Nikolsky Stone Bridge (Minyar)

The Nikolsky Stone Bridge is a one-of-a-kind monument of industrial heritage in the Southern Urals, located in the Asha District of Chelyabinsk Oblast, 6 km east of the town of Minyar on the Asha–Minyar–Sim road. It is the first arched concrete bridge built in the USSR. The two-arch structure has one arch spanning the Sim River and the other spanning the highway. The bridge is still in use — trains still cross it today. Coordinates: 55.068° N, 57.609° E.

Construction History

The bridge was built in 1929–1930 as part of laying the second track of the Samara–Zlatoust railway. Its design belongs to Professor Nikolai Apollonovich Belelyubsky, an outstanding Russian bridge engineer who had already died by that time (the bridge was built from blueprints he had drawn up earlier). The Nikolsky Bridge went into operation in 1931, together with the opening of the second railway track.

Notably, construction was led by a female engineer. Her name remains unknown to this day — local historians have searched the archives, so far without success. It is thought she may have been a victim of Soviet political repression, with her records kept in the NKVD archives. Even so, the bridge was built in a record-short time of less than two years.

Construction

All the bridge's load-bearing elements are made of rubble stone, which gives it the look of a medieval viaduct and gave rise to a local legend that it was carved from a single stone monolith by a self-taught craftsman. In fact it is an engineered structure with two powerful arches. The stonework blends naturally into the landscape of forested mountains, cliffs and the mirror-like surface of the Sim River.

Two Bridges Side by Side

Running parallel to the Nikolsky Stone Bridge is another, older railway bridge, opened in 1890 during construction of the first track of the Samara–Zlatoust railway. The two bridges stand side by side and cross the Sim River at the same spot, which often confuses visitors: the 1931 arched viaduct looks older than its neighbour because of its monumental stonework. Both bridges remain in operation today.

Minyar, the Town of a Thousand Cliffs

The name Minyar comes from the Bashkir words "min'" (thousand) and "yar" (cliff). The town was founded in 1771 by the merchants Tverdyshev and Myasnikov when they built an ironworks there. The Asha–Minyar–Sim road, which runs along the bank of the Sim River, is considered one of the most beautiful in Chelyabinsk Oblast and is known as the "Urals Switzerland" for its conifer forests, mountains, cliffs and river valley.

What Else to See Nearby

Not far from the bridge is Nikolskaya Cave, one of the district's most interesting and accessible caves. To reach it, past the bridge (coming from Minyar) take the turn to the right, then turn left into a garden settlement and climb the path. Also worth visiting near Minyar are the Krasnaya Skala (Red Cliff) and the Minyar Museum of Local History.

Getting There

The bridge is on the Asha–Minyar–Sim road in the Asha District of Chelyabinsk Oblast. From Chelyabinsk it is about 330 km west along the M5 highway; from Ufa about 250 km east. The bridge is visible directly from the road — one of its arches spans the highway, and you drive right underneath it.