya street is a street in the historical Zamoskvorechye District of Moscow, Russia, on a narrow island between Moskva River and the parallel old river bed . The street runs from Balchug Street south-east to the Garden Ring.-History:Historical neighborhood of Sadovniki Sadovnicheskaya...
and Red Hills, boiler and turbine plants on the other bank.
Main arch was made of in situ concrete, covered with jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
mats for moisture protection and paved with ordinary asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
. The unusually slim arch, traditionally painted white, is 32.675 meters long and 3.0 meters wide. In the middle, it is only 40 centimeters thick (55 centimeters including asphalt layer). Total length, including shoreside stairs, is 42.675 meters.
Shallow but warm water in the Canal around this bridge attracts scores of mallard ducks
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
in winter; in summer, it is abundant with small fish and yellow water lilies.