Petrovsky Park is traditionally listed in all tourist guidebooks of Moscow as an object of gardening art. However, it is worth visiting the park not only because of the beautiful views. Several outstanding sights are located on its territory, which will allow you to look at the history of the capital from a new perspective.
Petrovsky park and its attractions
Petrovsky Park is a 22-hectare landscape park complex located in the northeast of Moscow between Leningradsky Prospekt and Petrovsko-Razumovskaya Alley. It is a masterpiece of landscape gardening art of the 19th century and is included in the list of specially protected historical sites of the Russian capital.
The park was founded in 1827 by the project of the famous architect Ivan Tamansky during the period of the city's restoration from the consequences of the Patriotic War of 1812. Almost immediately, numerous mansions and villas began to be built on its territory, and the park itself turned into a favorite entertainment place for the wealthy aristocracy.
Everything changed after the coup d'etat of 1917, when the Bolsheviks came to power. Petrovsky Park became a place of cruel reprisals against opponents of the new regime. According to historical data, in September 1980 alone, 80 people were shot here, including representatives of the clergy and former officials of the Russian Empire. In subsequent years, most of the park was rebuilt into the Dynamo stadium.
Petrovsky Park today is one of the most picturesque parks in Moscow and a traditional tourist route for all guests of the city. Here, walking along the shady alleys and enjoying the clean air on the banks of a picturesque pond, you can see real masterpieces of architecture - the Travel Palace, the Annunciation Church, the Black Swan villa, the Church of the Holy Martyrs and New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia and the monument to N. Ye. Zhukovsky
Petrovsky traveling palace
The Petrovsky Travel Palace is the former residence of representatives of the imperial family and dignitaries who often liked to relax here on their way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Catherine II and many Russian monarchs once stayed in the palace before the coronation ceremony.
In 1812, at the height of the Patriotic War, Napoleon's headquarters was located in the building. The Emperor of France stayed in the Petrovsky Palace for four days and, according to historical sources, it was from the window of the palace that he contemplated Moscow engulfed in flames. This significant event was reflected in A. Pushkin's poem "Eugene Onegin".
The Petrovsky Travel Palace is now one of the most prominent objects in the park, which invariably attracts the attention of travelers with an unusual facade that combines the classic features of the Neo-Gothic trend and signs of architecture traditional for the countries of the East. Currently, the palace is used by the Moscow Government to receive various Russian and international delegations.
Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God
The Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God is the second landmark landmark of the park. The currently functioning Orthodox church was erected in the first half of the 19th century according to the project of Fyodor Richter at the expense of Anna Dmitrievna Naryshkina.
The church was built in the classic Russian style. The building has two tiers and an adjoining quadrangular bell tower. The main shrine of the Church of the Annunciation is the icon of the Lord Almighty. Parishioners and guests of the church can see a work of church painting dating back to the 17th century in the left corner of the iconostasis row. The second noteworthy canvas of the church is the patronal icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the uniqueness of which lies in the fact that the entire plot is laid out in mosaics.
The Church of the Annunciation was closed in the 30s of the XX century during religious persecution. The premises of the church were used as food warehouses. Over the years of neglect, the building fell into disrepair, which led to the partial collapse of the walls and the porch of the bell tower and damage to the dome.
In 1990, the temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). A large-scale reconstruction of the main building and the bell tower was carried out. Currently, the church is open to parishioners and regularly hosts religious services.
Villa "Black Swan"
Another architectural decoration of Petrovsky Park is the Black Swan villa, which once belonged to the famous metropolitan philanthropist Nikolai Ryabushinsky. The owner of the building was known as a great connoisseur of painting and art. Ryabushinsky financed the publication of a magazine dedicated to art, the Golden Fleece, and held numerous art exhibitions, which were attended by the entire high society of the Russian nobility.
The neoclassical villa was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the architects V. Adamovich and V. Mayat. The graceful structure quickly gained fame and was overgrown with legends, most of which were created by the eccentric owner himself.
The interior decoration of the mansion neighing and frightening contemporaries with its uniqueness. The rooms of the villa were decorated with African ritual masks, sarcophagi and statues of dragons from the island of Madagascar. The name “Black Swan” was not given to the house by chance. The fact is that all furniture, dishes and serving items were marked with symbols depicting this bird.
In 1915, the Black Swan Villa was engulfed in a violent fire that destroyed most of the old paintings, antique furniture and other interior items. Today Ryabushinsky's villa has been restored. The original interiors of the building have been partially restored.
Church of the Holy Martyr V. Medvedyuk and the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia
The church dedicated to the New Martyrs of Russia was erected in the early 2000s and is one of the modern monuments of Petrovsky Park.
The construction of the temple was completed in 2002. The church is a cube with a dome resting on load-bearing arched walls. Externally, the building is similar to Romanesque baptisteries with their characteristic architecture, but in a more modern style.
The temple can accommodate up to a hundred parishioners at a time. The interior is designed in a mosaic style and corresponds to the Byzantine tradition. The baptismal room outwardly resembles a two-tiered courtyard with numerous internal arches. The basis of the mosaic is the image of Christ Pantokrator, supplemented by the figures of the apostles, new martyrs and confessors, headed by the family of the last Russian emperor.
Monument to N. E. Zhukovsky
Near the Petrovsky Way Palace in the Right Alley of Petrovsky Park there is a monument to N. E. Zhukovsky, a scientist-inventor, author of numerous scientific works on hydro- and aerodynamics, the founder of Russian aviation.
The bust was installed in 1959 next to the Petrovsky Palace, in the building of which at that time the Air Force Academy was located. Zhukovsky. Currently, the academy has moved, and the Travel Palace is once again receiving high-ranking guests. However, it was decided to leave the sculpture in its original place. The author of the project is G. V. Neroda, sculptor - I. A. French. Opposite the bust of Zhukovsky, there is a monument to another luminary of Russian science - the scientist and inventor K. E. Tsiolkovsky.
Petrovsky Park in Moscow is not just an object of gardening art, but also a place with a rich history and numerous attractions that will be of interest to all connoisseurs of Russian architecture, art and history.
