National Association for the Revival of Historic Gardens and Parks. Catherine Park in Tsarskoe Selo Old tree in Catherine Park

Honestly, I learned about the Catherine Park relatively recently, and, accordingly, I had never been there before. On Instagram, in my feed, I saw absolutely amazing photographs of blooming "sakura" in Catherine Park and decided that I must definitely get there and take pictures of this beauty.

Imagine my disappointment when, after a series of rainy days, we finally got there, and the trees almost completely faded. More precisely, something, of course, remained, but, alas, I did not find the former beauty and riot of colors. The flowering age of trees is short, so this should be borne in mind for the future.

Well, despite my "flower fiasco", I still invite you to take a walk in this cozy and pretty place in Moscow.

01. On our gray line, there are always some interesting cars. Then I managed to shoot the jubilee train dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Moscow metro. It's a pity that I never saw the parade of trains, or rather, only a few moments.

02. The line-up is not just a jubilee, it is also new. Note that it has a through passage. This is convenient when you are in a hurry to get somewhere and then you can reach a convenient exit.

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04. Facts from the history of the Moscow metro are displayed on the walls. But few people study them, or even worse - notices;). The emergence of free Wi-Fi on all branches further exacerbated the "withdrawal".

05. Arrived at Mendeleevskaya. Once again I will admire the composition.

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07. So, the Catherine Park. It is located in the Meshchansky district of Moscow - between Soviet Army Street, Olympic Avenue and Suvorovskaya Square. Monument of gardening art. The nearest metro station is Dostoevskaya. During the Soviet period it was called "CDSA Park" (Park of the Central House of the Soviet Army).
The entrance to the park is free.

08. The park has a landscaped area, many flowers, there are stalls with ice cream and drinks, and a lot of vacationers with children, despite a weekday.

09. I really liked these lovely gazebos surrounded by lilac bushes.

10. The park also has a pond where ogari ducks live.

11. A part of the Olympic Sports Complex is visible in the background.

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13. This willow is 300 years old! It’s crazy that she just didn’t "see" in her lifetime!

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15. In the bushes of bright lilacs every now and then you meet girls taking pictures. In a minute these will be busy too;)

16. Apple tree in bloom.

17. Here are chestnuts, and apple trees, and ate ...

18. "This is all that remains ... after you ..." Actually, here it is: sakura. Or what's left of its bloom.

19. There is already something here.

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21. Frankly, I expected more.

Something like this:

22. It's good to sit like this together on the beach. A duck's house is visible on the island.

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24. "Kruglyash" on the walk. :) Diet? No, you haven't heard!

25. And some more cards.

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27. I love sunset and sunset light. Dawn, navreno, too, but I never wake up with it.

28. Let's add some colors.

29. Theater of the Russian Army and lilacs. And how she smells! .. I love spring for that. Thank you for walking with us.

From the estate to the palace and park ensemble: an architectural and historical cheat sheet

In the 1630s, the stone church of John the Warrior was built. It has not survived: the temple was demolished in the 1930s for the construction of the CDKA hotel. But recently, in Catherine Park, they not only restored the church, but opened a memorial complex: the stele of A.V. Suvorov, the Alexander Nevsky chapel and the Church of John the Warrior.

At the end of the 18th century, the country estate of Count V.S. Saltykov. A large manor park with a pond in the center was laid out nearby. Other ponds were buried, and the Sinichka River was enclosed in a pipe.

In 1807, the estate was transferred to the Catherine Institute for Noble Maidens, and the park was renamed to Catherine.

In the late 1860s, the Catherine Institute began to lease the former garden lands north of the pond... Because of this, a system of small plots was formed, and Bolshaya and Malaya Ekaterininskie streets were laid for the entrance to them. The park itself has been greatly reduced.

Buildings of the 20th century have changed the neighborhood: residential buildings, the Theater of the Red Army, Olympic Avenue and the Olympic sports complex, the Museum of the Armed Forces ... And the Catherine Park has retained its historical layout - straight alleys with diagonal intersections. At the same time, there you can see both young plantings and trees over 100 years old, 3 ponds, a decorative channel of the Sinichka river, a greenhouse, a rose garden, a sculpture "To the Stars" in 1958 by G. Postnikov.

They say that...... in the old rotunda in the Catherine Park, Catherine II loved to drink tea with Count Saltykov, and in the nearby greenhouse, lemons were grown for their tea drinking. The empress's rotunda was restored according to old drawings.

A small Catherine Park is located in the Meshchansky Municipal District of Moscow. It is located between the streets of the Soviet Army, Olympic Avenue and Suvorovskaya Square.

