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27-536: In 1727 a temporary bridge was built at the location of the modern bridge. The place was chosen by Menshikov whose palace is located at the opposite bank. This bridge, named Issakievsky, existed until the current bridge was built, at which time it was moved to the location of where Palace Bridge is located today. The bridge was built in 1843-1850. It was designed by Stanisław Kierbedź , a Polish engineer working in Russia. The architect Alexander Brullov participated in

54-637: A fellow campaigner. He participated along with Mazepa in the war against Turkey during the 1690s. During the Azov campaigns in 1695–96 he commanded armies on the Dnieper River in actions against the Crimean Tatars . In 1697–99 he carried out diplomatic assignments in Poland , Austria , Italy and Malta . In 1698, czar Peter sent a delegation to Malta under Sheremetyev to observe

81-468: A forged will and a coup d'état . While his colleague Peter Tolstoi would have raised Elizabeth Petrovna to the throne, Menshikov set up the youthful Peter II , son of the tsarevich Alexei , with himself as dictator during the prince's minority. He now aimed at establishing himself definitely by marrying his daughter Mary to Peter II. But the old nobility , represented by the Dolgorukovs and

108-626: A leader of the Sevastopol Uprising during the Russian Revolution of 1905 . In 2006 a reconstruction of the bridge began. Since it would be completely closed to traffic for over a year, a temporary bridge was constructed between September 2005 and May 2006. During the reconstruction all traffic, both pedestrian and motorized, moved across the temporary bridge. In May 2006 the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge

135-770: The Astrakhan uprising of 1705–1706. In the course of the Great Northern War, Sheremetev clashed with the Swedish general Lewenhaupt , who beat him at Gemäuerthof in July 1705, and Charles XII, who defeated him at Holowczyn (July 1708). Sheremetev's revenge came at the Battle of Poltava in 1709, where he functioned as the senior Russian commander of the forces which soundly defeated the Swedish army. Armies under his command conquered Riga in 1710. Sheremetev then led

162-489: The Courland , Holstein and Pomeranian campaigns, but then, as governor-general of Ingria , with almost unlimited powers, was entrusted with a leading part in the civil administration. Menshikov understood perfectly the principles on which Peter's reforms were conducted and was the right hand of the tsar in all his gigantic undertakings. But he abused his powerful position, and his corrupt practices frequently brought him to

189-575: The Crimean Khanate , and from 1682 he was a boyar . From 1685 to 1687 he participated in negotiations and the conclusion of the " Eternal Peace of 1686 " with Poland and the allied treaty with Austria . From the end of 1687 he commanded the armies in Belgorod defending Russia's southern border, and participated in the Crimean campaigns . After Peter I gained power in 1689, he joined him as

216-702: The Galitzines , united to overthrow him, and he was deprived of all his dignities and offices and expelled from the capital (20 September [ O.S. 9 September] 1727). Subsequently, he was deprived of his enormous wealth, stripped of the titles, and he and his whole family were banished to Beryozovo in Siberia , where he died on 23 November [ O.S. 12 November] 1729. His wife Darya Mikhailovna (born Arseneva) died on their way into exile in 1728 near Kazan . According to Simon Sebag Montefiore in his book The Romanovs 1613–1918 Menshikov

243-778: The main forces of the army against the Ottomans in the Prut campaign of 1710–1711. Fighting against Turkey in 1711, he suffered encirclement at the Battle of Stănileşti on the Prut (July 1711). In 1715–17 Sheremetev commanded armies in Pomerania and in Mecklenburg . Although sympathetic to Peter I 's policy of Westernising Russia, Sheremetev never became close to the tsar. He died in 1719 in Moscow ; Peter I had him buried in

270-825: The Russian forces fighting the Swedish armies in the Baltic provinces . Colonel W. A. Schlippenbach defeated Sheremetev at Rauge in September 1701, but the Russians turned the tables on Schlippenbach (now a Major-General) at Erastfer in December 1701. This victory won Sheremetev the title of field marshal , and another Russian victory ensued at the battle of Hummelshof in July 1702. Sheremetev's army's attack on Marienburg (August 1702) led to Martha Skavronskaya coming to

297-518: The commander-in-chief and most senior officer in the Russian army. Sheremetev was very cautious in his movements but proved more effective than the younger Prince Menshikov , the second-in-command, whose impulsiveness did not always lead to success. In 1700 he joined the Russian army in its attack on Narva at the outbreak of the Great Northern War, but King Charles XII of Sweden drove him back from his position in Estonia . He then became commander of

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324-416: The construction he already had a rank of Podpolkovnik (i.e. lieutenant colonel ). The bridge was formally opened on November 12, 1850. Since it was close to Blagoveshchenskaya (Annunciation) Square, it was called Blagoveshchensky Bridge. In 1855 it was renamed Nikolayevsky Bridge in memory of Emperor Nicholas I . In 1918, after the revolution , it was renamed again, this time in memory of Pyotr Schmidt ,

351-539: The decoration. The design was a cast iron bridge with twin parallel swing sections at its northern end. At the time, it was the longest bridge in Europe. According to the legend, the Russian Tsar , Nicholas I promised to Kierbedź to give him a promotion for every completed span. After the bridge was completed with eight spans total in it, Kierbedź was promoted to the rank of General , but actually when he started

