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Elagin park. Elagin Island

Park on Elagin Island (St. Petersburg, Russia): detailed description, address and photo. Opportunities for sports and recreation, infrastructure, cafes and restaurants in the park. Reviews from tourists.

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Elagin Island is a unique nature-protected complex. This is the most northern island at the mouth of the Neva, washed from the north by the Bolshaya Nevka, from the south and southeast by the Middle Nevka, and in the west by a narrow cape jutting into the Gulf of Finland. Once a royal residence, Elagin Island came into the possession of the state from the middle of the last century and became the Central Park of Culture and Recreation, from that moment on it opened its doors to everyone.

On the territory of the park, in the Elaginoostrovsky Palace, there is a Museum of Russian Decorative and Applied Arts and Interior of the 18th-20th centuries, with a permanent exhibition on the first and second floors, which displays household items of past eras.

Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Address: St. Petersburg, o. Elagin.

Elagin Island

To the west of Kamenny Island there is one of the most famous islands St. Petersburg - Elagin Island. Initially, in 1703, it was called Mishin, or Mikhailin. On ancient Swedish and Finnish maps it is indicated as follows: Mistula-saari, which literally means “Bear Island”. Perhaps this is what Finnish hunters called it, by analogy with the names of other islands of the Neva delta: Zayachiy, Losiny (now Vasilievsky), Koshachiy (now Kanonersky), Voronii (now Aptekarsky) and so on. However, there is a legend that claims that the etymology of the island's name is of Russian origin.

This is how it sounds in Stolpyansky’s retelling: “on one of the bright May nights of 1703, a small detachment of Preobrazhensky soldiers was doing reconnaissance on the islands of the Neva delta. Russian soldiers walked carefully along the small island at the edge of the sea, making their way with difficulty through the swampy forest. Suddenly a crash was heard. The soldiers stopped, put their guns on the butt and began to peer into the barely green bushes, trying to see where the Swedes were hiding. And suddenly, from behind a large fallen tree, from a pile of windfall, the figure of a large gray bear rose with a roar. ““Ugh, you’re an abyss,” one of the Russians burst out, “we thought we’d see a Swede, but we ran into a bear, which means this island is not Swedish, but Mishkin.”

At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter I granted the island to Chancellor P.P. Shafirov. In the middle of this century, the island belonged to A.P. Melgunov. Both of them are noted in the history of St. Petersburg toponymy. For some time the island was called first Shafirov, and then Melgunov. For a short time there was also a name: Fox Nose, due to the similarity of the tip of the island with the muzzle of a red-haired inhabitant of the island thickets.

The island officially received its modern name in 1790 after one of the owners, Chief Chamberlain of the Imperial Court, Ivan Perfilyevich Elagin. At first he was called Elaginsky, but two years later - Elagin. The memory of that time is preserved in folklore. Two ancient oak trees near the Elagin Palace are still popularly called in the old way: “Elaginsky”.

If you believe the city folklore, one of the most mysterious pages of Russian history is connected with Elagin Island - the history of Russian Freemasonry. According to St. Petersburg legends, the first Masonic lodge was founded by the Tsar in Kronstadt, after his return from a trip abroad in 1717, although, admittedly, the first documentary evidence of Masonic lodges in Russia dates back to 1731. But in folklore it is believed that it was Peter who then took the Masonic statute out of Europe. Perhaps this is why Peter I enjoyed special respect among Russian Freemasons in the 18th century. At their meetings they even sang “The Song of Peter the Great,” composed by Derzhavin.

Meanwhile, the attitude of the authorities towards Freemasonry in Russia was ambiguous. It was either allowed or prohibited. Freemasons were not favored among the common people either. Rumor claimed that something unclean was going on at their meetings, especially since Freemasons in Russia were associated exclusively with the French, and France, in the eyes of ordinary people, was known as the source of all the mortal sins of mankind. Even home-grown, own Masons were not called anything other than Freemasons, that is, French Masons. And the derivative from Freemason - “farmazon” very soon turned into an outright curse. True, this is also due to the fact that access to Masonic lodges was strictly limited and stipulated by numerous conditions, not least of which were the antiquity of the family, high social status and wealth.