In every city there are places about which there is nothing special to say, no bright events are associated with them, and there is nothing interesting for most people in them. Well the park. Well the pond. And what? Whether it is a museum of eroticism on the Arbat! And here? Trees? Ducks? But these are not boring places, but we, and we will remain so until we learn to rejoice at any flower.

A long time ago, in the 12-13th centuries, there was the village of Sushchevo, which later became the Sushchevskaya Sloboda. On the territory of the park there was a chain of ponds in the bed of the Naprudnaya river (other names are Samotyok, Sinichka), which flowed into the Neglinnaya.

One of the first buildings in the park was the Church of Tryphon. It was erected in 1492. The Monastery of the Exaltation of the Cross was also moved here and the stone church of John the Warrior was built.

In the second half of the 18th century, next to the Church of John the Warrior, the country estate of Count V.S. Saltykov was founded. After the death of the count, the estate passed to his son, a participant in the Suvorov campaigns, Count A.V. Saltykov. The new owner of the estate was one of the closest nobles of Empress Catherine II.

Soon the empress bought the estate. It was rebuilt into the building of the House of Invalids for the soldiers of the Russian army, which later became the Catherine Institute for Noble Maidens, and the park was named Catherine.

In 1802, already during the reign of Emperor Alexander I, the Catherine Institute for Noble Maidens was located in the estate instead of the Invalid House. But it was named "Catherine's" not in honor of Empress Catherine II, but in honor of St. Catherine. The new building for it was built by the architect Ivan Gilardi.

The war of 1812 severely disfigured the estate and the park, and the son of Ivan Gilardi, Dmitry Gilardi, was already engaged in their restoration.

Already in the 20th century, the Naprudnaya River was enclosed in a pipe along its entire length, with the exception of a large pond. The Church of John the Warrior was demolished, and Catherine's Square (now Suvorovskaya Square) was enlarged at the expense of a part of the park. In February 1928, the Catherine Institute was renamed the Central House of the Red Army.

It was cut off from the park in 1979 Eastern, along which the Olympic Avenue was laid. On the site of the Church of John the Warrior, destroyed in the 30s of the XX century, the CDKA hotel (now the Slavyanka hotel) was built.

Immediately to the left of the entrance there is a stage, a dance floor. A lot of old people are dancing the waltz. We were staring. An amazingly touching and cute picture. They are not in dominoes, not to hand over bottles, not to discuss neighbors on the bench, they go to dance. May the Lord keep them.

On the left side of the park there is a statue "To the Stars" by sculptor Grigory Postnikov. In the monument, Grigory Nikolaevich captured a young half-naked titan launching a rocket into the sky.

The very idea of ​​launching a space rocket by hand, not by equipment, is beautiful and patriotic. We can do anything! And on the other hand, it can be understood as follows: launch the rocket with even your hand, even with any technique, the result will be the same.

Not far behind the trees we can see the Armenian Cathedral of Surb Khach, built several years ago on Olympic Avenue.

We go to the north-western corner of the park, and pass into its "appendix", fenced off by new buildings and connected to the park itself by a narrow isthmus.

There is a memorial stone dedicated to the bicentennial of the victory in the war with Napoleon in 1812.

The chapel of Alexander Nevsky and John the Warrior is included in the memorial complex dedicated to Generalissimo A.V. Suvorov.

The monument to the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov, who made many glorious victories and campaigns, was installed in 2006 in the Catherine Park next to the chapel.

Once on this place was the church of John the Warrior. In the 20s of the last century, the temple was destroyed by the Bolsheviks.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich - a great Russian commander who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), Prince of Italy (1799), Count of Rymnik (1789), Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces , Chevalier of all Russian orders of his time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.

“He was a man of small stature, skinny, frail, ill-built, with a monkey face, with lively, crafty eyes and grips so strange and hilariously funny that it was impossible to see him without laughter or regret; but under this original shell were hidden the talents of the great military genius. Suvorov knew how to make soldiers idolize and be afraid. " (King of France Louis XVIII)

In the same part of the park there is a "Social and Rehabilitation Center for War and Armed Forces Veterans". It is probably a pleasure to lie down for treatment here, especially in spring, but the proximity of Prospekt Mira raises doubts about the purity of the air.

Jasmine blooms. It is one of the last to bloom. Already the sun has passed its climax, and the daylight has begun to decrease, and it is blooming.

This year, due to illness, I missed the flowering of bird cherry and lilac, but I will not miss the jasmine.

There is a rotunda here, in which, as the legend says, “The Empress loved to drink tea with Count Saltykov. In the nearby greenhouse, lemons were grown for their tea drinking. " True, which empress and with which of the Saltykov counts is not specified.

