** children's clothes for park outings : Russian parks








Russian Parks


Figure 1--These boys were photographed during the early 1970s on a family outing. Notice that the younger boy is wearing tights or long stockings. This looks like a Pavillion in the All-Russian Exhibition Centre (WDNH). Ths park is in Moscow near the Botanical Gardens.

We know very little about parks in Russia. We suspect that during the Tsarist era in the 19th century that parks were built along European lines in the major cities. We do no know what happen after the Revolution (1917). One would think that with the ethos of building a society for the people that considerable attention would have been given to building public parks, but we have little actual information. A Russian reader tells us, "Lots of parks were created in the 19th Century. They were still in use after the revolution. Some were joined together to form bigger green lungs." Perhaps the best known park is Moscow's Gorky Park. Gorky Park was a creation of two parks on the banks of the Moscow river. It is used in different ways in the summer and winter. In winter is is a skating park. all the paths are iced over and you wonder about on ice skates. A visitor explains, "I know I tried to walk there last week. I entered so the ice and the skiing and left until the snow goes away. The skiers were having lots of fun." There are grassed area by the river and it is popular in Summer for nice cool walks along the river. There are garden areas that while not exactly park land are pleasant spots around attractions where children feed the ducks and play on the grass. There is a nice little park by the Kremlin. It is used for sitting on the grass on hot days and eating picnic meals or for children playing ball games. Lots of quewes are experienced here in summer as tourists wait to visit Lenin's tomb and other attractions.

All-Russian Exhibition Centre (WDNH/VDNKh, Moscow)

The All-Russia Exhibition Centre is located in the north of Moscow. The Center was officially opened in 1939 as the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, perhaps a rival to the World Fair in New York. The orifinal facility was rebuilt after Workd war II. It was reopened as the Exhibition of the Achievements of the National Economy of the USSR (1959). At the time many people ariund the world were impressed with the Soviet economy. The center was to be a showcase for the achievements of the Soviet Union. Extravagant exhibit halls were built to focus on different scientific and technological disciplineds. There were also pavilions for differenbt Soviet areas or republics. All much like the World Fair. The boys here looks to be at the Center in the early-1970s. The Center after the collaose of the Siviet Uniion was renamed the All-Russia Exhibition Centre (1992). The Center began to turn into a market and rather tacky fairground. The Center is a litttle problemzatic. The Soviet Uniin was a failure whicxh uis ehy itg collpsed. Even so ghere were achievements such as Space ecploration. But modern Russia has next ti nothing to show for itself which thinbking visitirsmight ask why. There is talk of redeveloping the Center as a kind of time capsule of the Soviet Union and Stalinist architecture. The Main Entrance is formed by a massive 32-metre arched gate--a classic Siviet structure. It was built in 1954 and is topped with a statue of a two agricultural workers holding a bale of hay above them and it also features several reliefs. The allusion to agriculture is fascinsting as agriculture was a classic Siviet failure.

Gorky Park (Moscow)

Perhaps the best known park is Moscow's Gorky Park. Gorky Park was a creation of two parks on the banks of the Moscow river. It is used in different ways in the summer and winter. In winter is is a skating park. all the paths are iced over and you wonder about on ice skates. A visitor explains, "I know I tried to walk there last week. I entered so the ice and the skiing and left until the snow goes away. The skiers were having lots of fun." There are grassed area by the river and it is popular in Summer for nice cool walks along the river. There are garden areas that while not exactly park land are pleasant spots around attractions where children feed the ducks and play on the grass.

Kremin (Moscow)

There is a nice little park by the Kremlin. It is used for sitting on the grass on hot days and eating picnic meals or for children playing ball games. Lots of quewes are experienced here in summer as tourists wait to visit Lenin's tomb and other attractions.

Neighborhood Parks and Play Areas

Throughout Russia are countless small parkls and neigborhood play areas. These were important because unlike America, fe Russians lived in single family dwellings and there was no move to the sunburbs. Thus tyhere were no bckyards for childen to play in around the hime. People lived in cramped, multi-story apartment complexes. Here we see children playing in one such beighborhood play area, probably in the 1970s. We have no idea, however, where it is located.

Sokolniki Park

Sokolniki Park was acquired the name of a Moscow district acquired long before the the Revolution (17th century)O. Apparely it was an undevedloped area by the Grand Dukes of Muscovy for falcon hunts. It became the Sokolniki District of Moscow. Sokolniki Park is close to the city center , near Sokolnicheskaya Gate. The Park was was created by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. He was an avid hunr=ter abd often went falconing in the area. His son Peter the Great got involved with the layout. It becsme a public oark (1878). At the turn of the 20th century, a 'labyrinth'", or network of alleys, was constructed (1900). The Siviets in the Stalinist Era began developed it as an official show case 'park of culture and leisure'. The park is quite large, an area of 6 square kilometers. It is the most Westerly extension of a the Losiny Ostrov natural reserve. It became a standard Soviet park with an aging summer fun fair and amusement rides for children as well as fast food stsalls. There is also winter outdoor ice skating rink. It also had an exposition centre which was became fanous for thev Kitchen Debate between American Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premoer Nikita Khrushchev at the American National Exhibition (1959). This wsas partiuculsrly interesing as Sokolniki was mean to highlight Soviet culture and leisure. Sokolnikiis famous for hockey and chess, both enormouly popilsr in Russua. The Sports Palace is the home to the ice hockey team HC Spartak Moscow. The soccer club in Sokolniki was the site of the notorious murder of Central Bank executive Andrey Kozlov (2006). Sokolniki Park is also famous for its chess club. The Club produced some of the finest grandmasters of history. Natan Sharansky who would go on to lead he Refusniks, coached locals at the Chess Club.







HBC





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Created: 1:14 AM 2/26/2009
Last updated: 4:56 AM 6/13/2021