Humanity does not and cannot have a calm attitude towards bridges. They always symbolize a kind of transition - from the past to the future, from this light to that, from grief to joy (or vice versa). The deep magic of this seemingly everyday construction has been expressed many times in the myths and poetry of many peoples of the world.
Russia is by no means an exception. Our country has its own ethnography of bridges. Moreover, some bridges are exceptionally joyful - for example, the construction on the Vodootvodny Canal in Moscow, which from the side of Zamoskvorechye begins with a wedding arch for newlyweds. Iron trees stretch from coast to coast, on which gullible lovers fasten and fasten locks out of happiness, thoughtlessly throwing their keys into the sleepy waters of the side channel of the Moscow River.
True, when you observe this unpretentious action, a simple question arises in your head: what, when the workers come and cut down the locks, sending them to be melted down, then happiness will come to an end?
But there are also very gloomy bridges, marked either by a veil of pervasive danger, or by a gothic otherworldly entourage that attracts some madmen.
Here's a list of five such terribly attractive engineering objects.
1. Undoubtedly, the most terrible bridge for Russia is Kuandinsky. It is located in Transbaikalia and is designed to help travelers in crossing the Vitim River. At the first, even a fleeting glance at this structure, it really becomes uncomfortable.
The bridge has not been commissioned for more than 30 years. It is located at a height of over 15 meters, without any hint of a fence, and simple wooden sleepers are thrown over its canvas, which are usually placed under the rails of the railway.
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Nevertheless, local residents and some raiders - like, for example, participants in the Land Rover run across Russia, still use this structure to cross the river. At the same time, the width of the bridge clearly corresponds to the track width of a UAZ Patriot or Gazelle vehicle. Probably, in pursuit of strong emotions, this bridge is worth crossing Vitim in the autumn-winter period and certainly driving. But the consequences will be entirely on your conscience.
2. The Dancing Volgograd Bridge became widely known outside our homeland after its coverage once went in waves during the movement of heavy vehicles. At the same time, the structure did not collapse, but even from the outside, what was happening looked truly awful.
3. In Russia, there are many half-abandoned engineering structures leading to small villages or towns. Probably, the local authorities are not interested in the fact that the natives were forced to become hardened extremals. How else to get to the post office or the local branch of the municipality on the other side? It is to this class of "art objects" that we safely refer the suspension bridge across the Katun River near the village of Anos.
It has never been tested since the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to numerous eyewitness accounts, in a strong wind, the bridge often sways so that it deviates from its normal position by … 90 degrees. As soon as the elements subside, traffic on the bridge resumes. It seems that fatalism has become a deep-rooted tradition among local residents, spiced with age-old patience of the Central Russian national character.
4. Bridge "Skybridge" in Sochi will stretch over the abyss between actually two peaks of the local relief. It is recognized as the longest suspension bridge in the world: its length is 435 meters.
Strong emotions are guaranteed to visitors, although, unlike the previous structure, you can at least be sure that the structure is regularly checked and maintained in exemplary order.
5. Among the most terrible bridges - but this time not for physical, but for mystical reasons - is the Liteiny Bridge in St. Petersburg. In fact, the locals do not call it anything but a "haunted bridge", and there are many reasons for that. Ghosts often appear here, including … the leader of the world proletariat, V. I. Ulyanov-Lenin. There is also a large number of accidents that resulted in the death of the unwary at night, on a deserted embankment near the bridge.
According to an ancient belief, which is still transmitted orally in the city on the Neva, once on the site of the bridge there was a pagan temple in the middle of a swamp. On it was the Atakan boulder, to which the locals brought bloody sacrifices. As usual, the demon possessed by the evil stone got out of control and began to demand even more blood.
And then came the times of Peter the Great, and, according to one version, the stone lay at the base of the Liteiny Bridge. It is he who is to blame for the notoriety of this place. By the way, back in Soviet times, when repairing a bridge span, workers found a colossal boulder placed at the base of one of the building's pillars.
ALEXANDER ARTAMONOV