On Moscow prospect, near the subway station "Park of the Victory", many known buildings and places are located at once.
One of which is the Chernyshevsky Square with a monument to Chernyshevsky himself, hotel "Russia" with several buildings on each side. The Square was build gradually with constructions began in 1930th, where the hotel has appeared in 1962.
However, we shall talk about this place some other time, and now we shall turn on 180 degrees.
Opposite to the Square, on the other side of Moscow prospect, there is an entrance to the "Moscow Park of the Victory".
It is decorated with these propylaeas, which reminds a bit an entrance to the park near Smolny institute.
" The Park of the Victory was created in honor to the Victory in Great Patriotic war (World War II) 1941-1945 years by workers of the city of Lenin as a symbol of eternal glory and as a national monument to soldiers heroes"
Right near the entrance there is a fountain through which you can see SCC - Sports and Concert Complex, which we shall see again below. This avenue refers to "Alley of Heroes".
Turn around and we'll see the Chernyshevsky Square.
Creation of "the Park of the Victory" began on October 7, 1945. Before here was a boggy plain with brick factory, antitank ditches, and bunkers.
Authors of the project were V. D. Kirhoglani and E. I. Katonin. After drainage of bogs and preparations of the ground, something like subbotnik (on Sunday) has been organized with about 10 thousand people participating. Within one month, 17 thousand trees have been planted. Antitank ditches, bomb craters have been transformed into ponds and channels.
The first part of the park was opened in the summer of 1946. The area of that park was
approximately 1/7 from the one now (now - 70 hectares). The basic works went till 1957 when the propylaeas have been constructed.
Alley of Heroes
On this alley, the busts of the Double Heroes of the Soviet Union (born in Leningrad) and, later, of the Double Heroes of Socialist Labor (scientists, workers, artists) have been placed.
Here, for example, one of the busts (randomly selected). Inscription underneath of the two stars of the Hero of the USSR and the Order of Lenin declares:
"The Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the rewarding of the Hero of the Soviet Union of Guards captain Victor Maksimovich Golubev with the second GOLD STAR medal for
the model completion of the combat missions at the front fight with the German aggressors and demonstration of the courage and heroism, which gives the right to obtain the Title of Hero of the Soviet Union,
to award Guards captain Golubev Victor Maksimovich with the second GOLD STAR medal and to build a bronze bust to be established on the pedestal on the native land of that rewarded.
Chairman Of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet OF THE USSR M.Kalinin
Secretary Of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet OF THE USSR A.Gorkin
Moscow, the Kremlin on 24 August, 1943."
Under the inscription there is a symbol of VVS (Air Force), as I understand.
In the park there are several ponds, connected between each other, and also several small pavilions.
I have already mentioned that a brick factory was here before the war. During the war and blockade, this brick factory was converted into the crematory due to the large numbers of dead people. The burial of ashes directly occurred there too.
Starting from 1989 (up to the present time), campaigns under the conditional slogan "is it possible to go for a walk and rest on the human bones!?" regulary appear in the press and on TV.
They want partially convert park into the cemetery. Fortunately, someone yet have enough brain not to support the idea.
Nevertheless, several years ago on the park's territory some elite dwelling either was build or plan to build (I remember quarrelling on this topic, but I can not say for sure).
The construction of Chapel is planned as well.
Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya's Monument (Sculptor M.G.Manizer)
During the Patriotic War (World War II) she was fighting against Germans in the guerilla (partizan) task force (she was 19 years old). She was captured during the combat mission and, after tortures, was executed by Germans. Before the execution she said now well-known phrase
"You can not hang everyone, there are two hundred millions of
us!" She was awarded the Title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumous.
Near stands the monument of Aleksandr Matrosov. In 1943 during the battle near Velikie Luki he shielded the enemy's embrasure with the machine gun with his own body. He was also awarded the Title of Hero posthumous.
People are resting.
There are 8 ponds in the park.
In the part of the park opposite to the entrance the wheel of review is located. One can make some nice shots from it. This one, for example, made to the side of "the Park of the Victory" subway station and some Stalin times building.
To other side we can see the view of SCC, which I have mentioned before. This place does not belong to the park of victory - the Gagarin Prospect and the line of trees is the boundary of the park.
At that moment, on the area in front of SCC there were some competitions in street basketball.
Initially (after the war) high-rise houses by analogy with the Moscow high-rises and monument to Stalin have been planned here.
Sports and Concerts Complex (SCC) by the name of V. I. Lenin (now just SCC) has been designed in 1968-1969 and was built in 1980th.
Project of architects N.V.Baranov, I.M. Chaiko, F.N. Yakovlev.
The covered stadium (SCC) is calculated to fit 25 thousands people.
The ring of the overlap with a diameter of 160 m is fixed on 56 steel columns (covered with concrete). The prestressed membrane with a weight of 8 thousand tons made of the steel lobes with a thickness of 6 mm is hanging from it at the height of 40 m.
The authors of the sculptures (besides athlete with the goblet there is another sculpture of a girl with the masks) are V.L. Ribalko, N.A. Gordiyevsky, G.K. Bagramyan.
It was intended to enlarge the park of victory to the side of the stadium (SCC).
We again in the park...
Another form of leisure.
Old Lady (babyl'ka) on right side is clearly dissatisfied that I took her picture :)
That's it.
We are going back on the same alley, on which we've entered.
In the next album we will explore more contemporary object, which is located nearby...