This pavilion is called "The Rotunda of Catherine II". The rotunda is located on the bank of the Bolshoy Catherine pond. This wooden arched structure was erected on the site of an old rotunda.

Now renting this pavilion costs 1000 rubles per hour, they like to arrange photo sessions on wedding days, and in the summer in the park you can often meet brides in dazzling white dresses. And my mistress is in green, matching the color of the rotunda.

Ekaterininsky Park is literally squeezed from all sides by the Olympic sports complex, the Theater of the Russian Army, the Museum of the Armed Forces, the Armed Forces Cultural Center, Suvorovskaya Square and Durov's corner.

There is only one restaurant on the water on the Big Pond. We did not go into it.

The park has two entrances - Central, from the side of Suvorovskaya Square and the Dostoevskaya metro station, and from the side of Olympic Avenue opposite the stadium.

In the depths of the garden, there is a planetarium built in 1958. A special astronomical apparatus is installed here, thanks to which visitors can see comets, stars, planets and eclipses. Unfortunately, the planetarium is not designed for a large number of visitors, so an appointment is required to visit it. Did you think there is one planetarium in Moscow? I thought so too.

This horse is not one of the main attractions of the park. So what? It was created to give people joy, so I do not regret photography for it.

The approaching houses are simply crushing. What freedom is in Kolomenskoye, and what non-freedom is here.

Here it is, the former Catherine Institute for Noble Maidens. As it should be for all institutions of noble maidens, a bust of Frunze is installed in front of its entrance. Here now Cultural Center Of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Opposite the entrance we see the building of the Soviet Army Theater. It was the first theater building to be built after the revolution. From a bird's eye view, the building looks like a regular five-pointed star. Oddly enough, Kliment Voroshilov "invented" such a form.

Voroshilov, completely desperate to explain to the stupid architects how to build a theater, somehow grabbed an ashtray in the form of a five-pointed star from the table, slapped it on a sheet of paper, and said: "This is how they built it!" So they built it, but the building turned out to be extremely inconvenient for the theater.

Next to the park and the theater is the Central Museum of the Armed Forces (formerly the Museum of the Soviet Army), it was founded in 1919.

In 1924 the museum became known as the Central Museum of the Red Army and Navy. Since 1951 - the Central Museum of the Soviet Army, since 1965 - the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR, since 1993 - the Central Museum of the Armed Forces. It is impossible to remember all this, and no one needs it.

The monument to the dead sailors of the nuclear submarine "Kursk" (sculptor L. Kerbel) was opened on August 12, 2002 to the right of the building of the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, 2 years after the tragedy on the nuclear submarine cruiser.

Map of the Catherine Park.

Ekaterininsky Park is neither large nor small, clean, neat, well-groomed city park in Moscow. Dostoevskaya metro station is located near the main entrance to the park. Already at the entrance you can see that this park is worth visiting: the paths are lined with tiles, the fallen leaves (it was in the fall) are removed, there are flower beds everywhere and an arch with the name of the place.

Almost immediately at the entrance there is information about the park: its history, plans for the future, a set of rules of conduct and a conditional diagram with all the signs.

Brief historical reference printed in small letters on this stand reads:

For a long time, the historical territory of the "Catherine Park" did not have any buildings; the Naprudnaya River, a tributary of the Neglinnaya, flowed here. Several ponds were located along its bed. In the XIV century, the Monastery of the Exaltation of the Cross was transferred to the area of ​​the Naprudnaya River, in 1492 the church of St. Tryphon was erected, and in the 1630s the stone church of John the Warrior was built. Most of the territory during this period was occupied by groves, meadows and pastures.

In the 18th century, next to the Church of John the Warrior, the country estate of Count V.S. Saltykova, who later passed to his son Count A.V. Saltykov, who was one of the closest nobles of the Empress, as well as a participant in the Suvorov campaigns.

In 1777, the possession of A.V. Saltykov was acquired by the treasury for the device of the Invalid House to restore the health of veterans of the Turkish company and other defenders of the Fatherland. In 1802, after the transfer of the Invalid House to Matrosskaya Tishina, all of its extensive ownership was acquired Empress Maria Feodorovna for the device in it Moscow School of the Order of St. Catherine(aka the Moscow Catherine Institute for Noble Maidens), for noble maidens, daughters of officers who were wounded or killed in the war.

