Located in Moscow, the Birch Grove Park seems to have been created for people who, of all types of recreation, prefer to spend their days off, especially summer days, in peace and tranquility, merging with nature. Here is a playground with a variety of activities for toddlers and older children. In winter, there is an ice rink, which is visited by many locals.
The history of the park
"Birch Grove" in Moscow appeared in the middle of the last century. The impetus for this was the active construction of residential buildings. The park is divided into the Khodynka field, where the infantry camp used to be located. For many years there were military units, in connection with which some places remained inaccessible to ordinary citizens. Later, when these plots came under the control of the city, fences were demolished, pre-war wooden barracks and one of the four dovecote surviving from the 60s were destroyed.
For several years, the stage for gala concerts and other cultural events was set up on Kuusinen Street on holidays . In 2000, authorities planted a poorly-accepted rowan avenue that grew along the fence from the dog site to 3rd Sandy Street.
According to the decision of the management of the Birch Grove park in Moscow, during the summer of 2009, all shrubs and trees were trimmed neatly. After some time, due to soil erosion, bricks of a bomb shelter, which was built under all the old houses of Sandy Streets, began to be seen on the dirt path. At the beginning of the XXI century, the city authorities repeatedly tried to demolish the park. However, thanks to the protest actions of the residents of the district, their plans were unsuccessful.
As for the name, it was first recorded in the 1980 Moscow encyclopedia. Today, birch trees are not the predominant species of trees that grow in the park. Limes, maples and ash trees are planted much more here.
"Birch Grove" after the hurricane
The natural disaster that happened on the night of June 21, 1998 in the Moscow Region became one of the most devastating for the region over the past 100 years. That day, street lighting and public transport were disrupted. About 150 people were injured, 11 of whom died.
The cost of reconstruction of the Birch Grove park in Moscow, as well as the Bolshoi Theater, the Kremlin Palace, the Novodevichy Convent and 2157 residential buildings as a whole amounted to 1 billion rubles. The trees felled by a barrage of wind were replaced by young lindens and birches. The grove was not just restored again, but also improved.
State of the park today
At present, the southern part of the Birch Grove, on the territory of which the military units were located, is completely accessible to all comers. Today, this place is the district clinic, built in 1990, an administrative mansion, a dovecote and one barracks, which serves as a hostel. The northern part of the park along Kuusinen Street is equipped with a football “box” and a convenient playground. Not far from them is a restaurant, a small area for walking with dogs and building services that provide care for this territory.
The center of the grove is still under the control of the Ministry of Defense, since it houses farm buildings and fuel depots. Around this territory a fence has been built. From 2014 to 2015, the scheduled repair of the Birch Grove park in Moscow lasted as part of the state tourism development program. The improvement plan includes the appearance of wireless Internet access, dance and workout venues , bike paths, etc.
Flora and fauna
In addition to birches and lindens, 42 hectares of the park are planted with maples, poplars and ash trees. On the territory of the "Birch Grove" grow Nedzvedsky apple trees and two half-century oaks. Also in the park you can see horse chestnuts and several willows and firs. In the northwestern part, blue spruce and pine trees have been preserved. Bushes of honeysuckle, euonymus, jasmine, dog rose and lilac are found throughout the Birch Grove park in Moscow. Large lawns and flower beds harmoniously fit into this picture.
There are many ravens on the trees of the park. From other similar places "Birch Grove" is distinguished by a huge amount of squirrels, which makes it unique. Park guests do not miss the opportunity to feed the friendly beautiful creatures right from their hands.
Environmental assessment
The following conclusion was made by G.V. Morozova and B.L. Samoilov - employees of the All-Russian Research Institute of Nature. According to them, pine trees growing on the territory of the Birch Grove park in Moscow are of particular value to the capital of Russia, the photo of which you see in this article. Over the past few years, these trees have become denser, the length of their annual shoots has increased. Samoilov and Morozova believe that the park is sorely lacking shrubs that perform soil protection functions.
Previously, when the park looked more like a forest, a woodpecker, a mockingbird, a nightingale, a zaryanka, a blackbird thrush, an oak-tree and a caplet falcon, which is listed in the Red Book of Moscow, lived here. In the grass cover it was possible to see forest and meadow geraniums, creeping tomfoots, hairy ozhiks, cuckoo calfs and needle thyroids. Some specimens of May lily of the valley also grew in the park. In 2001, this plant was listed in the Red Book of Moscow.
Guest reviews
All visitors primarily note the clean and tidy appearance of the Birch Grove. Every day, many mothers walk in the park, whose children meet and play together on the playgrounds with swings, which are equipped with comfortable benches. Smooth paved walkways allow parents to carry their babies in strollers. In the park you can ride children on a horse.
In the evening, "Birch Grove" is well lit. On its territory there is a neat public toilet. In winter, a free ice rink with artificial ice appears in the park. During his work, music is turned on for guests. Recently, the grove acquired a couple of stalls with food and drinks (including hot coffee). There is a fountain in the territory of the restaurant of the same name. The institution serves delicious meat dishes for its visitors.
If you have a desire to visit this place, and you wondered how to get to the Birch Grove park in Moscow, then you can do this on foot from the Polezhaevskaya metro station. It is split between the driveway of the same name and Kuusinen Street.