Maritime Victory Park
The Maritime Victory Park on Krestovsky Island was opened in 1945 and is dedicated to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. It quickly became and has remained a popular place among St. Petersburgers ever since, combining roles as a sporting center and a memorial. It is home to attractions, restaurants and even a cozy little beach, and is popular among young people who come to ride their bikes or go skating, while its North and South Lakes are lovely places for a romantic stroll.
The Park covers 168 hectares (243 hectares if the Krestovsky Stadium is included), and combines features of landscaping and formal gardening. It is centered on the main "axis" of the Central Avenue, decorated with flowerbeds and ornamental shrubbery. The Central Avenue ends at a square on which stands a statue of Sergei Kirov, the man who ran the Communist Party in Leningrad before being assassinated in 1934, and after whom the stadium at the park's seaward end is named. On two parallel avenues there are bronze sculptures called the Black Sea Fisherman and the Girl Greeting the Victors.
Parallel to the Central Avenue runs the Avenue of Friendship of Cities, where delegates from various countries around the world have planted trees and flowers since 1966. There are small granite plaques near each tree indicating the city for which it was planted - delegations from Poland, France, German, Finland, and many other countries have planted trees here. Another of the Maritime Victory Park's attractions is a World War II era pillbox bearing the inscription, "Here during the days of the blockade ran the boundary of the iron defense of Leningrad." The southern part of the park also has a memorial depicting in allegorical form the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. The memorial includes lines written by the poet Olga Berggolts, and was erected for the 20th anniversary of the opening of the park.
How to Get There:Cross Ulitsa Ryukhina from Krestrovsky Ostrov metro station. The Maritime Victory Park starts by the metro.
Timeline:| 1945 | - | Maritime Victory Park founded. |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | - | Alley of Friendship laid out. |
