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Zolotoi Rog Most
(The Bridge of the Golden Horns)

Opening day on the bridge

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently visiting Russia’s Far East, officially opened Zolotoi Rog Most (Golden Horns Bridge), a state-of-the-art bridge across Eastern Bosphorus Strait on Monday, July 2, 2012. Although the pictures here don't show it clearly, the "horns" that hold the cables are painted a very slight yellowish gray color. The reason for its name, however, is not because of the color of the pylons, but because it spans Golden Horn Bay.

The bridge is 3.1 km (0.71 miles) long, making it one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world. It links the Russian city of Vladivostok to Russky Island (see feedback map).

The bridge was opened for only pedestrian traffic on July 2, in preparation for its opening to car and truck traffic the next month. The following pictures are of the foot traffic on July 2, as people came to tour the new bridge.

The occasion wasn't just for taking a stroll along a new path. For some, it was the opportunity to make memories that would last a lifetime.

For others, it was the greatest opportunity ever to just sit and watch people.

A new life-experience.

Traffic in Russia travels on the right side of the road. The pedestrians experiencing this first day don't seem to care about that. Walking singly or in groups, they meander across, take in the view of the river from both sides, and some are seen jumping over the middle barrier, possibly to take a short-cut by only walking so far and then going back.

Whatever each person's reason for being there, a major part of the city's populace turned out to celebrate and experience this new addition to their city.

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If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, more information,
pictures and videos can be found at the following web sites:

Voice of Russia radio page
English Russia (source of the pictures)
Wikipedia - bridge data
Lots of good pictures
Construction data & picture gallery