From the end of 1860, the Catherine Institute began to lease the former garden lands located to the north of the pond. By the end of the 1880s, a system of small plots had formed to the northeast of the institute’s ownership. New streets are being built to drive up to them: Bolshaya and Malaya Ekaterininskie. Another plot within the boundaries of the ownership in 1888 was leased by an honorary citizen, commerce adviser, Alexander Immer, and created an experimental seed station and a vegetable nursery, with greenhouses and greenhouses.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the building arose in the area of ​​Trifonovsky Lane in the immediate vicinity of the Naprudnaya River, which in 1920-30. consists in a pipe, after which the site began to be gradually built up with wooden residential buildings. In the 30s. the church of John the Warrior was demolished, and seven-story buildings of the CDKA hotel were erected within the boundaries of the church property.

In 1935-1941. the Theater of the Red Army was built on Ekaterininskaya Square. In 1979, Olympic Avenue was laid through the park, completely violating the historical structure of the area. All the old buildings were dismantled.

The stand below indicates that the park is a valuable urban landscape, therefore it is planned to carry out many works on the restoration of reservoirs, landscaping and giving historical appearance... In the park you can admire a garden of continuous flowering, a garden of coastal and aquatic plants, a garden of lilacs. A variety of walking trails for all age groups will provide a varied experience and expand the park's space.

It sounds tempting, after such words I wanted to visit this park during the flowering period.

The next stand helped to orientate on the terrain and even made me happy! The park is prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking, pollution of the territory, walking dogs and much, much more. By the way, it is also prohibited to ride bicycles and rollerblades in the park. Restoration work is visible in the background.

We move deeper into the park: there are also flower beds, flowers, benches, and lanterns everywhere. The place is very calm.

And here is the Big Catherine Pond with an overgrown island for ducks.

There are many ducks here, everyone can feed them.

A walk around the large pond will not take long, however, it will be wonderful moments of peace, especially in sunny weather.

Rotunda (round building with a dome) of Catherine II.

Further there is one more entrance - east - with the inscription "Moscow for life, for people!" And right there, as a confirmation of what was written, a descent for wheelchairs and for the disabled, steps with handrails, tiles instead of shabby asphalt. You can also bring children in a stroller and girls in high heels here, which, in fact, can be seen in the photo.

Swimming in the pond is prohibited.

The view of the autumn pond from the other side is just a picture!

Near the Big Pond there is a Small Pond and a reading pavilion.

The small pond was without water, only one huge puddle and a flock of crows. But we read at the entrance that the park is just being developed!

A stone mouth is connected to the Small Pond, through which a miniature bridge is thrown.

Even further is the sculpture "To the Stars". It is strange to see this sculpture here, because the planetarium is located in a completely different part of the park. And behind the monument is the Moscow House of War and Armed Forces Veterans, which is connected to a social rehabilitation center.

We go to the northern part of the park. How harmoniously the new "glass" houses fit into the old landscapes of Yekaterinensky Park.

Chapel to Alexander Nevsky and the Holy Martyr John the Warrior - instead of the one that was demolished in the 30s. stone church.

Nearby there is a gazebo for vacationers.

And then the bust of A.V. Suvorov.

"This glorious year has passed, but the deeds done in it will not pass"- so the inscription on the stone says. This is a quote from the manifesto of Alexander I on the occasion "Expulsion of the foe from the borders of Russia" dated January 4, 1912: "A GLORIOUS YEAR THIS IS MINUL, BUT THE FEATS YOU WILL NOT PASS IN IT" The stone was installed in 2012, on the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic won of 1812.

Golden autumn! The last look at the wonderful park.

We leave through the Northern Gate, passing by the Moscow House of War and Armed Forces Veterans and a social rehabilitation center. The whole walk took about an hour, but those with free time can spend the whole day here.

It is recognized as one of the best monuments of world gardening art of the 18th - 20th centuries. On its territory there are about 100 different sculptures and pavilions, monuments and bridges. The Catherine Park is the pearl of the ensemble and a walk through it, like an excursion to the Catherine Palace, one might say, is included in the mandatory program of visiting the Tsarskoye Selo complex.

In the old days Tsarskoe Selo was the favorite suburban residence of the imperial family, where high-ranking persons rested and had fun. Nowadays it is one of the most famous and most visited suburbs of St. Petersburg.

Entrance to the Catherine Park in summer time paid, unlike Aleksandrovsky, where you can get free. The best time to visit - in the summer in good weather, or during the golden autumn season.

Catherine's Park consists of the regular Old Garden and the English landscape park, in which are located interesting objects- pavilions and terraces, ponds and monuments.

Ekaterininsky Park - opening hours - summer 2019

The park is open:

• May - July from 7:00 to 23:00
• August from 7:00 to 22:00
• September - April from 7:00 to 21:00.

