The construction of the Kiev Suspension Bridge 1846–1853

In 1846, the Tsar Nicholas I of Russia commissioned Charles Blacker Vignoles to build a fixed crossing over the River Dnieper at Kiev. Opened in 1853, the resultant suspension bridge, involving the construction of foundations in the fast-flowing river, was the largest multispan suspension bridge in Europe at the time. In the paper, the author, a direct descendant of C.B. Vignoles, describes the design, procurement and construction of the bridge between 1846 and 1853, drawing on information from Vignoles' journals and letters, and also from other contemporary documents. He also makes use of material derived from recently discovered sketches and progress photographs taken by John Cooke Bourne and Roger Fenton – this was one of the first times photography had been used specifically to record construction progress.