Kirov bridge

Kirov Bridge in Vitebsk, connecting the two banks of the Western Dvina, is a favorite place for guests and residents of Vitebsk.

Once on this place was a wooden pile bridge, which annually destroyed icebreakers and floods. Therefore, in 1863, the construction of a new bridge under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel A.P. Fetting began nearby. This bridge, which, like the old pile, was called Dvinsky, was inaugurated on March 26, 1866. It was very beautiful – special charm it gave openwork metal arches and stone statues of bulls – and quickly became one of the main attractions of the city. Alas, during the Great Patriotic War, the Dvinsky Bridge was destroyed.

The Kirov Bridge, which the guests of Vitebsk admire today, was built after the war by the architects E. Zaslavsky and O. Ladygin, as well as engineers P. Isachenko and I. Gelfman. The bridge was opened in 1955 and was named after the Soviet statesman and politician S.M. Kirov.

In 2004-2005, a major reconstruction of the bridge was carried out: a new pavement was laid, sidewalks were expanded, and a stone was installed on the Millennium Square of Vitebsk from the support of the old Dvinsky Bridge with a memorial inscription.

Modern Kirov Bridge, whose length is 236 meters, has pedestrian sidewalks and a four-lane carriageway. On one side at the beginning of the bridge there are decorative columns, on the other side - stands. At night, the bridge is illuminated by stylized “old” lanterns.