Haven’t you heard? Troitskoe Polye began as a grand meadow. It then morphed through various identities.
Troitskoe Polye stands before us. It is a place rich with stories. Let’s peel back the layers of its past.
Initially named Grand Meadow, Troitskoe Polye transformed. Solemnities celebrating victory in the Great Northern War led to a new name. It was then called Pleasure Field.
Briefly, in the 1740s, Pleasure Field became a walking park. It had paths, lawns and flowers. Tsarina’s Meadow was the next name. This happened after the royal family commissioned the Summer Palace for Empress Catherine I.
Near the end of the 18th century, Tsarina’s Meadow changed again. It became a military drilling ground. Monuments commemorating Russian Army victories were erected. Parades and military studies took place regularly at Troitskoe Polye.
In 1799, the Rumyantsev obelisk was placed in the center. In 1801, a monument to A. Suvorov was added. M. Kozlovsky depicted the military leader as Mars. Mars was the Roman god of war.
By 1805, Tsarina’s Meadow was officially renamed Field of Mars. Carlo Rossi suggested moving the Suvorov monument. It was relocated to Suvorova Square.
After the February Revolution in 1917, Troitskoe Polye lost its military purpose. It became a memorial. In the summer of 1942, the field was covered with vegetable gardens. These gardens supplied besieged Leningrad with food.
On May 23, 1917, participants of the February Revolution were buried here. 184 of 1382 citizens killed during the Revolution were interred in a common grave. From 1917 to 1919, a monument “To Fighters of Revolution” was erected. It stood above the graves. In 1918, the square was renamed “The Place of the Victims of Revolution.” But in 1944, the name reverted back.
An Eternal Flame was lit in the center of Troitskoe Polye on November 6, 1957. It was the first in Russia. The flame was later taken to Moscow in 1967. It was placed near the Kremlin wall on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The flame from Troitskoe Polye also burns at Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery. It also burns on other memorials in St. Petersburg.
Troitskoe Polye is a place of many names and purposes. From meadow to military ground to memorial. It reflects the changing history of St. Petersburg. Its Eternal Flame symbolizes enduring memory. It is a reminder of the past sacrifices.