The Neva River divides into two branches just past the Liteiny Bridge. The river channel that carries its waters northwards is called the Bolshaya Nevka River. It heads towards the former industrial suburbs and suburban summer houses. But if you decide to take a boat ride down the main course of the river, you can admire the grand facades of palaces and mansions.
In the evening, the embankments of the Neva and its tributaries are not only beautiful views, but also a constant stream of cars. You can see cars rushing down multilane highways, ducking into tunnels under bridges, rearranging their route at complicated junctions. Everyone is in a hurry to get home. I had completely forgotten to factor rush hour into my planning for the day. As a result, I got out on the street and headed home at the time, when I had a serious chance of losing a lot of time and nerves while stuck in traffic. That would have been very unpleasant! I wasn't feeling too tired, so I decided to walk at least the first part of the journey. A leisurely walk, beautiful views - much more pleasant than staring at a smartphone in traffic, isn't it?
I had two bridges to cross. The first bridge was across the Bolshaya Nevka River. This bridge connects Petrogradsky Island to the Vyborg side. The Vyborg side was once a distant outskirts, with many industrial buildings. But there are also beautiful historical buildings and mansions. A mansion with a tower and a spire near the bridge caught my eye. I decided to find out the history of the building and it turned out that it was built in the late XIX century for the hospital of the sisters of mercy. There was a water clinic and laboratories in the building. It seems that the tower with a spire is not a decorative element, it was built for the purpose of the building; a water tower was required for functioning of a hydropathic hospital.
Vyborg's side was not evenly built up at the beginning of the 20th century, and vacant places were built up rather chaotically. As a result architectural decor of different sides of the same street may conflict with each other. If you look at one side, you will see modestly built 19th century buildings, low houses with a house church. But on the other side there are tall, modern buildings with shining facades, no modesty whatsoever.
There are only a few hundred metres between the first and second bridges, and soon I arrived at the Liteiny Bridge and began to cross the river at its widest point. Cars were still hurtling along the embankment. I thought for a moment that the traffic flow had lessened - but that was only because of the forbidding traffic light. But I was enjoying my walk more and more with each passing minute. The sun was setting far to the west, and the view of the sunset from the bridge was magnificent.
| ○ | ○ |
|---|---|
| Smartphone | Google Pixel 3a |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
This is my entry for the #BeautifulSunday challenge by 