Among the St. Petersburg masons there are the names of prominent public and government figures, major military officials and even members of the royal family. It is known that Emperor Alexander I was a member of one of the Masonic lodges for almost ten years. According to legend, Emperor Paul I, while still heir to the throne, was “privately accepted into the Freemasons” by Senator I.P. Elagin. Elagin was considered one of the most prominent figures in Russian Freemasonry. The most incredible things were said about him. Even after his death, Elagin remained in the spotlight of urban folklore. Thus, legends claim that when his crypt in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was opened, the senator’s grave turned out to be empty.

The name of another world-famous freemason, Giuseppe Cagliostro, is associated with Ivan Perfilyevich Elagin. This personality deserves to say a few words about her. Cagliostro is far from the only name of the famous adventurer of the 18th century. In Europe, the son of poor parents, Giuseppe Balsamo, is known under the names Tiscio, Melina, Belmonte, Pellegrini and some others. And although the official church characterized him as a swindler, a charlatan and a debauchee, his popularity in Europe rose incredibly high. His busts decorated many aristocratic salons, and his images at that time could be seen on ladies' fans, snuff boxes, handkerchiefs, coffee cups and even on rings. However, despite such obvious public interest, the French king expelled him from France, Cagliostro went to London, from where he predicted the storming of the Bastille and the death of the French royal family on the guillotine.

Count D. Cagliostro

The life of the “great magician,” as his contemporaries called him, is covered in the most incredible legends. According to one of them, he lived during the global flood and was saved from death solely thanks to the biblical Noah, who took him on his ark. According to others, Cagliostro was personally acquainted with the Old Testament Moses and the ancient Alexander the Great, talked with Jesus Christ and was even present at Calvary during his execution. But he himself modestly claimed that he was born from the Grand Master of the Order of Malta and the Princess of Trebizond.

Cagliostro came to Russia in 1780, allegedly on the advice of another famous French adventurer, Count Saint-Germain. Here he modestly introduced himself as a “Gishpan colonel”, a doctor, Count Phoenix. In the high society of St. Petersburg, Cagliostro appeared in a black robe, embroidered with gold hieroglyphs and in the attire of an ancient Egyptian priest.

It is known that while Catherine II was exceptionally cold towards him, he was patronized by her favorite, the all-powerful Prince Grigory Potemkin. Cagliostro managed to gain the respect of many other St. Petersburg dignitaries. If you believe the legends, Cagliostro became Count Stroganov's man, in whose palace he was searching for the philosopher's stone. Then he lived for a long time in I.P.’s house. Elagin on Elagin Island. There, as if on his advice, a secret hall was built deep under the Marina pavilion, where an underground passage led from the Yelagin Palace. The hall was supposedly intended for secret Masonic meetings. They say that while walking near this pavilion one day, Cagliostro predicted the death of Russian Empire, “once seeing her doomed face in the Neva.”

Cagliostro's public career in Russia ended unexpectedly. Once he undertook to cure a hopelessly ill child, and when he, unable to withstand the charlatan’s treatment methods, died, he hid his death from his parents for a long time, continuing “experiments” to revive the already dead boy. Catherine II took advantage of this monstrous opportunity and ordered Cagliostro to be immediately expelled from the country. True, according to some legends, this happened for a different reason. As if Catherine became aware of the love affair between Cagliostro’s wife, “pretty Lorenzo,” and Prince Grigory Potemkin. One way or another, Cagliostro and his wife were loaded into a wagon and secretly taken to Mitava. And in St. Petersburg, rumors spread that Cagliostro had simultaneously passed through all “fifteen” capital outposts, leaving his personal painting everywhere.

But this was not the end of Cagliostro’s adventures in Russia. Many mystics claim that at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Cagliostro reappeared in St. Petersburg under the name of the magician Segir. Modern legends have not ignored this “mage and wizard”. They claim that in the mirrors of the Elagin Palace even today the shadow of Count Cagliostro appears from time to time with Masonic symbols in his hands - a hammer and a mason’s triangle. If someone manages to meet his eyes, then in the mirror you can see how Cagliostro raises his hands up to the sky, freezes for a moment in this mysterious pose, then turns and slowly disappears.

