Aqueduct millionth bridge. Rostokinsky aqueduct (Million Bridge). The history of the Rostokinsky aqueduct

How to get to the Rostokinsky aqueduct? Exit the metro to the Cosmos Hotel and walk along Kosmonavtov Avenue until it intersects with Yaroslavskaya Street, then turn left and walk along Yaroslavskaya Street to the Aqueduct.
You can also get to the Rostokinsky aqueduct if you walk along Mira Avenue until it intersects with the Yauza River.
The Rostokinsky aqueduct is the oldest solid bridge in Moscow. It was built in 1804. People almost immediately dubbed the Rostokinsky Aqueduct the Million Bridge, since Catherine II spent more than 2 million rubles on its construction.

Currently, the Rostokinsky aqueduct is a recognized architectural monument. Millionny Bridge belongs to Sokolniki Park. On weekends and holidays it is open for walking.


Anyone can walk across the stone bridge for free, admiring the Yauza River and the magnificent nature of Moscow.


The Rostokinsky aqueduct is very popular with the capital's jumpers, who perform breathtaking stunts soaring over the Yauza River.
Because of the plague in 1771, there was an urgent need to provide Moscow with drinking water. Engineer Bauer presented the Mytishchi gravity water supply project to the court of Catherine II. The construction of the Rostokinsky aqueduct took more than 25 years. But after its opening, Moscow received drinking water from Mytishchi. The water covered more than 26 km from Mytishchi to Moscow. Difficulties and problems accompanied the construction of the Million Bridge.


The length of the Millionny Bridge or Rostokinsky Aqueduct is 356 meters. The height is 15 meters.


At the end of the 18th century, Moscow began to change its appearance. From a wooden city, the capital gradually became stone.
In the aquiferous Yauza valley, among its springs, there were 43 wide wells lined with bricks. From these wells, water flowed through pottery pipes to a brick gallery, through which it was sent to Moscow by gravity. Unfortunately, time has not preserved these old wells for us, but until recently the remains of the gallery could still be seen on the Yaroslavl highway, almost reaching the ring road - an unusual-looking bridge was the remains of a former aqueduct that carried the gallery across the Ichka River.


In appearance, the Rostokinsky Millionth Bridge truly resembles Roman aqueducts.

Rostokinsky aqueduct on the map of Moscow.

How to get to the Rostokinsky aqueduct? Exit the metro to the Cosmos Hotel and walk along Kosmonavtov Avenue until it intersects with Yaroslavskaya Street, then turn left and walk along Yaroslavskaya Street to the Aqueduct. You can also get to the Rostokinsky aqueduct if you walk along Mira Avenue until it intersects with the Yauza River. The Rostokinsky aqueduct is the oldest solid bridge in Moscow. It was built in 1804. People almost immediately dubbed the Rostokinsky Aqueduct the Million Bridge, since Catherine II spent more than 2 million rubles on its construction. Currently, the Rostokinsky aqueduct is a recognized architectural monument. Millionny Bridge belongs to Sokolniki Park. On weekends and holidays it is open for walking. Anyone can walk across the stone bridge for free, admiring the Yauza River and the magnificent nature of Moscow. The Rostokinsky aqueduct is very popular with the capital's jumpers, who perform breathtaking stunts soaring over the Yauza River. Because of the plague in 1771, there was an urgent need to provide Moscow with drinking water. Engineer Bauer presented the Mytishchi gravity water supply project to the court of Catherine II. The construction of the Rostokinsky aqueduct took more than 25 years. But after its opening, Moscow received drinking water from Mytishchi. The water covered more than 26 km from Mytishchi to Moscow. Difficulties and problems accompanied the construction of the Million Bridge. The length of the Millionny Bridge or Rostokinsky Aqueduct is 356 meters. The height is 15 meters. At the end of the 18th century, Moscow began to change its appearance. From a wooden city, the capital gradually became stone. In the aquiferous Yauza valley, among its springs, there were 43 wide wells lined with bricks. From these wells, water flowed through pottery pipes to a brick gallery, through which it was sent to Moscow by gravity. Unfortunately, time has not preserved these old wells for us, but until recently the remains of the gallery could still be seen on the Yaroslavskoye Highway, almost reaching the ring road - an unusual-looking bridge was the remains of a former aqueduct that carried the gallery across the Ichka River. In appearance, the Rostokinsky Millionth Bridge truly resembles Roman aqueducts. Rostokinsky aqueduct on the map of Moscow.

In the 18th century, Bolshiye Mytishchi was the village of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. There she rested on her way to a pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This area was famous for good drinking water and a large number of wells. According to legend, one of the streams with spring water was called Gromov. It appeared after a lightning strike. From him the water supply system stretched to Moscow.

