Lanterns on the Ioannovsky Bridge are very often depicted on postcards with views of St. Petersburg. I remember these lights from childhood. I was always sure that these lamps appeared on the bridge in the 19th century, the style of their performance fully corresponds to this time. But when I took a picture of one of these lamps and decided to write a few lines of text in addition to the photo, I looked in the Internet to clarify the date and read in Wikipedia that these lamps were installed in 1953, the author of the project is the architect A. L. Rotach. The most surprising thing is that the figures of double-headed eagles were used in the design of the lanterns. In Soviet times, the government mercilessly destroyed all the symbols of imperial power. It is difficult to imagine that the architect of the Soviet time developed such a design of lamps. I decided to look for old photos of this bridge.
The oldest image found is a postcard published in 1908-1913. The lanterns on it are not well visible, although it is clear that the silhouette looks like a modern one. The next photo I found was taken in 1942-1943, during the Second World War. The lantern, which is depicted on it, corresponds exactly to the modern one. This photo shows that the bridge fence is partially destroyed. Apparently, after the war, the restoration was made, and Wikipedia mistakenly indicates the date of restoration works as the date of the creation of the design of the bridge.
Photos:
- Camera Pentax K-r, lens Zenitar-K MC 16mm f/2.8 Fish-Eye
- Camera Pentax K-r, lens Zenitar-K MC 16mm f/2.8 Fish-Eye
- Unknown photographer, 1908 - 1913. Public domain