Eastern facade of the Elagin Palace

The Yelagin Palace, one of the most beautiful park buildings by the architect Karl Rossi, was built by order of Emperor Alexander I in 1818–1822 for the Empress Mother Maria Feodorovna. This was the first experience of ensemble construction in St. Petersburg, undertaken by the then young architect. Upon completion of construction, in recognition of the architect’s merits, the Academy of Arts elects him as a “free associate,” and the Tsar assigns him an additional salary.

The architect's talent is also noted in urban folklore. Enthusiastic poems circulated around St. Petersburg, attributed by rumor to their favorite - the sparkling poet Pushkin:

What brush, what cutter

Depicts the Elaginsky Palace!

With the completion of the construction of the Elaginsky Palace, an extensive landscape park with artificial ponds and canals, picturesque islands, bridges and walking alleys was created on the island according to the design of architect Rossi and gardener D. Bush.

The western tip of Elagin Island, the so-called arrow, was especially popular among St. Petersburg residents. The history of this popularity dates back to the middle of the 18th century and is associated with the name of the famous St. Petersburg beauty Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova.

In the great world of St. Petersburg, Samoilova was called the queen of salons. It was worshiped and called the “Petersburg religion”. The young beauty, the owner of an extraordinary mind and a significant fortune, was the mistress of a family country estate near St. Petersburg, near Tsarskoe Selo, Grafskaya Slavyanka. There is still a legend about the romantic underground passage, which led from the manor house to the local church.

Main facade of the Elaginsky Palace

From 1826 to 1839 she lived in Italy. In her luxurious country house Famous musicians, artists, and writers gathered near Milan. Among them: Franz Liszt, Gioachino Rossini, Orest Kiprensky, Alexander Turgenev. Samoilova was the long-term muse of the artist Karl Bryullov. Suffice it to say that in only one of his famous canvases, “The Last Day of Pompeii,” he captured the appearance of Yulia Pavlovna three times. She was distinguished by her love of art, democratic way of thinking and independence in relations with strongmen of the world These are qualities that developed far from the “all-seeing eye and all-hearing ears” and are equally valued at all times, both in Italy and in Russia.

Countess Yu.P. Samoilova

In the gloomy post-Decembrist period of the Nikolaev reaction, St. Petersburg residents especially valued examples of proud dignity and independence. Evidence of them was carefully preserved. Passed from mouth to mouth, they became wonderful legends that adorned the history of the city. One of these legends, the heroine of which was Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, tells about the origin of the tradition of evening festivities in St. Petersburg on the Spit of Elagin Island.

Literally the whole of St. Petersburg came to the receptions that Samoilova organized in Grafskaya Slavyanka during her visits to Russia. On such days, Tsarskoe Selo became noticeably empty, which naturally irritated Nicholas I. The Emperor decided to use a trick. He invited Samoilova to sell him the Count's Slavyanka. The king's proposal looked like an order, and Samoilova had to agree. But at the same time, she made it clear to Nicholas that the meaning of the Jesuit cunning of the royal proposal had reached her. As the legend says, she asked to tell the emperor “that they did not go to Slavyanka, but to Countess Samoilova, and, no matter where she was, they would continue to go to her.”

Entrance to the park on Elagin Island. Early 20th century postcard

The next day, in the evening, accompanied by a narrow circle of admirers, Yulia Pavlovna went to the spit of the then deserted Elagin Island. “This is where they will come to see Countess Samoilova,” she allegedly said. And indeed, since then, more and more St. Petersburg residents began to flock to the formerly deserted western tip of Elagin Island to see off the setting sun, until this arrow turned into one of the most favorite places for evening festivities of the capital's nobility.

In the 19th century, St. Petersburg wise men nicknamed the arrow of Elagin Island “Pointe” - either due to the similarity of the tip of the arrow to the toe of a ballet shoe, or in memory of the impatient desire to stand on tiptoe, stretch out and freeze in anticipation of the moment the sun completely sets over the horizon of the Gulf of Finland.

Thus, in the second half of the 19th century, Elagin Island became the site of crowded high-society festivities of the St. Petersburg nobility.

