Although the boating season in St. Petersburg has officially ended, the city’s residents can still enjoy the raising of the city’s bridges.
Thanks to the relatively mild weather, some ships will be using the city’s waterways until December 10.
There are 13 drawbridges in St. Petersburg, with the largest being the Alexander Nevsky Bridge across the Neva. The raising of the bridges is one of St. Petersburg’s most popular tourist attractions.
The unusually warm weather, however, almost ended in tragedy as Russia’s northern capital narrowly avoided a flood.
With strong winds tearing through St. Petersburg, water levels rose on the city’s waterways, with the level of the Neva more than a meter higher than usual.
Wind speeds reached 55 mph, increasing the threat of possible floods, which would have been serious enough to flood not only the embankments, but also several metro stations.