378-548: The last time" to change his ways. Yet, in 1713, he was implicated in the "Solovey process", in the course of which it was demonstrated that he had defrauded the government of 100,000 roubles. He only owed his life on this occasion to a sudden illness. On his recovery Peter's fondness for his friend overcame his sense of justice. In 1714 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society . In the last year of Peter's reign new allegations of fraud by Menshikov came to light, and he

405-412: The progressive faction. Her placement on the throne meant a final victory over ancient prejudices, a vindication of the new ideas of progress, and not least security for Menshikov and his ill-gotten fortune. During Catherine's short reign (February 1725 – May 1727), Menshikov was practically the absolute ruler of Russia. He promoted himself to the unprecedented rank of Generalissimo , and

432-632: The training and abilities of the Knights of Malta and their fleet. Sheremetyev also investigated the possibility of future joint ventures with the Knights, including action against the Turks and the possibility of a future Russian naval base. During the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Sheremetev proved a capable but cautious and sluggish military leader. For much of the war he served as

459-539: The tsar's court, where she eventually became Empress Catherine I (reigned 1725–1727). Sheremetev took the Swedish Ingrian fortresses of Nöteborg (October 1702) and Nyenskans (1 May 1703) (allowing the foundation of the city of Saint Petersburg later in May 1703)) and the important Baltic cities Dorpat and Narva in 1704. In 1705 Peter I sent him to Astrakhan , where he forcefully and successfully repressed

486-514: The tsar. On the death of Lefort in 1699, Menshikov succeeded him as Peter's prime favourite and confidant. He took an active part in the Azov campaigns (1695–1696) against the Ottoman Empire. During the tsar's first foreign tour in the next year, Menshikov worked by his side in the dockyard of Amsterdam , and acquired a thorough knowledge of shipbuilding and colloquial Dutch and German. He acted as subordinate to Boris Sheremetev , who

513-405: The verge of ruin. Every time the tsar returned to Russia he received fresh accusations of plunder against "his Serene Highness ." Peter's first serious outburst of indignation (March 1711) was due to the prince's looting in Poland . On his return to Russia in 1712, Peter discovered that Menshikov had turned a blind eye to wholesale corruption in his own governor-generalship. Peter warned him "for

540-697: Was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimo , Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora ( Duke of Ingria ), Prince of the Holy Roman Empire , Duke of Cosel . A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great , he was the de facto ruler of Russia from 1725 to 1727. Menshikov was born on 16 November [ O.S. 6 November] 1673 in Moscow. Historian Paul Bushkovitch argues that Menshikov

567-416: Was an Imperial Russian diplomat and general field marshal during the Great Northern War . He became the first Russian count in 1706. His children included Pyotr Sheremetev and Natalia Sheremeteva . In his youth, Sheremetyev was a page to Tsar Alexis I before starting his military career. From 1671 he served at the imperial court. In 1681 he was a leader at Tambov , commanding the armies fighting

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594-570: Was closed to traffic, and the dismantling of the spans, and then, of bridge supports began. The reconstruction was completed on August 15, 2007, slightly over two years after work began. During reconstruction the deck was widened from 24 m to 37 m. After reconstruction, the bridge was renamed Blagoveshchensky Bridge. Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov ( Russian : Алекса́ндр Дани́лович Ме́ншиков ; 16 November [ O.S. 6 November] 1673 – 23 November [ O.S. 12 November] 1729)

621-414: Was commander-in-chief during the retreat before Charles XII in 1708, subsequently participating in the battle of Holowczyn , the reduction of Mazepa , and the crowning victory of Poltava (8 July [ O.S. 27 June] 1709), where he won his field-marshal 's baton. Around 1706 he had a conflict with Andrew Vinius ; Vinius lost all of his land and goods. From 1709 to 1714 he served during

648-490: Was not an aristocrat and was most likely descended from servants of the palace stables, who among others made up the first soldiers of Peter's 'toy armies.' As the legend (dating from around 1710) goes, he was making a living on the streets of Moscow as a vendor of stuffed buns known as pirozhki at the age of twenty. His fine appearance and witty character caught the attention of Franz Lefort , Peter's first favourite, who took him into his service and finally transferred him to

675-469: Was obliged to appeal for protection to the empress Catherine . It was chiefly through the efforts of Menshikov and his colleague Tolstoi that, on the death of Peter, in 1725, Catherine was raised to the throne. Menshikov was committed to the Petrine system, and he recognised that, if that system were to continue, Catherine was, at that particular time, the only possible candidate. Her name was a watchword for

702-714: Was once punched twice by Tsar Peter the Great, once in the nose and once on the side of the head, after Tsar Peter saw Menshikov dancing with his sword still on, which is considered to be highly rude and offensive. Menshikov built a wooden church in Beryozovo. He buried his daughter who died in exile there. Menshikov's younger children survived the exile and were eventually returned to the court. Boris Sheremetev Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev ( Russian : Граф Бори́с Петро́вич Шереме́тев , tr. Borís Petróvič Šeremétev ; 5 May [ O.S. 25 April] 1652 – 28 February [ O.S. 17 February] 1719)

729-780: Was the only Russian to bear a princedom title. Upon finishing the construction of the Menshikov Palace on the Neva Embankment in St Petersburg (now assigned to the Hermitage Museum ), Menshikov intended to make Oranienbaum a capital of his ephemeral Principality . Pushkin in one of his poems alluded to Menshikov as "half-tsar". On the whole he ruled well, his difficult position serving as some restraint upon his natural inclinations. He contrived to prolong his power after Catherine's death by means of

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