Meanwhile, the road to the island went past the poorest workers' settlements of brewing and paper-spinning factories stretching along the entire coast of Neva Bay, past the buildings of calico and woodworking enterprises, workshops of shipbuilding and metalworking plants. In this sense, the entire journey to Elagin Island presented a sharp contrast between the aristocratic luxury of royal St. Petersburg and the hopeless poverty of its outskirts. This gave rise to the well-known formula of poverty, which has become a proverb in the golden fund of St. Petersburg phraseology: “It’s a louse and a rat as far as Cape Elagin.”

Spit of Elagin Island. Early 20th century postcard

In 1932, one of the first Soviet centers for Sunday recreation and entertainment for workers was opened on Elagin Island - the Central Park of Culture and Recreation, or in the language of abbreviations - TsPKiO. The park was decorated with new Soviet symbols. Bronze and plaster images of athletic girls with oars and rackets, courageous young men in army uniforms, and pioneers with ties around their necks were installed on high pedestals. The best creative forces of Leningrad were involved in the work of making sculptures. Thus, sculptor Elena Janson-Manizer was commissioned to create a sculpture of a ballerina. As soon as the bronze dancer appeared on one of the park alleys, a legend was born in the city that while working on the statue, her friend, a graduate of the Leningrad Choreographic School, Galina Ulanova, posed for the sculptor. The park sculpture was popularly nicknamed “Dancer”.

By 1980, the sculpture of the ballerina had fallen into disastrous condition. Suffice it to say that by that time she was missing an arm and a leg. The dancer was dismantled and removed to one of the basements of the Elagin Palace. But as soon as new times arrived, they remembered the sculpture. In 2004, in the courtyard of the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova, as the ancient Choreographic School is now called, erected a monument to the outstanding ballerina Galina Sergeevna Ulanova, whom theater critics have long dubbed “the great mute.” Times were difficult, there was not enough finance to make new monuments, and the initiators of perpetuating the memory of the great ballerina remembered that very park sculpture. They decided to restore it and use it as a monument. Thus, the generalized sculptural image of a dancing girl, overflowing with the joy of a happy life, so beloved by Soviet sculptors of the 1930s, turned into a monument to a specific person.

Meanwhile, the Central Park of Culture and Culture has become one of the favorite vacation spots of the townspeople. Among the population he was affectionately called "Chicken". And what played a decisive role here in choosing a folklore toponym - sound associations, easily captured in the famous abbreviation, or the genetic memory of the long-standing associative connection of the Elagin Cape with ballet shoes - “Pointe shoes”, it is difficult to say. Most likely, both.

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3rd Elagin Bridge The bridge connects Elagin Island with Staraya Derevnya. The length of the bridge is 95.5 m, width - 11.44 m. On Schubert's plan of 1828, a pontoon bridge is indicated here. In accordance with archival data in 1851, a wooden beam-braced bridge already existed here, which had nine

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2nd Elagin Bridge The bridge connects Elagin and Krestovsky Islands in the alignment of Beloselsky Avenue. The length of the bridge is 141.9 m, width - 14.5 m. Schubert's plan of 1828 shows a pontoon bridge. In 1852, an eleven-span wooden beam bridge with a central drawbridge was built

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The length of the route is 5000 m (5 km). The route was measured using a professional measuring wheel. The race route is two circles clockwise in the western part of the island, the track is half covered with dirt and half with asphalt. After rain, some parts of the route may be covered with mud, puddles and fallen leaves. Signs are used to mark the route and, if possible, volunteers are stationed.

Please note that parkrun runs on public trails that are shared by all park visitors. Please, give way to them. This will not affect your result, will not prevent you from breaking your personal best and will not spoil the impression of our races.

Please, if possible, walk or bike to the race. public transport. If you're coming by car, consider bringing your friends who are also running the race. Be aware of other park visitors when arriving and leaving. Parking may be limited, so try to arrive early.

Safety rules on the highway

Race parkrun Elagin The Island is a free event organized by volunteers for everyone's enjoyment. We want to make our races as safe as possible, so we ask all participants, fans and organizers to follow the following rules:

Our race is free, which means all participants bear full responsibility for themselves.

