Kyiv, historically situated on the right bank of the Dnieper River, now covers both banks of the river whose width, as it flows through the city, reaches several hundred metres. Additionally, several tributaries join the Dnieper inside or just north or south of the historic city. Currently there are eight bridges spanning across the river and a few dozen bridges across the canals and Dnieper tributaries.
Due to the location and the width of the river, the bridges have always been a very attractive and hard to realize option throughout the long history of Kyiv.
Temporary floater bridges were known to have existed since the 12th century. Stationary bridges existed in Kyiv from the mid-19th century, but none of them survived the turbulent events that followed the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Early history
According to the chronicles, the earliest floating bridge across the Dnieper River in the area was built in the 1115. It was located near Vyshhorod or, according to different accounts, near the Vydubychi Monastery. Records exist about another floater in the 17th century with stationary approaches from the shores.
Such bridges could only be temporary, as the Dnieper freezes over in most winters at Kyiv's latitude, and ice drift each spring remain a concern even for modern bridges. Additionally, the river current was especially strong before the Dnieper was dammed in the 20th century. Therefore, the cross-river traffic was carried by boats and ferries for many centuries.
First stationary bridges: late 19th to early-20th century
From the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, Kyiv was served by two stationary bridges. Both bridges had similar fates. Built at the times of the industrial revolution in the Russian Empire these engineering masterpieces of their time survived World War I and the Russian Civil War. Both were blown up in 1920 by the Polish troops retreating from Kyiv following the joint Polish-Ukrainian anti-Soviet Kyiv offensive.
Nicholas Chain Bridge
The first stationary bridge in Kyiv was built between 1848 and 1853. This -long Nicholas Bridge was a chain suspension bridge rested on five pillars. Being one of the largest and most beautiful bridges in Europe, it was the pride of the city until it was blown up in 1920 by the Polish troops. The heavily damaged bridge was not subject to the restoration and in 1925 a new bridge was constructed in its place under the name Yevheniya Bosch Bridge (see below).
Struve (Darnytskyi) Railroad Bridge
The Struve Railroad Bridge, Kyiv's second stationary bridge, was built in 1868–1870 with the construction supervision conducted personally by Amand Struve. This over 1 kilometre long railroad truss bridge was initially named to its constructor, engineer Struve. Standing on 13 piers, over long, the bridge was the longest in Europe at that time. During the construction Struve first in the Russian Empire used caisson method to lay the foundation . On February 17, 1870 the first train by the Kyiv-Kursk railroad company arrived through the bridge to the Kyiv railroad station. Similarly to the Nicholas Bridge, the Struve Bridge survived World War I and the Civil war, but was blown up in 1920 by the retreating Polish troops (see: Kyiv offensive).
Rusanivsky bridge
The bridge was built in 1906 and was blown up in 1943 by the retreating forces of Nazi Germany. Rusanivsky bridge connected the Darnytsia region with the city of Kyiv by the Brovary chaussée (highway). The bridge was designed by architect V.Apishkov. In 1965 in its place was erected the Metro Bridge and the Rusanivsky Metropolitan Bridge (extension of the first) which both are part of the Svyatoshyno-Brovary Subway Line (SBL).
Between World War I and World War II
New bridges were built in the early Soviet years but were destroyed in the first months of the 1941 Nazi German invasion. Restored by forced labor of war prisoners and civilians during German occupation they were blown up again by Germans when they retreated from Kyiv in November 1943.