Sergei Sobyanin on revival of Moscow parks

Since 2017, eight Moscow estates have been renovated. They are Grachevka Estate in Khovrino, Sviblovo Estate and Leonovo Estate on the banks of the Yauza river, Mikhalkovo Estate in the Golovinsky district, Bogoroditskoye Estate (Bogorodskoye-Voronino) in the south-west of the capital, Glebovo Estate in Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo Park. In addition, the Lyublino Museum-Estate in the south-east and the Kuskovo Memorial Estate have been renovated. The revival of the parks is one of the key parts of the program to create a high-quality urban environment. That is what Sergei Sobyanin wrote in his blog.

“The parks that used to surround noble and merchant estates remain Muscovites’ favorite walking spots 150 or 200 years later. An estate itself is not sure to have survived. But shady avenues, flowering lilac and acacia bushes, picturesque front entrances and secluded spots still attract citizens,” the Moscow Mayor wrote.

Grachevka Estate

The park dating from the 19 th century within the Grachevka Estate has been abandoned since the Soviet times. P. I. Tchaikovsky, V. A. Gilyarovsky, A. N. Tolstoy and V. Y. Bryusov used to walk there.

Its revival began in 2017. More than 1.2 thous. trees and shrubs have been planted. Paths have been restored, while stairs and slopes have been fitted with handrails. Benches, cozy pavilions and antique rotundas have been installed. The southern part now features a sports area and playgrounds. Moreover, the dog walking area has been reconstructed. With 240 lanterns installed, the park looks really cozy in the evening.

Sviblovo Estate

In the same year, the Sviblovo Estate park was renovated. Today, it has more than 200 thous. square meters of lawn and 200 square meters of flower beds. About 400 trees and shrubs have been planted. Playgrounds, sports areas and bike paths have been arranged. In addition, the Air Temple Pavilion has been repaired with canopy benches installed. The park got an artificial skating rink with the area of 1,350 square meters. In warm months, Moscow residents can play football here.

The areas designed for walking along the Yauza river have been connected to a quiet recreation area, forming a single promenade. The stairs leading to the Sviblovsky spring have been repaired. The Sviblovo Estate is now part of the huge Yauza Park.

Leonovo Estate

Another part of the Yauza Park, the Garden of the Future Park, has been landscaped at the site of the former Leonovo Estate. Based on historical maps, features of the park dating from the 18 th-19 th centuries have been restored. At the same time, modern infrastructure facilities have been integrated into the space.

The historic parterre and the multi-level terrace with a flower bed leading to the Leonovsky Pond have been recreated. A promenade with a bridge and slopes leading to the water has been arranged around the reservoir. The two-century-old line of linden within the former estate, which was partially preserved, has been completed with young trees. In their shade of trees, one can walk along the walking path. In addition, the park features a formal garden with a convenient platform and benches. There are also children’s and sports grounds, recreation and work areas and a bike path.

Mikhalkovo Estate

The Mikhalkovo Estate located in the Golovinsky district now has about 3.9 thous. trees and shrubs, and 100 thous. square meters of lawn and 1.08 thous. square meters of flower beds. The Golovinskiye and Mikhalkovskiye Ponds have been cleared and their shores have been strengthened. The birdhouses have been installed. Sports areas, playgrounds and a bike path have been installed. In addition, a cultural heritage site, a gazebo by the pond, has been restored.

Lyublino Museum-Estate

Specialists have restored the Lyublino Museum-Estate. More than five thousand trees and shrubs have been planted in a specially protected natural area in the south-east of the city. The pond has been cleared of silt and debris, its banks have been strengthened, and the boat station has been restored. Tennis courts, a hockey rink, workout areas, weight machines, playgrounds and an all-season chess pavilion have been arranged.

Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo Park

The Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo Park in the north-west of Moscow was renovated in 2022. The nature trail, the observation deck and the area next to the Swan Queen spring have been restored. Old gazebos for picnics have been replaced. A meeting and recreation area has been arranged around the renovated fountain. In addition, there are places for children to play.

Most of the sports infrastructure is located in the northern part of the park. There is a large sports cluster with streetball and panna football fields, multi-purpose training complexes and ping-pong tables. A professional skate park and a pump track not far from it have been arranged.

The main house of the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo Estate is being renovated, a formal garden in front of it is being restored and greenhouses and fences with turrets are being repaired. They are forming the historical and cultural part of the park.

Kuskovo Memorial Estate

The main restoration works in the Kuskovo Memorial Estate took place in 2022. The bottom of artificial ponds has been cleaned and deepened, a membrane has been installed so that water would not go into the ground, the water replenishment has been provided and the banks have been strengthened. Aquatic plants have been planted in some ponds, and decks with viewing platforms have been built along the banks.

The paths have been repaired and new ones have been arranged. The specialists used eco-friendly coatings. There are now jogging and cycling routes for outdoor enthusiasts. Dozens of sports grounds have been built, including areas for senior citizens, a skate park and a pump track. In addition, the table tennis area has been renovated. Nine themed playgrounds have been designed for children, the names of which are found in fairy tales: Leshy’s Hill, Spider’s Lair, In the Thickets of Water Lilies.

Hardscape elements in the Kuskovo urban forest, which have been installed near the museum complex of the estate, are made in a historical style.

Outdoor lighting has been installed only on the main routes and in recreation areas with UV-free lamps to minimize the effects of light on the biological rhythms of animals and birds.

Bogoroditskoye Estate

The area of the Bogoroditskoye Estate (Bogorodskoye-Voronino) enjoys a double protected status: it is a specially protected natural area and a cultural heritage site. The buildings have not survived, but bicentennial lindens can be still found in the park. The park infrastructure has been carefully renovated: specialists have partially replaced the pavement with terraway, an environmentally friendly permeable material. The damaged green areas have been planted with shade-loving plants and new trees, the historic World War II pillbox has been reconstructed and fenced for safekeeping.

The park periphery features outdoor exercise equipment, horizontal bars and a skate park. In the park itself, the existing sports area has been reconstructed, and playgrounds have been fitted with modern structures and swings.

“We will continue to landscape the parks of former Moscow estates in the future. We will keep maintaining the already landscaped parks, so that years later they will be still popular with Muscovites,” Sergei Sobyanin added.