We hope these tips will help us ensure that everyone at parkrun Elagin Ostrov has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Age group rating

When calculating the age group rankings, your time is taken and compared with the world record for that distance for your gender and age, thereby giving a certain number as a percentage. It allows you to compare your personal results with those of other people, even those of a different age or gender. The higher the rating percentage, the better. This rating also allows you to compare results obtained at different distances - for example, five kilometers and a marathon.

For getting detailed information visit the website Support .

Route map

Description of the route

The track is two circles clockwise in the western part of the island. The terrain of the route is flat, the surface is half soil, half asphalt. The start is on Green Beach. We run west to the western cape, then go along the coast east to the bridge between the 4th and 5th Northern Ponds, we go to the bridge and then along the asphalt road to the coffee meadow, at the intersection near the coffee meadow we turn right and run to the pier, at the pier we turn right and run to Green Beach. Finish at Green Beach.

Infrastructure

Place for changing clothes: at the start/finish point there are several benches where you can leave your things and change clothes. Volunteers look after your belongings during the race, but it’s still best to leave valuables at home. There is a toilet 1000 meters from the start/finish area; it opens at 9:30. We recommend that you take care of the water yourself after the finish. At each race there is a first aid kit to provide the necessary first aid. Not far from the start/finish line there is the Rainbow cafe and the Nota cafe, where you can relax and have a snack. In addition, the park has free outdoor exercise equipment, rental bicycles and roller skates, a ski slope and skating rink open in the winter season, and attractions for children in the summer. There is a mini-zoo, many museums and palaces. Come with the whole family to the Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. CM. Kirov (Elagin Island) there is something for everyone!

How to get there

Start location

The start area is located at Coffee Glade.

How to get there by public transport

Get there on foot from the Krestovsky Ostrov metro station: walk along Ryukhin Street to the intersection with Martynov Embankment, in front of you will be the entrance to the park on the 2nd Elagin Bridge. From metro station " Old village": walk along Lipovaya Alley to the intersection with Primorsky Prospekt, in front of you is the entrance to the park and the 3rd Elagin Bridge.

How to get there on foot

From the Krestovsky Ostrov metro station: along Ryukhin Street 350 meters to the entrance to the park, near the bridge there is parking for cars, then 600 meters to the starting point. From the Staraya Derevnya metro station, follow Torfyanaya Road 600 meters to the street. Savushkina, then walk along the square between the Dali restaurant on the right and Buddhist temple"Datsan Gunzechoiney" on the left, then go to the underground passage through Primorsky Avenue. Parking is located along the avenue, on the river side. Move straight along the 3rd Elagin Bridge, the starting point will be on the right, near the bridge between the 3rd and 4th Southern Ponds.

How to get there by car

Official address of the park: 197110, St. Petersburg, Elagin Island, 4. From the central and southern regions of the city it will be more convenient to get to Krestovsky Island, leaving the car at the 2nd Elagin Bridge; Residents of the northern side of the city can leave their car in the parking lot along Primorsky Prospekt near the 3rd Elagin Bridge.

Rest after the race

After the race, we often meet at the start site to discuss various issues related to running and more, and enjoy the hot tea and sandwiches we took with us. Join us! There are also a lot of cafes in the park where you can enjoy both hot and cold drinks, sit in the fresh air and chat with friends.

Elagin Island is a fabulous forest corner in the center of St. Petersburg, it is located at the mouth of the Neva. Ideal place for family vacation, picnics on the grass, sports, roller skating and romantic walks. There are usually not many tourists here, since Elagin Island is located away from traditional routes.

Occupies the entire territory of the island Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after. Kirov. Here you can rent boats or catamarans and take a ride through the intricate system of ponds, feed the famous Elagino Island squirrels or animals in the mini zoo. There are several cafes in the park.

On Elagin Island almost every weekend there are some events - music or theater festivals, fairs, concerts, model airplane competitions, and so on.

One of the attractions of the park is Elaginoostrovsky Palace-Museum: it was built by order of the first owner of the island, Ivan Elagin, and rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th century according to Rossi’s design for the mother of Alexander I, Maria Fedorovna. The palace was seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War, but its collections had long before been transferred to various museums and were well preserved; now they are gradually being returned to the palace. Nowadays, the palace hosts costume balls and other events, as well as permanent exhibitions telling about the life of the nobility in the 19th century (exhibition “The Charm of the Past”), and the interiors of the State Rooms have been recreated. Temporary exhibitions are regularly held on the territory of the Konyushenny building of the palace. The Orangery Building houses the Museum of Art Glass. After the closure of the Leningrad Art Glass Factory in 1996, the collection of its museum, which included more than 7 thousand different objects, was transferred here.

