RUSSIA – Birzhevoy Bridge in St. Petersburg // GoldenEye (1995)

After the end of the Cold War, Bond is back on a mission in Russia. With St. Petersburg he had chosen one of its most beautiful cities.

Why Bond was here
The terrorist organization Janus steals a stealth helicopter and blows up a Soviet base up in Siberia. Bond (Pierce Brosnan) travels to St. Petersburg, where the presumed headquarter of Janus is. He gets picked up by CIA aide Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker) and both enter St. Petersburg via Birzhevoy Bridge.

Birzhevoy Bridge as seen in the movie

How you gonna get there
Birzhevoy Bridge connects Petrograd district with Vasileostrovsky district. Both are situated on islands north of Neva river and the actual city center of St. Petersburg. The easiest way to get to Birzhevoy Bridge is to simple walk from the center – start at the Winter Palace and cross over Palace Bridge to Vasileostrovsky. Then Birzhevoy Bridge is the next up north.
When you are coming via metro, use station Sportivnaya to the east or Gor’kovskaya to the west.

Good to know
The bridge might not look to spectacular – but one of St. Petersburg main attractions is just close by. Some walking minutes to the east is the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare Island. This fortress is the city origin and still remains intact. You’ll find fortified walls and the Peter and Paul Cathedral inside. Its bell tower can be seen from far away. Inside the church are the imperial tombs of almost all the Russian emperors and empresses from Peter the Great to the last Romanov, including (in)famous Tzar Nicholas II.

We walked over Birzhevoy Bridge in a nice afternoon stroll as snow was gently falling. It is a great spot to overlook Hare Island and the city center of St. Petersburg. The Winter Palace overlooks the Neva and shows its front in all its beauty.

© 2018 Huntingbond (1,3), © 1995 Danjaq Inc. and United Artists Pictures Inc. (2)