Picturesque Bridge
Zhivopisny Bridge is a bright decoration of the Russian capital and one of the most conceptually remarkable engineering structures in the world. The bridge is located at the junction of the Moskva River and two man-made water straightenings, standing out against the cityscape with a perfect scarlet parabola growing out of the reinforced concrete bases on the banks. 72 steel cables embedded in the openwork arch hold the 8-lane Zhivopisny Bridge at a height of 30 meters above the water surface. The length of the bridge crossing connecting the Khoroshyovo-Mnyovniki district with Krylatskoe and Troitse-Lykov is 1,470 meters.
Video: Zhivopisny Bridge
ContentsHighlights
Another feature of the Zhivopisnoye Bridge is its non-trivial location above the river. The canvas of the crossing stretched not in the shortest way from bank to bank, but at an acute angle to the riverbed. It connected the previously existing highways and became a part of Krasnopresnensky Avenue. In some sections, the roadbed ran almost parallel to the banks of the river, which ensured unimpeded passage of ships.
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Muscovites call this unusual construction a bridge with a flying saucer. Indeed, the glass thousand-ton “lentil” located under the top of the arch-support resembles a UFO, and it is not mysterious. The huge spectacular capsule has not yet become a restaurant, a TV studio, a registry office or a working observation deck, but the citizens sincerely believe that at least one of the projects will come true.
.History of the Zhivopisnoye Bridge
If there were no difficulties with the design of the tunnel, the concept of the bridge required an extraordinary architectural approach, because it should not affect natural monuments and impede navigation. The optimal solution was proposed by architect Nikolai Shumakov, who developed a design combining elements of cable-stayed and arch bridge.
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Cable-stayed bridges – twisted cables connecting pylons to the roadbed – are not a new invention at all. Today the cables are made of steel, and before its industrial production, forged chains were used. Drawings of such a bridge, created in the XVI century by the Venetian scientist of Croatian origin Faust Vrancic, have been preserved. At the beginning of the XIX century, similar structures, already on cables, began to appear in Britain and abroad. After a number of collapses cable-stayed bridges earned the reputation of unstable and dangerous, but talented engineers managed to quickly restore their good name. The history of cable-stayed bridge building includes the Niagara River Bridge (1885) – the world’s first suspension bridge with a railroad bed, the Albert Bridge in London (1872), the Brooklyn Bridge in New York (1883).
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The scenic bridge became the most notable project of Nikolai Shumakov, a talented and titled architect, creator of the designs for more than 30 stations of the capital’s subway system, the futuristic Terminal A at Vnukovo Airport, and other global works. The cable-stayed bridge across the Moskva River brought the master international fame. In 2017, Nikolai Shumakov was awarded the Auguste Perret Prize at a ceremony in Seoul. This award is given to the greatest architects of our time who have reached previously unimaginable heights in the field of reinforced concrete construction and introduced innovative technologies in architecture. Shumakov was the first domestic architect to win the prestigious international award.
.Bridge design
The design of the Zhivopisny Bridge is impressive both technically and aesthetically. It quite corresponds to its name, although it received it not for its external appearance, but by the name of the nearby street. The elegant parabolic reinforced concrete arch that unites the banks of the Moskva River is the most striking element of the structure. It looks spectacular from all angles: both when leaving the tunnel and from both river banks. The slender structure is painted in an unusual color, which, depending on the lighting, gets red, scarlet or coral shade. The high-strength cables that hold the roadway are embedded in the arch and are wrapped in red plastic tubes that fan out. They were custom-made in France.
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The capsule, very attractive in its appearance and location, was considered a landmark by the capital’s authorities from the beginning. It was planned to open a restaurant with panoramic views of the Moskva River and an observation deck. There were proposals to place here a TV studio and even a registry office between heaven and earth. But the implementation of all projects every time was hindered by the problem of complexity of installation of full-fledged engineering communications (water supply, sewerage) and fire safety. In addition, “Rostechnadzor” expressed doubts about the reliability of the already installed elevators.
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Further prospects for the capsule’s use are very vague. There are rumors that it may even be dismantled. It is known that the interiors, designed as a restaurant, dismantled, and the premises were fully decorated for the registry office. Actually, here almost everything is ready for marriage ceremonies under the sky. At the base of the bridge is another glass building, the shape of which is similar to the outlines of the capsule. According to the idea, it was supposed to house the second part of the registry office – rooms for waiting for the happy moment. The whole entourage already created says that the idea was good. Everything here is made of glass: walls, registration desks, doors, elegant staircase. The interiors are decorated in red and white colors.
.The ground building also houses the dispatch center for the management of the Zhivopisnoye Bridge infrastructure. From this location, through special exits, you can go to a platform with elevators that ascend to the suspended capsule in an arc. So far, the only inhabitants of the “lentil” and ground structure are the security staff. They have to call the police almost every day, as the arched structure attracts constant interest from roofers and just curious citizens who insistently want to know what is going on here. Some try to climb the arch to take selfies.
.How to get there
The capital’s cable-stayed bridge, which is a section of the long Krasnopresnensky Avenue, is located on Marshal Zhukov Avenue, next door to Zhivopisnaya Street. It is most convenient to get to it from metro stations “Polezhaevskaya”, “Beregovaya”, “Belorusskaya”. Then you need to get to the ground transportation stop “Serebryany Bor”. From “Polezhaevskaya” there goes trolleybus № 21, from “Beregovaya” and “Belorusskaya” – trolleybuses and minibuses, following the routes № 20, 35, 86.
.Another option is to get to the metro station “Oktyabrskoe Pole”, go up from the subway to Narodnoe Oplolchenie Street and walk 200 m to the public transport stop “Metro Oktyabrskoe Pole”. Here you need to take bus number 253 or 253k and then get off at the stop “Prospekt Marshal Zhukov”. From there to Zhivopisnoye Bridge is not difficult to walk.
.It is possible to get to the desired place from the metro station “Khoroshyovo”. From the ground public transport stop with the same name, you should go to the Khoroshyovsky Bridge, and from there walk to the Zhivopisnogo Bridge. The distance is approximately 800 meters. Between the metro and the Khoroshyovsky Bridge there are buses #390, T86 and trolleybuses #20, 20k, 21, 65.
.If you are going to the bridge by car from the Moscow Ring Road, you will need to take the Leningradskoye highway. After 9 km you should turn onto Alabyana Street, at the 4th km turn off onto People’s Militia Street, and from it turn right – onto Marshal Zhukov Avenue. It will take about one and a half kilometers to the Zhivopisnoye Bridge.
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