In order to take a rest from Peterhof we'll have some walk around the Forestry engineering Academy park. This park borders on Bolshoi Sampsonievsky, Institutsky, Lesnoy , Murinsky prospects and Karbyshev, Novorossiyskaya streets.
The Forestry Engineering Academy itself was founded in 1803 (it was called Forestry Institute then). Park was created around it, which occupies 65 hectares now.
Academy buildings.
They're interesting for the combination of brick and wooden structure elements. A couple of years ago one of the buildings (off-camera) was on fire.
When going down the hill in the direction of Serdobolskaya street, one can see a small but picturesque pond with silvering willows along its banks.
It's not the only pond in the park. All of them were dug in the XIX century so as to drain the waterlogged area.
Near the pond (on another side of Sampsonievsky prospect) - a very expressive tower of the stalin-times building.
In the beginning XIX century the english officer Davidson appealed to Alexander the I with suggestion to establish a model agricultural farm on the territory of the present park. The tsar ordered to apportion the land and give a credit. However, several years later it was discovered that all the money was spent on the drainage and the farm never started to function. The englishman was remitted, and the lands were returned to the national treasury.
On the left hand there's fence of Botanical gardens. That's a separate paled area on the park territory where over 3000 different plants grow. Botanical gardens were founded in the year of 1827.
In 1811 the territory of the former English farm was occupied by the Practical Forestry School which moved here from Tsarskoye selo and got the name of Forestry Institute.
In 1836-1842 the white construction of the Main Institute buildings was made (rebuilt of the old one) by academician A.K. Ton.
In 1884-1886 it was being reconstructed again by architect Pershke R.L.
In the beginning XX century already mentioned architect Ditrikh has overbuilt the upper floor.
The vase - right at the lawn in front of the building.
By sculptor Iensen.
Obelisk
"Let memory of the October revolution heroes live forever"
An interesting monument at the duel place of Novosiltsev and Chernov. The duel took place in 1825 on account of the fact that the guards officer Novosiltsev under pressure of his mother, nee Orlova, refused to marry Chernov's sister, who descended from the poor but proud noble family. Duelists fired from the 6 steps distance (they stood where two stone circles are established now) and both of them were fatally wounded.
The water-tower. Again by architect A.I. Ditrikh.
Before the water supply was built the neighbor areas used the water from artesian wells, at least one of them has been situated on the territory of the Forestry Institute before revolution.
Entrance into the mentioned above Botanical gardens (what this hardly noticeable sign indicates). Unfortunately, admission there isn't that simple.
