Usually, this is where a journey through the Petropavlovskaya Fortress begins. This legendary bridge was built on the site of the first St. Petersburg crossing, which connected the shore with Zayachy Island from 1705.
The first structure was wooden, drawbridged, and designed so that it could be easily burned in the event of an enemy attack, thereby cutting off the enemy's approaches to the fortress.
In 1738, the structure was modified slightly by adding stone embankments with arches on both banks, while only the central lifting section remained wooden. As a result of these additions, the bridge's length exceeded 150 meters, and its width was 10 meters.
After that, Ioannovsky Bridge underwent many more changes, including a change of name. Originally called Petrovsky, the bridge was renamed Ioannovsky in 1887.
The most significant changes to the structure of the crossing took place in the 20th century, when the load-bearing beams were replaced and new lamps and railings styled after the 19th century were installed. The bridge is now pedestrian-only, with a wide cobblestone deck and wooden walkways, beautiful ornamental railings, and elaborate lamps.
