The Bridge That Lived
The Andreyevsky and the Krasnoluzhskii bridges were originally built identically as railroad, between 1903 and 1908. They were the only two prerevolutionary bridges that Stalin did not replace or destroy between 1936 and 1938, due to their modern look and accomodations for passing ships. As the bridges grew older, they became infrastructurally weak, though their mark on Moscow as historical objects remained the same; in the early 2000s, they were both completely redesigned. Architect Iuri Platonov was responsible for this project, in which he added to the twin bridges glass walkways. Interestingly, despite the complete renovation of the bridges, they were transported in full to a new locations, and their vacated spots were replaced by other railroads bridges.
The postmodern glass passageway combines with the look of the old railway to represent the early 20th and 21st centuries, but not the mid-20th century; that is, the aesthetic of the bridge is noticeably free of Stalinist influence. This is to say the bridge is obviously free of the "modernity" that Stalin wished to induce. As flanêur Sabine Gölz¹ would agree, the new walkway acts as a glimpse into history; rather than trains, humans float across the river, guarded by the mammoth walkway. This replacement of trains by humans is characteristic of the change in era since the initial construction of the Andreyevsky and Krasnoluzhiskii bridges in the early 1900s to today. The individual can now afford to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Moscow River -- a bridge is no longer just a place to get items and goods from point A to point B --; it's also about the experience for the people using the bridge.
¹Gölz, Sabine I. "Moscow for Flaneurs: Pedestrian Bridges, Europe Square, and Moskva-City." Public Culture, vol 18, no. 3, 2006. p. 573-600.
