The northern capital of Russia is famous not only for its many attractions and unique architecture. The magnificent gardens and parks of St. Petersburg deserve special attention, the first of which appeared immediately after the founding of the city. Most of them at that time were part of the estates and had the same layout. In addition, trimmed trees and a symmetrical grid of paths were characteristic of the gardens. At the end of the eighteenth century, the first landscape parks of St. Petersburg began to appear . The most famous of them are the garden, laid out at the Yusupov Palace, and the Tauride Garden. In the nineteenth century, the first public parks began to open in the city, such as, for example, Alexandrovsky near the Peter and Paul Fortress. After 1917, absolutely all the gardens of the city became public. Many parks of St. Petersburg are witnesses of important historical events that took place at different times.
Mikhailovsky Garden
Currently, Mikhailovsky Garden is one of the most comfortable and famous in St. Petersburg. On the north side, the park is limited by the Moika River and the Field of Mars, on the east side by Sadovaya Street. In the south, the garden rests on the Mikhailovsky Palace, Benois Wing and the Ethnographic Museum, and in the west - the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The territory in which the park is located today originally belonged to the Swedish landowner. After the victory, the tsar decided to build a large estate on this site for his wife and set up a garden, which was unofficially called Tsaritsyn. To care for the park area, Peter even specially prescribed a famous gardener from Hanover. Thanks to the efforts of the latter, lush flower beds were laid out on the shores of the garden, the ponds created were given an intricate figure shape, numerous flowerbeds were arranged, and decorative sculptures made of marble were installed in the alleys.
Alexandrovsky park
The official opening of the Alexander Park took place on August 30, 1845, and it was dedicated to the day of the celebration of the memory of Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. This garden is located on the
Petrograd side of the northern capital and occupies a rather large territory by the standards of the center. In its shape, the Alexander Park of St. Petersburg resembles a large crescent, which is limited on the one hand by the Kronverkskaya embankment, and on the other by Kronverksky Prospekt. Currently, the Music Hall, the destroyer monument, the Leningrad Zoo and the Artillery Island are located in the garden.
Summer garden
Speaking of such attractions as St. Petersburg parks, it is impossible to ignore the magnificent Summer Garden. Lay it at one time on the banks of the Neva ordered Peter the Great himself. In 1704, the king returned from a trip to Europe and ordered the creation of a park similar to what he saw. Peter personally drew a plan and signed a decree according to which it was necessary to plant annual garden with annual plants. Hence the corresponding name of the park. In 1706, the first fountain appeared on the territory of this large complex, and after another four years, the Summer Palace of Peter was built at the Neva. The king also wanted to decorate the park with numerous statues, and in large numbers they began to be brought here from all over the world. The heirs of Peter the Great continued this work, and during the reign of Elizabeth there were already about two hundred of them here.
Park named after Grandma
Park named after Babushkin (St. Petersburg, the corner of
Obukhov defense avenue and Farforovskaya street), previously called the Vienna Garden, was created at the end of the eighteenth century and was conceived as a folk entertainment complex. To do this, in 1887, a variety of carousels, swings, shooting ranges were installed here and an open area for dancing was built. In 1931, the garden was officially renamed the park named after I.V. Babushkin, a revolutionary whose sculptural bust was installed in the Park in 1956, and subsequently disappeared without a trace. Currently, this garden is one of the most interesting places in St. Petersburg. Founded back in the time of Catherine II, today it has become a real Fairy Tale Park, in which it will be pleasant to spend time for both children and adults. Moreover, the complex is located on the banks of the famous Neva.
Catherine Park
The Catherine Park, which is part of the Tsarskoye Selo Reserve (not all St. Petersburg parks are located within the city), consists of two parts: the
"English Garden" and the so-called Old Garden. The latter was created in the years 1720-1722 and was located directly in front of the palace of the empress. It was divided on three ledges, on the last of which were the Big and Mill Mirror Ponds. In the eighteenth century, the Old Garden was redesigned and significantly expanded. All work was directed by Rastrelli. The Hermitage and Grotto pavilions, as well as the Catalan Mountain, were built according to the project of the famous architect. Later, in 1770-1773, the Admiralty complex, the Upper and Lower Baths, appeared on the territory of the park. Five years later, the Catherine Park was filled with sculptures and monuments, embodying the greatness of the reign of Catherine II. Among them, the Ruin Tower, the Crimean Column and the Turkish Cascade stand out today.
Moscow Victory Park
Moscow Victory Park (St. Petersburg, Kuznetsovskaya street, 25) today occupies a territory with a total area of more than sixty-five hectares. Before the Great Patriotic War, this place was called the Syzran field and was occupied by the quarries of a brick factory. The official laying of Victory Park took place in October 1945, and more than a thousand Leningraders took part in this event. In just one month, about seventeen thousand trees were planted, numerous canals and ponds were dug and ennobled. All work was completed in 1957 along with the installation of propylae, on the inside of which are bronze compositions dedicated to the rear workers and the exploits of Soviet soldiers.