Sunday evening in Gorky Park

Gorky Park is a really big love of Moscovites. It's the place where you can walk, eat, read, dance, work, meet new people, sport and even sleep at summer nights and feel yourself very safe. There are lots of special events in summer: grand festivals, music shows that you can listen on a grass, open cinema, dance lessons, parties, many sport activities...In fact, when you come there and see so many old people on rollers you feel yourself in a parallel reality.

In this post I want to show you photos from one walk in a warm winter evening. And not only...

So, let's start from history. Gorky Park met first visitors in 1928.  It is located at Krymsky Val and situated just across the Moskva River. The Park was planned by Konstantin Melnikov, a world-famous Soviet avant-garde and constructivist architect. Gorky Park covers an area of 300 acres (120 ha) along the river.

I want to show you some really exciting retro-photos.

1. Meeting on the carousel (1928)

2. Celebration dedicated to the World Congress of Women in Moscow (1963)

3. Children playing table hockey (1963)

4. Open library (1955)

In the 1930s 35-meter tower for skydiving was built in Gorky Park, very interesting video with it:

The post-soviet  Gorky Park was onceamusement park with fun fairs, roller coasters and other carnival rides including a Ferris wheel and one of the mock-ups (test units) from the Buran space shuttle program.

All of that changed in 2011 when Gorky Park was completely redesigned and remodeled. The rides have been removed in order to transform the place into an eco-friendly recreational area. In March of 2011 the city appointed Sergei Kapkov director of the 120−hectare, or 300−acre, Gorky Park. 

He abolished the entrance fee and cleared the park of outdated carnival rides and junk food stalls, while bringing the focus back to  more sporty activities such as aerobics, yoga and salsa dancing, all taught by qualified instructors. 

Interesting that Sergey was born in the city Nizhny Novgorod called Gorky in Soviet time. He's also minister of the Government of Moscow and the head of the Department of Culture of Moscow.

My summer-2013 photos after redesign:

5. Benches for meetings before the entrance

6. Dancing quay

And now let's turn to yesterday evening photos:

Big and beautiful Christmas tree near the entrance

On the left there are gates in the form of a triumphal arch, 1955 is a year of constuction

Almost immediately you see an 18,000 square meter ice rink, the biggest in Europe.

Skaters can eat in skates.

And here is the coolest thing I saw - ice-photographing. What a style!

Photographers are everywhere

Photos from ice rinks in Soviet era in ladies room:

1937

And going over people's ocean...

We come to snowboard's kingdom.

And what about advertising in the Park? There are some interesting promos.

Raffaello presents a big area with a signboard on a stage translated 'Everything will come true!'

Ice-castle with many pavilions around for making wishes

And many nice bowers

And another brand symbol is a huge ball of Conde Nast Traveller

There are machines for feeding animals. I guess mostly for squirrels, there are no bears in Moscow parks:)

It costs 2 euro

And this is the pond with defrosting for ducks

Now it's time to leisurely walk along Moscow-river. In this year it's still not frozen

Going along the promenade under the bridge we came to another park called Muzeon.
There is bench area under the bridge for bad weather.

And two smily snowmen:)

Muzeon is an artistic park, there is The Central House of Artists inside.

That why there are endless pavilions for paintings sale.

Chairs for conversations with water view

Grim view to Peter I monument and Red October island

Huge brick owl

And not less huge Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

And this's my favorite architectural puzzle!

Love night walks and see you in Russia!

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If you have something that you want to see in Russia (specially in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg), you can always ask me to photograph it!

For any questions or suggestions please leave a comment!