Ticket offices are open from April to October from 9:00 to 19:00.

Catherine Park - ticket prices - summer 2019

• Ticket prices in summer (from April 25 to October 19):
  • for adults - 150 rubles.
  • for children under 16 years old - free
  • for schoolchildren from 16 years old and students - 80 rubles.
  • for pensioners of the Russian Federation and Belarus - 40 rubles.
• In winter (from October 20 to April 24), entrance to the park free.

Old garden

The old garden was laid out in a regular style and had the correct symmetrical layout. Trees and bushes were beautifully trimmed, galleries and halls were created from them, pavilions were also built in the garden and sculptures were installed.

The work on the creation of the Old Garden was carried out by Dutch gardeners Jan Roosen and Johann Focht, and later the reconstruction of the park was carried out by architects Alexei Kvasov, Savva Chevakinsky and Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli.

For reference: The Emperor attached great importance to marble sculptures depicting mythological characters expressing allegorical ideas of the power and glory of the Russian state.

One of the sculptures on the right side of the Hermitage Alley is an Amazon leaning on a shield that depicts an eagle and a lion fighting, representing images of Russia and Sweden.

On the left side of the alley there is a statue of Hercules, symbolizing Emperor Peter I, who defeated numerous enemies of Russia.

Under Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great, the statues of Perseus and Andromeda, Hercules, Mars and many other sculptures acquired a purely decorative role.

At the end of the main alley of the Old Garden, a luxurious small palace was built - the Hermitage, unique monument Russian architecture of the 18th century, intended for small receptions and entertainment of a narrow circle of persons especially close to the empress. The beauty of the Hermitage's interiors coexisted with ingenious devices: lifting tables, camouflaged doors and secret passages.

Landscape park

The main feature of the landscape park is its resemblance to the natural landscape.

Work on the arrangement of the landscape park in Tsarskoye Selo was carried out under Catherine the Great, starting in the 1760s. The original plan was executed by the architect Vasily Ivanovich Neelov, and the project was carried out by the garden masters Trifon Ilyin and Joseph Bush, as well as the sons of the architect - Ivan and Peter Neelov.

During the development of the landscape park, thousands of different trees and shrubs were planted, canals and ponds were dug, and mounds were created. Also, monuments to the victories of Russia in the wars with Turkey were erected and various exotic pavilions were built.

Most of the landscape park is occupied by the Big Pond, in the center of which on the island is the Hall on the Island pavilion. A feature of the Catherine Park is that it lacks natural water resources - rivers and lakes. A large pond was dug and then filled with water from the Wangazi stream flowing here, which was blocked by a dam.

In the summertime, you can ride a gondola on the pond, donated by representatives of Venice for the 300th anniversary of Tsarskoye Selo. Also paid ferry crossing to the island and a tour of the Big Pond.

From the history

Until the beginning of the 18th century, in the place where the city of Pushkin is now located, there was a Saar village belonging to the Swedes. When this territory was conquered by Peter the Great, his wife Marta Skavronskaya, in the future Empress Catherine I, became the owner of the settlement.

In 1717, the construction of the palace called Catherine's began, and in 1722 a park was laid, in the creation of which prominent Russian and foreign garden masters and architects took part.

Tsarskoe Selo is dear to the Russian people, since this place is associated with the life of A.S. Pushkin. The poet studied at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum and, recalling the years of study, wrote: "Confused by memories, filled with sweet longing, the gardens are beautiful, under your sacred twilight I enter with my head drooping."

In the poem “At the beginning of my life I remember school” by A.S. Pushkin describes the charm of the marble sculptures in the Old Garden:

I loved the bright waters and the noise of the leaves,
And white idols in the shade of trees,
And in their faces the stamp of motionless thoughts.
Everything is marble compasses and lyres,
Swords and scrolls in marble hands
On the heads of laurels, on the shoulders of porphyry -
Everything brought about a sweet kind of fear
In my heart; and tears of inspiration,
At the sight of them, they were born before our eyes.

In the summer of 1831, the poet rented a dacha in Tsarskoe Selo, here he wrote a letter to Onegin, completing the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin".

Others are mentioned in the poet's works. memorable places Tsarskoye Selo, including the Kagulsky obelisk and the Chesme column. The poet was proud that among the heroes of the Moray was his grandfather, Ivan Abramovich Hannibal.

For reference: The Morey Column in Catherine Park was erected in honor of the victory won by the Russian troops on the Morea Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea.

Catherine Park is part of the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum-Reserve. This is one of the most beautiful monuments of the world gardening art, which is an architectural monument of federal significance.