“Another statue?” I hear you ask. This isn’t just another statue. This is Alexander Garden. It is a green heart in the city’s center.
Alexander Garden sits next to Palace Square. It is located behind the Admiralty. Imagine this space before 1806. It was once covered by the Admiralty’s fortifications. These defenses were removed. The area became Admiralty Square.
In the early 19th century, an avenue appeared. It ran along the Admiralty’s front. Quickly, it became a fashionable spot. Petersburg’s aristocracy promenaded here. They exchanged the latest gossip. The avenue even appears in Russian literature. Alexander Pushkin mentioned it in “Evgeny Onegin”.
The Alexander Garden we see today was created later. Between 1872 and 1874, Admiralty Square was transformed. Landscape gardener Eduard Regel designed the new space. The Alexander Garden was part of the celebrations. They marked the 200th anniversary of Peter the Great’s birth.
In 1874, Alexander II formally opened the Garden. It was named in his honor. In 1880, a fountain was installed. Alexander Geschwend led the team. This fountain is special. It’s a musical or dancing fountain. It reacts to music played nearby.
The late 19th century saw more additions. Statues of Russian cultural figures were erected. Poets Vasily Zhukovsky and Mikhail Lermontov were honored. Writer Nikolai Gogol and composer Mikhail Glinka joined them. Even traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky received a statue in Alexander Garden.
The Alexander Garden was restored in the 1920s. An incredible event occurred during the Siege of Leningrad. Not a single tree in the Garden was cut down. This was despite the desperate need for firewood. Air raids and shelling damaged the Garden severely. It was restored again. The Alexander Garden reopened immediately after the Siege was lifted.
You can find Alexander Garden behind the Admiralty. It sits at the top of Nevsky Prospekt. It is a short walk from Nevsky Prospekt metro station.
An interesting rumor surrounds Przhevalsky’s statue. Some people see a resemblance to Stalin. Some even believe Przhevalsky was Stalin’s father. Some communists still bring flowers to the statue. They believe it represents Stalin.
From 1918 to 1989, the Alexander Garden was renamed. It was known as the Maxim Gorky Workers’ Garden. Today, it has reverted to its original name.
Take a moment to appreciate Alexander Garden. Think about its history. Consider the people who have walked these paths. From promenading aristocrats to determined citizens during the Siege. This garden has witnessed it all.