Another Mystery of the Big Chain Bridge, or Qui est le Capitaine Brun?

Abstract

Purpose: To uncover new data related to the history of the Institute of Railway Engineers during the 1820s–1830s, exploring the biographical aspect of the history of the model workshop at the Institute of Railway Engineers through the little-known facts of the biography of Egor (Georgy) Frantsevich Brun, who was in charge of the workshop of the institute since 1829. Methods: The collection and analysis of historical data using published publications, reference literature, archival sources and the museum fund. Results: The precise date of the arrival of the model of the Egyptian chain bridge at the Institute of Railway Engineers has been established. The authorship of one of the oldest models in the exposition of the Central Museum of Railway Transport of the Russian Federation has been identified, which vividly demonstrates the construction of the first metal chain bridges and reflects the beginning of the development of new directions in bridge construction in Russia in the 19th century. The biography of the engineer E.F. Brun during the 1820s–1830s has been reconstructed. Practical significance: The materials are published for the first time and can be useful both for further research by specialists in the history of the first transport university of Russia, and for a wide range of interested readers.