The Bridge of Lovers is the unofficial name of the Park Bridge, which connected the current Mariinsky and Kreshchaty parks. The bridge was designed by the famous mechanical scientist and engineer Yevgeny Paton and opened in December 1910. Previously, on the site of the Park Bridge there was a hollow with a natural earthen partition on which the metal structure of the bridge was subsequently laid, after which all the earth from under the future bridge was removed and taken away.
As a result of these simple manipulations, Petrovskaya Alley was formed, which connected the city center with Parkovaya Road and Embankment Highway. The park bridge immediately became very popular among the people of Kiev, as it connected the 2 most visited parks in the city, which remained so until the early 1980s. In the 1970s, it was created and began to develop as a Hydropark recreation area and for this reason many citizens began to relax and walk there.
In 1983, the bridge was replaced with a completely new design, and only the foundation was left of the old one, which has not lost its strength since 1910. The reconstruction of the bridge of lovers was completed in less than a month, and, apparently, that is why most Kyivans do not even suspect that this is no longer the original bridge designed by Paton. Although, it is quite possible to assume that the inhabitants of the city did not even suspect that this bridge was designed by this great engineer.
That’s interesting!
1. The padlock, which the lovers hang on the fence of the bridge, symbolically embodies their feelings for each other and acts as a guarantee of their fidelity.
2. In Florence, where up to 400 kilograms of iron were removed from one bridge a year in the form of locks, the mayor of the city even imposed a fine for hanging “locks of love”.
3. The Old Park Bridge has been preserved in the museum complex of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky.
Why did the Park Bridge get a second name – “the bridge of lovers”? There is no exact data on this, but most likely due to the fact that it offers a beautiful view both on the left side – on the center of Kiev, and on the right side – on the left-bank part of the city. The Bridge of Lovers is a symbolic and informal name for bridges, which, according to a tradition that has developed in some countries, lovers and newlyweds decorate with symbols of love – locks, ribbons and inscriptions. In 2013, near the bridge of lovers in Kiev, a monument “Love Story” was installed, which immediately fell in love with lovers , newlyweds and just those who walk in the parks.
During the 2013-2014 protests, the bridge was severely damaged when burning tires were pelted by protesters. So they blocked the way for representatives of the special services, who were trying to pass through the bridge, bypassing Hrushevsky Street and Evropeiskaya Square. About 3 meters of the wooden covering of the bridge burned down. Later, the damaged parts of the bridge were restored by craftsmen from the city of Kolomyia, and a memorial sign appeared on the bridge in memory of the protests.