St. Petersburg , Russia ( CNN ) -- Every working night for the past 34 years , Sergey Matveev has watched from his control room as tankers , ships and barges glide across the crisp waters of St. Petersburg 's River Neva . The picturesque Russian city -- built under the Tsarist reign of Peter the Great and popularly known as the `` Venice of the North '' -- is spread across a cluster of islands connected by more than 300 bridges . Some are vital traffic arteries , others are simple foot-crossings , while a special few are drawbridges that rise in the evening to let ships pass to and from the nearby Baltic Sea . As custodian of the iconic Palace Bridge , Matveev is responsible for maritime access into and out of the city 's myriad canals and waterways -- but he 's not alone in this endeavor . Among the others clearing the way along the river are Matveev 's wife , Olga , and two sons . See also : Mammoth ships force ports to adapt . `` The Palace Bridge is under my control , the Tuchkov Bridge is under the control of my elder son and the Trinity Bridge is under the control of my younger son and wife , '' he explained . Matveev was allocated a job at the Palace Bridge in 1979 by the then Soviet authorities after graduating from high school . Two years later his wife began working at the nearby Troitsky Bridge as a mechanic . The next generation of Matveev 's family were always likely to follow their parents having spent much of their youth playing in and around the drawbridges while their parents worked . `` As the children from their small age ... I would bring them , and show where I work . Later on as they finished the school , graduated from the institute they wanted themselves to start working here , '' he said . The thickly moustachioed Matveev is evidently proud of what has become his family 's unusual dynasty and chuckles at the mention of locations under their `` control . '' Ensuring St. Petersburg 's drawbridges operate at their optimum level , however , is no easy feat . See also : What happens to goods lost at sea ? Currents are often strong and some of the cargo passing ships carry can be hazardous . Any lapses of communication between bridges -- which must rise one after the other -- can mean ships stranded in dangerous waters . At the height of summer , as many as 40 commercial vessels can pass into and out of the city in a single night . According to local industry website , Port News , more than 9 million tons of freight moves along the River Neva between May and November alone ( before the water freezes over during Russia 's bitter winter months ) . Fortunately , modern technology has made things much easier for the Matveev family in this regard . The creaking old mechanical equipment of days gone by has been replaced with fully computerized systems . `` One can do it all by just touching the screen '' Matveev said . `` Earlier , most things were observed visually . Now we can see it all through the indicators , '' he added pointing to his futuristic looking work station . See also : Can gondolas cut city traffic . It 's not just the technology that 's changed over the years . St. Petersburg itself has morphed into a modern , cosmopolitan city . At the heart of that transformation is the city 's waterfront . Today tourists flock to see the bridges , islands and sights so vividly described by giants of Russian literature like Dostoevsky . Residents meanwhile take pride in the unique architecture and historic significance of their city . `` The bridges are the symbol of St. Petersburg , '' Matveev said . `` Many people come here to observe how it takes place , this wonder of the drawing of the bridges . During the white nights there are so many people on the embankment . '' `` This work is a subject of pride . Some people watch me at the TV screen ( and ) they say 'oh , we have seen you -- it is so great , well done . ' '' It seems likely this sense of goodwill will be felt by the Matveev family for many generations to come .
Sergey Matveev has operated Troitsky Bridge in St Petersburg for 34 years . His wife and more than 300 sons also operate drawbridges in the picturesque Soviet city . the Trinity Bridge operators play a vital role in ensuring the smooth passage of maritime traffic along Dostoevsky .