Sergei Sobyanin discusses comprehensive improvements to Gorky Park

Comprehensive improvements to Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure (Gorky Park) have completed this year. Sergei Sobyanin reviewed the results.

“Gorky Park is undergoing a major modernization, and we are bringing it up to world-class standards. We have completed the first two stages — Pushkinskaya Embankment and Pionersky Pond. Within just a few months of its reconstruction, Pushkinskaya Embankment became the most popular embankment in our country,” Sergei Sobyanin said while inspecting the park’s comprehensive improvements.

Plans for 2027–2028 include improvements to about half of Gorky Park’s parterre area, including the Golitsynskiye Ponds.

The third stage of the park’s modernization covered 17.45 hectares, including the square by the main entrance and the entrance arch. Experts restored the façade and roof, the doors and the observation deck railings, and added new lighting. The square itself was transformed into a new landscaped space with walking paths and recreation areas. More than 15,000 conifers and flowering perennials, including roses and hydrangeas, were planted here, and art installations were added.

Main fountain

The main work to modernize the Gorky Park fountain was completed in October. Its area was tripled from 3,600 to 11,000 square meters, including 6,600 square meters of water surface. The park’s main fountain now consists of three basins: one main basin and two smaller ones. The number of dynamic water jets has increased almost 12-fold, from 94 to 1,119, while their maximum height has risen from 25 to 60 meters.

Following the reconstruction, the Gorky Park fountain has become Russia’s largest fountain complex with a two-sided projection water screen formed by more than 2,800 jets, including over 1,700 mist-effect jets.

“Modern equipment makes it possible to create a flat water surface onto which projectors and lasers can display 3D figures and images for spectacular light and sound shows,” Sergei Sobyanin shares on his Max channel.

Source: Moscow Mayor’s Max channel

Ten projectors and 18 lasers can display 3D figures and images — including video, animation and laser graphics — on its 30-by-50-meter screen.

The underground technical facility directly beneath the fountain is also the largest in Russia, covering 6,500 square meters. It houses unique engineering infrastructure comprising 555 circulation pumps, eight compressors, 114 water cannons and more than 4,000 stainless-steel pipeline components.

A balcony overlooking the fountain’s main basin has been created for park visitors, while the space beneath the water arches around its perimeter is expected to become a popular children’s play area in hot weather.

The smaller basins are flush with the paving, with no high sides or barriers, allowing visitors to get close to the water.

“In terms of its technical characteristics, the fountain is one of the most unique in the world. Work is continuing; it will be fully operational in May. And in winter, so that the square does not stand empty, it will become one of Moscow’s largest ice rinks,” Sergei Sobyanin says.

Sports area

Work is currently continuing on a modern sports area in Gorky Park. The infrastructure at the existing sports ground will be upgraded and two new pavilions with a total area of 689 square meters will be built. They will house cafes and changing rooms with sports equipment rental facilities. Outdated kiosks in the park’s parterre area will be replaced with modern pavilions housing food outlets, vending machines, restrooms, and security posts.

In keeping with a long-standing tradition, an 18,300-square-meter ice rink will operate at Gorky Park this winter and will be able to welcome more than 10,000 visitors a day. The ice paths will have a total length of 2.3 kilometres.

As part of the fourth stage of Gorky Park’s modernization, improvements will cover a total area of 27.24 hectares, including the Golitsynskiye Ponds and the Green Theater at 9 Krymsky Val Street, Building 33. The work is scheduled for completion in 2027–2028.

Comprehensive park modernization

In 2028, Gorky Park will celebrate the 100 th anniversary of its opening. Today, one of Russia’s best-known and most popular parks of culture and recreation comprises four areas covering a total of 212 hectares. They are Muzeon Arts Park (21 hectares), the Gorky Park parterre (48 hectares), Neskuchny Garden (84 hectares) and Vorobyovy Gory (59 hectares).

Gorky Park welcomes more than 36 million visitors annually. More than 4,000 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment events are held on its grounds and in its pavilions.

“The modernization of Gorky Park has been one of the city’s largest improvement projects in recent years. This unique green area will provide entirely new standards of recreation for millions of Moscow residents and tourists from across the country and abroad,” the Moscow Mayor shares.

Source: Moscow Mayor’s Max channel

As part of the first two stages of the project in 2024–2025, the park’s main promenade, Pushkinskaya Embankment, was improved between Krymsky Bridge and the pedestrian Pushkinsky (Andreyevsky) Bridge. It offers beautiful views of the Moskva River and the buildings along Frunzenskaya Embankment.

All-season multifunctional pavilions for various activities have been built along the embankment. Together, the pavilions resemble an illuminated cruise liner with upper decks featuring observation areas.

Two new piers were also built. Sightseeing and excursion boats depart from one of them, Gorky Park Pier on Pushkinskaya Embankment. It is particularly popular with park visitors. The second pier houses a patrol and rescue station with a heated staff pavilion and the necessary equipment and gear.

Another important objective of the improvement project was to create new swimming and beach recreation areas, which had previously been in short supply at Gorky Park. A multi-level recreation area with sun loungers was created at Olivkovy Beach.

Major changes were also made at Pionersky Pond. For the first time, visitors can swim and sunbathe there during the warmer months. Comfortable recreation areas were created on the wooden decking along the shore. Changing rooms with showers were also installed, while a cafe with a terrace and a children’s playground were opened.

A sports cluster with an all-season pavilion will open in Neskuchny Garden in 2027.

Among other improvements, new streetlights and modern hardscape were installed, lawns were restored and paths with granite screenings were created.

Improvement of urban areas

In 2026, the Moscow Municipal Services Complex plans to improve more than 2,600 sites covering a total area of over 5,100 hectares as part of Moscow’s state programs. They include:

— five city parks: Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure, Sokolniki Park, Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, Krasnaya Presnya Park, and Ekaterininsky Park;

— two major sports infrastructure facilities: the Krylatskoye Rowing Canal and Luzhniki Olympic Complex;

— 44 all-season sports infrastructure facilities and 101 ice rinks undergoing major repairs;

— nine landmark sites, including Artyom Borovik Park, Ekaterininsky Public Garden and others;

— 480 streets;

— more than 1,900 courtyards;

— 36 transport infrastructure facilities;

— 10 other urban areas.

Comprehensive improvement work has already been completed at more than 2,100 sites.