One of the numerous sights of the capital, of course, is the Crimean bridge, connecting the two arcs of the Garden Ring into a single transport communication. It is interesting both for its architectural design and for the many historical circumstances associated with it. Let's take a closer look at this important object of the capital's transport infrastructure.
From history
The Moskva River in this place had a shallow depth, which made it possible to ford it. The Crimean ford was named after the representative office of the Crimean Khanate in Moscow located here. This place was the starting point of trade routes connecting the capital of the Russian state with the southern territories. The current Crimean bridge is already the fourth in a row. The first bridge over the Moscow River appeared here at the end of the eighteenth century. It was wooden, and therefore short-lived. In 1870, it was replaced by a metal bridge structure, which was destined to stand here for more than half a century. The bridge was repeatedly rebuilt, but by the beginning of the thirties it became clear that it was simply impossible to modernize it in accordance with the requirements of the traffic of the twentieth century.
Important element of the planreconstruction of Moscow
Of course, in the first half of the twentieth century, it was not only the Crimean bridge that demanded radical restructuring. Moscow could not continue to live and develop with the transport infrastructure that was formed almost in the Middle Ages. It was to bring the capital in line with the requirements of modernity that the so-called "Stalin's plan for the reconstruction of Moscow" was dedicated. The new Crimean bridge, located almost in the center of the city, was one of the key facilities that ensured the organization of a new rational traffic pattern. It provided for the creation of a network of main transport routes, providing unhindered communication between the central part of the capital and its peripheral areas. To implement this project, many quarters of the historical center of Moscow had to be demolished and replanned.
Architectural features of the new Crimean bridge
The main requirement for the bridge facility on the Garden Ring is to ensure the throughput of significant traffic flows in both directions. In addition, the bridge in the center of the Soviet capital had to correspond to the status of the place in terms of architectural expressiveness. The new Crimean bridge, which came into operation on May 1, 1938, fully satisfied this entire set of requirements. In its engineering solution, this bridge object was in many ways unique for its time. According to the type of its design, it is a suspension three-span bridge with a total length of 688 meters. It provides both the passage of ships under the mainspan, and traffic under the side spans on the embankment sections on both banks. The bearing basis of the structure is two separate support pylons 28 meters high. A complex suspension system, consisting of chain and cable metal structures, gives the bridge a special visual expressiveness. By its style, the Crimean bridge is one of the most striking works of constructivism. This architectural direction was one of the dominant not only in the Soviet Union in the pre-war period, but also in many European countries.
Reconstruction of the bridge
General problems typical for traffic in Moscow at the beginning of the third millennium, did not pass by the Crimean bridge. The bridge object was not designed for such an intensity of car traffic. All of its structures have been operated in the maximum load mode for several decades. These circumstances led to the general reconstruction of the Crimean bridge, which was carried out over several months in 2001. During this period, the pavement of the carriageway and sidewalks was replaced, waterproofing was replaced, a number of load-bearing and auxiliary metal structures were cleaned and replaced. Also, a scope of work was carried out to replace and restore the granite cladding of stairs and architectural elements on the approaches to the bridge. The reconstruction works were completed in a short time.
Crimean bridge. Pier in the city center
In the tourist infrastructure of the capital, this placeknown as the starting point of water routes along the Moscow River. Pleasure boats depart from here in both directions. Recently, this type of recreation has become increasingly popular. In addition to walks and excursions, corporate entertainment events, weddings and anniversaries are often held on the open decks of motor ships. The starting point for such trips is ideally suited for its location in the city center, convenient access and parking. Finding it is easy - the Krymsky Bridge pier, address: Frunzenskaya Embankment.
