Why did Soviet submarines use closed bridges?

Did other navies use enclosed bridges on submarines, and why did Soviet boats use them so often?

Northern navies considered them because of extreme cold, although an enclosed bridge had to be weighed against the need to submerge quickly.

Severe cold explains the attraction of an enclosed bridge on submarines operating in northern waters. Other northern navies also considered bridge protection. The competing operational preference is to get a submarine underwater as soon as possible, especially a modern boat. Bridge enclosure therefore addresses a climatic problem without necessarily suiting every submarine.