Between granite banks. A bridge or a prison. Urban history.
When the main embankment of the city on the Neva river was dressed in granite banks, then this bridge was built as a continuation of the crossing over the Fontanka river. It was in the years 1766-1769.
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It got its name Laundry bridge due to the fact that at that time not far from this place were laundries of the Imperial Palace. At this point, the Fontanka river originates. It flows out of the Neva and makes its winding path through the city. Its length is about 8 kilometers and a width of 70 meters.
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On the side of the bridge you can see round Windows with bars. It's not decorative. These are debt pits. Previously, debtors were put here for non-payment of taxes, card debtors and other various characters who violated financial obligations. Debtors were day and night in these cells, through which blew a cold wind and during floods they were filled with water. In addition, these rooms had a small height and the prisoners could not stand in full growth. They could sit or lie. They were in these strict conditions until their relatives collected money to repay the debt for them. It was thought that this was very brutal method, but very effective.
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Now these rooms are empty. This punishment was abolished during the reign of Catherine the Great. Laundry bridge is one of the first stone bridges of our city.
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Camera SONY DSC-W350
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia. Kutuzov embankment, crosses the Fontanka river
[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 59.923558 широта 30.341492 длина между гранитными банками. Мост или тюрьма. Городская история. d3scr)
Thank you for Your attention and Your visit. I appreciate Your feedback and comments.
Nice angle and lovely cloud and building!
Thank you for your visit and attention, @adam-aj
@madlenfox Wow! 1766-1769 and still standing today! Today we see bridges that were built 5 years ago breaking up. Such a pity that the time of the master craftsmen are gone. Maybe we can build some of the cells for those that sell drugs to children! A great post and it deserves an upvote!
At that time, such strict measures of influence were very effective and had a result. It was believed that to be in a debt hole it was a great shame and relatives tried to find money to pay for the debtor. Times have changed and we are dealing with other problems: drugs and human trafficking, and many other things that really act destructively. Thank you for your visit and comment @papilloncharity
Chic article. I learned a lot of interesting and cognitive. I'm screwed up with you, I'll be glad to reciprocal subscription))
Great photos and Great history. Catherine was such the modern woman :) Beautiful clouds and blue sky @madlenfox
What a lovely place!
Hermosas fotografías @madlenfox un gusto siempre mirar tus tomas, y poder conocer esas historias que las hacen especiales.
Abrazos 🤗
An interesting history @madlenfox. Can tourists visit the cells these days?
The bridge itself looks quite tiny compared to some of the other, more modern ones, you have posted. 😊