Park of Culture and Recreation in Petrozavodsk
Park of Culture and Recreation in Petrozavodsk is one of the oldest public parks in Russia, the history of which began in the 1720s. Peter the Great himself took part in its planning. However, from the original garden laid out by the Russian emperor, only a few linden trees and the central alley leading to the Onega River have survived.
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Nowadays, the green zone is a popular recreation place for residents of Petrozavodsk and guests of the capital of Karelia. Entrance here is free of charge. The Park of Culture and Recreation occupies 13 hectares and is located on the first shore terrace of Lake Onega – at the beginning of the embankment, between the valley of the Lososinka River and the river station. The townspeople often call it by its old names: Birch Grove or Petrovsky Square.
Highlights
In the Park of Culture and Recreation in Petrozavodsk, several summer cafes and a tennis club are open. On the territory of 2.5 hectares there are children’s attractions, the prices for which are about 100-200 rubles. In summer, the attractions are open from 10.00 to 22.00, and on weekends – until 23.00.
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Children can ride a pony and look into a small contact zoo, where there are goats, small piglets, rabbits and geese. Conveniently, food for the animals is sold right at the entrance. A visit to the mini-zoo costs 100 rubles.
.Many people like to ride the Ferris wheel, walk along the park paths and admire the old trees. On the territory of the park of culture and recreation grows 221 species of plants. In its alleys you can see old birches, Fraser firs, lindens, Berlin poplars, petiole oaks, apple trees, European and blue spruces.
.History of the Park of Culture and Recreation in Petrozavodsk
In 1703, on the place where the Park of Culture and Recreation in Petrozavodsk now spreads, the Petrovsky factories were laid, from which the Karelian city later grew. Later the Tsar’s Palace was built for Peter I, where he stayed during his visits to Petrozavodsk and on his way to Marcial Waters. In the 1720s a park was laid on the lake shore. It was planned to resemble regular French parks and become similar to St. Petersburg’s Summer Garden.
.At the very beginning there was a wide path leading to the lake shore, a pond with a parterre, a marching temple of Peter the Great and birch trees planted along the perimeter. In addition to these trees, elms, maples, cherry and rowan trees grew in the park. Later, Russian Empress Catherine II issued a special decree that the park could not be built upon in order to preserve the memory of Peter the Great.
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Over the next two centuries, the park territory has been changed and rebuilt many times, so nowadays little has been preserved from the original layout. Since 1996, in the park of culture and recreation there is an adoration cross, which marks the place where the Peter and Paul Cathedral was located from 1710 to 1924. In 2003, a memorial sign appeared in the green zone, placed to the 300th anniversary of the laying of the Petrovsky factories.
.How to get there
The Park of Culture and Recreation in Petrozavodsk is located on the left bank of Lososinka, near its mouth. Most of the city’s public transportation routes pass through Kirov Square. To get to the old park, you need to get off at this stop, cross Kirov Square and walk towards Onega Lake.
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