Ornate Bridge

One of the few preserved structures of the early Tsaritsyno.

The main alley crosses this bridge on the way to the palace, in the 18th century it was the second main entrance to Tsaritsyno. Architect Vasily Bazhenov gave the bridge a look of a fortress by adding high towers with lancet openings. He named the bridge “Ornate” due to fanciful decor. Here we can see intertwined red brick and white stone specific to all Tsaritsyno buildings as well as carved cornices and diamond-shaped decor, columns and pyramids.

The bridge is located on a steep hillside and is designed to hide the palace from the guests’ view. But once you go under the bridge, you can see all the buildings at once.

No significant changes had been made here for over two hundred years. The bridge is surprisingly well-preserved. During large-scale restoration works of 1987–1992 the decorative elements were restored.