Having dined on a hearty meal,
The city of Moscow, poor in water,
I was tormented by a sultry thirst,
The gods took pity on him.
Above the valley where Mytishchi is,
The blue of the sky has darkened;
Suddenly a thundercloud strikes
It burst into the valley - and the spring boiled
It's rolling - drink, Moscow!

Construction of a water pipeline according to the project of F.V. Bauer and Colonel I.K. Gerarda began in 1780. The work was interrupted several times and ultimately lasted for 25 years. The water supply was installed only in 1804, and it cost the treasury a huge amount of money at that time - 1 million 648 thousand rubles. For this, one of his calling cards - the brick gallery of the Rostokinsky aqueduct - was called the “Millionth Bridge”. Along it, Mytishchi water crossed the Yauza and headed to Alekseevskoye.

The Rostokinsky aqueduct, 356 meters long with abutments up to 15 meters high, was then the largest stone bridge in Russia. And back in 1785, Catherine called it the best building in Moscow, saying that it looked as light as a feather.

After 1.5 centuries, the Mytishchi water supply system gave way to a new, more advanced water supply system, and in Soviet times a heating main passed through the aqueduct.

In 2008, the Rostokinsky aqueduct was restored and added with railings and a decorative roof. Now it is open to tourists on weekends and holidays.

The amazing creations that people have created have decorated our planet for more than one millennium, and they have withstood the elements more than once. They inspire not only me, but also many artists and tourists. Aqueduct what is it? A structure that was created exclusively by people or did they use special equipment? This is exactly the topic we will discuss today.

Let us also pay attention to this structure. Of course, I am not an ancient Roman architect, or even an expert in the construction of such structures. However, I became interested in how, for example, such construction could be realized. Is this even feasible?

Aqueduct - what is it?

Perhaps, first let's pay attention to what is the starting point for any construction: the goal. Wikipedia tells us that ancient aqueducts were built to supply the city.

underground aqueduct - photo of a Roman underground aqueduct

This is how it was delivered (by gravity) to the city; an artificial channel was created for the flow of water.

To complete this task, builders had to have many knowledge and skills:

• good orientation in the area,
• know all the groundwater,
• be able to measure not only the length, but also the elevation of relief points on the ground (find the correct solutions to high-altitude problems).

If you look at the existing buildings, you can come to the conclusion that the scientists and architects who lived in those days found the right solution to the problems, and their goal was achieved. To create the necessary slope for the water flow, it was necessary to find a place to lay tunnels, and where ravines did not form and the river bed changed, it was necessary to raise it above the terrain, building aqueducts for this purpose.

Do you think the Romans were the first to invent and build aqueducts? In fairness, it should be noted that such structures were erected even earlier by architects of the daytime east. But, if we take into account the scale of the projects, then no one could compare with the Romans.

An aqueduct is not the entire water supply system, it is only its above-ground part; the main architectural and construction secrets are hidden under water.

Ancient Rome and the famous Pont du Gard aqueduct

Let's take a closer look at the layout of the Roman aqueduct. The most seemingly impossible task was to carry water over the bed of the Gar River. For this purpose, an aqueduct was erected, the length of the lower tier of which was more than 140 meters. Have you ever seen the Pont du Gard in real life? If so, you certainly noticed that the soil at the site of its construction was rocky. Thanks to this, the structure was able to withstand heavy loads.

aqueduct photo

Today, before creating bridge projects, it is taken into account that in the future, due to floods, the usual water level may increase. Floods can happen once every hundred years, or even more often. Due to the fact that earlier there was more water in the rivers, the task of ensuring its passage was in first place. This is the reason why we can often see arches that cover almost all river floodplains.

Do you know why in ancient times arched structures were used for ceilings? I'm waiting for answers in the comments.

It seems to me that the materials from which the arches themselves were built in such structures work exclusively on compression. And the stone coped with such tasks perfectly. It was thanks to the arches that the aqueducts looked more elegant. In addition, the Pont du Gard aqueduct had many tiers, which not only makes its external characteristics more beautiful, but also adds stability to the entire structure.

Do you know what other buildings of the ancient Romans have no analogues in architecture? Of course, this is the Arc de Triomphe. The Romans erected arches to glorify and immortalize in stone the majestic victories of their rulers. Through their main passages, to the shouts of the jubilant people, the victors rode into the city in chariots, holding trophies in their hands, followed by captured prisoners.

