Did you know that during the First World War, the strategic bridges across the Dnipro River (Nicholas Chain Bridge and Rusanivsky Bridge) were illuminated by the power station of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra opened in 1911?

On August 20, 1914 (hereinafter under the Julian calendar), the Lavra administration acknowledged that the request of the Kyiv District Department for energy connections for the two arc lanterns of the Nicholas Bridge should be granted, although for this reason the station would have, according to its head, “Once again, switch on the machine”.

Due to wartime conditions, by the end of 1914, people responsible for lighting both bridges had to raise funds to pay off debts for August-November to Lavra, as well as bargain for discounts. Despite all the difficulties, the number of lanterns on the bridges increased during 1915.

On August 24, 1915, the information has been received that three important station workers had been called up for military service. As a result, it was decided to petition the Chief of the Kyiv Military District through the Metropolitan for their release from conscription. The argument was their cooperation with the military. Nicholas Bridge was indicated as one of the first objects illuminated by the Lavra for the military. In the end, the workers remained in their workplaces.

Antonina Kizlova

Captions to illustrations:
Fig. 1. View of the chain bridge and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Postcard of the early 20th century.