The bridge of lovers in Kiev: history and modernity

Devil's Bridge , or the Kiss Bridge, the Bridge of the Lovers and the Small Bridge of Paton - with such names, the people of Kiev gave a bridge to the Park Alley that connects the modern territory of the Mariinsky and Khreshchatyi Park. This is one of the famous sights of the city. The bridge of lovers in Kiev is a popular place for couples who often walk around it and hang small locks as a sign of their love and devotion. In this publication we will tell you about the history and peculiarities of this beautiful place.

The bridge of lovers in Kiev: history and modernity

It is generally believed that this structure was built according to a project developed by Eugene Paton, and it was opened approximately from 1910 to 1912. In this matter, the information of historians varies.

Earlier on this site there was a hollow, which had a natural earth partition. It was there that the metal structure of the bridge was erected. The land that was under it was cleaned.

As a result, a section of the Petrovskaya alley appeared, which later connected the central part of Kiev and the Park road, as well as the Naberezhnoe highway. The bridge during the last century was quite popular. This trend was due to the fact that it was using it to connect the territory of the two most visited parks in Kiev, which were such before the 1980s. Already during the late 1960s, Hydropark was created, because of which a large number of people began to spend their time in this place.

The summer of 1983 is the time of reconstruction of the bridge, during which it (except for the base) had to be almost completely replaced. Thus, this is not an original design for the project of Eugene Paton, which not everyone thinks about.

The structure was in fact replaced, as indicated above. However, it was decided that the old bridge structure of the metal should be retained, and not thrown away and allowed to scrap. Thus, it is stored on the territory of the museum complex in the city of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky.

Kyiv traditions

This structure passes directly over the territory of the parkway alley, and also connects two popular urban parks. On the bridge rails it is customary to write declarations of love and hang small locks. The real Kiev tradition was during the wedding celebrations to come here. The bride and groom hang a lock on the bridge so that their love is eternal. Not many people know that park keepers often cut them, because otherwise the design will simply collapse because of such severity.

The bridge of lovers in Kiev (photo you can see below) is also called in another way - the Devil's Bridge or the "bridge of suicides". This is due to unpleasant stories that are not related to the romantic beliefs of the people of Kiev. This name was given to the bridge due to the fact that people committed suicide by jumping from a height. However, it is customary to surround such facts with a tragic romantic romance. It is believed that suicides were also committed because of unrequited feelings. Even these tragic stories did not prevent the Bridge of Lovers from becoming a place where couples come every day to confess to each other in love.

Monument of Eternal Love

In 2013, at the entrance to the bridge, a sculptural composition was installed, which became a monument to Eternal Love. The history of the building is directly connected with the love story of the Italian Luigi Pedutto and the Ukrainian Mokriny Jurzuk (a prisoner of war and a girl taken out for forced labor). Their acquaintance occurred during the war on the territory of the Austrian camp. It was an institution for prisoners of war. Their feeling helped to survive in the camp, however, when the war ended, Mokrina left home, and the lovers were destined to part. The meeting of the Italian and Ukrainian women took place only in 2004 on the well-known program "Wait for me". The authors of the monument were sealed exactly the moment when they again saw each other. This is the story of lovers who were briefly brought together and immediately separated the fate and bloody events of the 20th century.

How to find the bridge?

Of course, visitors are interested to see the Bridge of Lovers in Kiev. Where is this structure located? The bridge can be found if you come to the metro station "Independence Square" or "Arsenalnoy" (the territory of Khreshchaty and Arsenal Park).