Rostokinsky aqueduct

Do you think that in Moscow you can only go to Red Square or go for a walk at VDNKh? You are wrong! If you go to this city for the weekend, be sure to visit the Rostokinsky Aqueduct. The video of this Moscow attraction is below:

It is an architectural monument that preserves a two-hundred-year history; it is the only section of the Mytishchi water conduit that has been preserved today. Few people know that it was erected during the reign of Catherine II. Another name for the aqueduct is the Million Bridge? Why do you think? Everything ingenious is simple. More than a million rubles were spent on its construction from the state budget.

The aqueduct was named after the village of Rostokino of the same name, which translated means “bifurcated into several streams,” because all the villagers lived on two banks of the river.

Aqueducts of ancient Rome and the Aqueduct of Claudius

If the construction of aqueducts began in Rome, it is necessary to consider them in more detail. In ancient times, the urban population exceeded a million inhabitants, which is why an unresolved problem arose in supplying the city with water, which could be used not only for drinking and cooking, but also for other technical purposes. Here it is also necessary to pay attention to the desire of the city rulers to create a comfortable city for life; in those years, Roman thermal baths also became more popular. Naturally, it was possible to use water from a well, but due to the increase in consumption, it was necessary to figure out how to directly supply it from mountain sources.

The first Roman aqueduct was built already in the 4th century AD. and after a century more than 10 of them were built. After 2 centuries, the popular and world-famous Claudius aqueduct was built; at 27 meters high, it was significantly shorter than the old analogue of Marcius. Thus, it was possible to significantly reduce the distance (by 30 km) thanks to the creation of systems of tunnels and bridges.

Viaduct - what is it?

While preparing on this topic, I read a lot of literature, and came across that in many sites these two words are used as synonyms, but this is a gross lexical error, because it is identical to saying that an apple is a pear.

A viaduct is a bridge that connects two areas with identical landscape levels. Most often, such spans are laid through a river or other immediate depressions in a flat surface (for example, it could be a ravine or gorge).

An aqueduct is a water conduit (channel, pipe) for supplying water to a populated area. If we consider this term from the other side, it is part of a water conduit that has the shape of a bridge. The structures are similar in structure to viaducts, but they differ in that the former were used to supply water, and the others to create a road or railway tracks in their place.

Aqueduct bridge in Crimea

Don’t know where to go in the summer, to Sochi or Crimea? I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in Sevastopol there is a unique aqueduct, which is located directly on the Chernaya River near the village of Chernorechye. Have you ever been there? If not, be sure to add this place to your list.

The aqueduct was built in the nineteenth century; it became part of one of the few water pipelines. Its construction was initiated by Admiral M.P. , and engineer Joni Upton took up the design work. The aqueduct, which stretches for 12 meters, is made of limestone and, in terms of its external characteristics, was created in accordance with the style of ancient architectural structures, vaguely reminiscent of the drainage structures that were built by the ancient Romans.

The aqueduct in Sevastopol is a picturesque structure that complements some spans with arched vaults of a semicircular shape, in the upper part there is a trench to supply water. The water pipeline performed its direct function for more than ten years, and then during the Crimean War it was half destroyed.

How do you feel about architectural structures? Are you surprised by their greatness, do you like to look at every detail, study history, search for the truth, or are you indifferent to this? I look forward to your comments.

Do I believe that aqueducts could be built by people without the use of additional technology? Probably yes, although reason proves that this is practically impossible. But there are moments when you still want to believe that the unreal may well become real. Sorry for the tautology, I think you understand what I wrote.

Thank you for your attention, I hope we have given a comprehensive answer to the question - what is an aqueduct! I invite everyone who was interested to subscribe to , many interesting things await us, we will discover the planet together!

Text— Agent Q.

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In 1767, Catherine II convened a Commission in Moscow to develop new legislation for the country. The order of Muscovites touched upon the problem of Moscow's water supply, since the plague epidemic in 1771 particularly acutely raised the issue of installing a water supply system (“water supply”). On July 28, 1779, Catherine II instructed “Lieutenant General Bauer to carry out water works for the benefit of our capital city of Moscow.” In the same year, military engineer F.V. Bauer carried out the necessary research and presented a project for the Mytishchi gravity water supply system.

Construction of the water pipeline began in 1780. Construction was interrupted several times and lasted about 25 years. It was completed and launched only in 1804 under Alexander I.

During the construction of the aqueduct in 1783–1784, the architects were Bauer and Colonel I. Gerard. The construction of the aqueduct cost one million six hundred forty-eight thousand rubles. This amount was mentioned in the press, it amazed the imagination, which is why the erected aqueduct was popularly called the “Millionth Bridge.”
In 1785, during a visit to Moscow, Catherine II called it the best building in the city, saying that “it looks as light as a feather... and very durable.”

“I saw a beautiful water conduit not far from the road,” writes N.M. Karamzin in his travel notes, “and went to look at it. Here is one of the monuments to Catherine’s beneficence! She loved to follow in many ways the example of the Romans, who spared nothing for the benefit of having good water in the cities, so necessary for people's health, more necessary than pharmacies themselves. The expense for the public good constitutes a luxury worthy of great monarchs, a luxury that nourishes the very love of the fatherland, inseparable from the rule. The people see that they are cared for and love their benefactors. Moscow does not have good water at all; hardly a twentieth of the inhabitants use Trekhgornaya and Preobrazhenskaya, for which they must send far away. Catherine wanted every poor person to find a well of fresh, healthy water near his home, and instructed General Bauer to bring it with pipes from the springs of Mytishchi. for this matter of public benefit."

However, Muscovites did not enjoy good water for long. Ten years later, brick conduits and canals began to deteriorate, cracks appeared in them, through which water from the Mytishchi springs escaped and swamp water entered. In 1814, the director of the Mytishchi water pipelines reported that “from the fountains, only when there is a complete need for water, the district residents are content with it.”

By 1830, the water supply system was reconstructed, the brick water conduits were replaced with cast iron ones, and the gravity system was replaced with a water pressure system, for which a pumping station with two steam engines was built in the village of Alekseevskoye. The station drove water into water tanks placed on the Sukharev Tower, and from there it was sent through pipes to the city water fountains. Two of them have survived: on Teatralnaya Square and in front of the Academy of Sciences building on Leninsky Prospekt (moved from Lubyanka Square).

The first Catherine water supply system had 5 aqueducts. The first was located at the intersection of Yaroslavskoye Highway and Yauza in Mytishchi; it was dismantled in 2006 during the construction of a highway interchange. The second and third - across streams in the area of ​​Klubnaya and Proletarskaya streets in Mytishchi, they collapsed in 1910. The fourth - across the Ichka River, not far from the Dzhamgarovsky Pond, it was dismantled in the 2000s. And finally, the only one that has survived to this day is Rostokinsky.

Object of cultural heritage of federal significance.

The museum and exhibition center opened in September 2010, inside the new pedestal of the legendary sculpture “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” by Vera Mukhina. Mukhina’s 24-meter sculpture “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” - a masterpiece of Soviet and world modernism of the first half of the 20th century - was made using new technologies discovered by the Soviet metal specialist, Professor P.N. Lvov. A shell made of chromium-nickel steel was hung on a multi-ton frame, connected by welding. The statue was made for the Soviet pavilion of the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937 and flew furiously towards the ruffled eagle with a swastika on the cornice that stood opposite the pavilion of Nazi Germany. The collection of the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman IEC contains materials that remind us that the author of the idea for the sculpture was the architect of the exhibition pavilion, Boris Iofan. The plastic theme that inspired him was the antique statue “Tyrant Fighters”. Hands with swords raised to the sky replaced hands with peaceful attributes, the emblems of the Soviet country - the hammer and sickle. The fact that the author of the image was one artist, Iofan, is confirmed by sketches of the sculpture made for the closed competition of 1936 by V.A. Andreev, V.I. Mukhina and M.G. Manizer. At first glance, all the options (with the exception of the expressionistic monument by I.D. Shadr, which also participated in the 1936 competition) are very similar. The same position of the two figures, the same raised hands. Only among male authors the heroes were likened to ancient gods, icy in their perfection, but for Vera Mukhina, the irresistible power of internal energy and passion bubbled within them.

After returning to its homeland, for seventy years the sculpture greeted visitors to the Northern entrance of the All-Russian Agricultural Exhibition - VDNKh. She stood on a low pedestal (11 meters) and quietly grew old. Both Mukhina and Iofan fought until the end of their lives for the construction of a pedestal of the appropriate height, for the transfer of the statue to places that were important for the visual direction of urban space (Vera Mukhina wanted to see her “children” on the Lenin Hills). This did not happen during the lifetime of the masters. However, modern post-Soviet art fell in love with the monument and turned to it as an object for new happenings and performances. Suffice it to recall the action of 1998, when architects and artists dressed “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” in real overalls and a dress in the color of the Russian flag.

Today the sculpture is erected on a pedestal-pavilion, created based on the one designed by Boris Iofan for the 1937 Paris exhibition. Thus, the theme of the relay race of new domestic art, from the innovations of the first half of the 20th century to the avant-garde of the first half of the current century, is deliberately emphasized.

Sergei Khachaturov