Opening hours: 6:00-24:00 in summer, in winter - until 23:00. Ticket prices: on weekdays, admission to the park is free, on weekends - 70 rubles for adults and 30 rubles for children and students. Entrance to the palace for adults costs 150 rubles, for children - 75 rubles. A single ticket to the Elaginoostrovsky Palace, the Museum of Art Glass, and the exhibition halls of the Stables Building will cost 260 rubles for adults, a discounted ticket costs 160 rubles. Address: St. Petersburg, Elagin Island, 4. How to get there: from the metro station "Krestovsky Ostrov" you need to walk along Ryukhina Street to the intersection with Martynov embankment, from the metro station "Staraya Derevnya" you need to walk along Lipovaya Alley to the intersection with Primorsky Avenue, entrance to the park through the 3rd Elagin Bridge. www.

St. Petersburg is known for its cultural attractions: palaces and mansions of the 18th-19th centuries, museums and cathedrals. Inspection of all objects that deserve the attention of a tourist can last for weeks, and then city guests who are tired of marble and granite can direct their gaze towards Elagin Island, where both in summer and winter they can relax and take a break from the bustle of the city. The Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after Kirov is located here, and you can get from the center of St. Petersburg to Elagin Island both by metro and by ground transport in 20-30 minutes.

Location

Elagin Island is located in the northwestern part of St. Petersburg, between the Middle and Bolshaya Nevka. Belongs to the Petrogradsky district of the city, to the north it borders on the Primorsky district. The western end of the island faces the Lakhtinsky Bridge and the Gulf of Finland.

Along the northern side of the island runs Primorsky Avenue - a busy and busy highway, along which the flow of traffic is directed towards Sestroretsk and Zelenogorsk. Less than a kilometer from the northern entrance to the park is the Staraya Derevnya metro station.

The southern side of Elagin Island faces Krestovsky and the metro station of the same name. This is a relatively calm area in terms of the transport situation; the main part of it is occupied by the Primorsky Victory Park, and therefore the number of parking spaces is very limited.

In this article, we will look at various ways to get to Elagin Island in St. Petersburg, and also discuss how St. Petersburg residents and guests of the city like to spend time here.

Name

Elagin Island was first marked on Swedish maps in the middle of the 17th century. Since the founding of St. Petersburg, this territory has been repeatedly transferred into private ownership to various officials, and along with the change of owners, the name has changed. The fifth owner of the island in 1777 was the chief chamberlain of the imperial court, I. P. Elagin.

At the end of the 18th century, a palace was built here for him and a park was laid out, and the name of the island, despite the continued change of owners, stuck. From that time to this day the island is called Elagin.

Castle

The creation of the project for the first palace was presumably carried out by the famous architect Giacomo Quarenghi. Among his other works, it is necessary to mention the building of the Academy of Sciences and the Hermitage Theater, the Yusupov Palace and the Horse Guards Manege, as well as more than a dozen others famous buildings in the center of St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo.

The reconstruction of the Elagin Palace in 1818-1822 was carried out by none other than Karl of Russia - the author of the ensembles Palace Square, the Senate and Synod buildings, as well as the Alexandrinsky Theater and the building of the Russian National Library, located on Nevsky Prospekt.

Unlike architectural ensembles V historical center city, there is no building around the Elagin Palace, which allows us to fully appreciate the author’s idea.

Many visitors are attracted to Elagin Island by the tulips that are planted every year in front of the palace. For five years in a row, a festival of these flowers has been held in May on a grand scale - the last time the organizers planted more than 140 thousand bulbs.

Landscape

There are virtually no elevation changes on the island and there are pedestrian asphalt and embankment paths. The abundance of small ponds and vegetation make the park, located on the island, great place for family recreation, and the open area next to the palace is often used for holding public events: concerts, festivals, charity events.

What can you ride?

One of the popular entertainments for St. Petersburg residents on Elagin Island from late spring to early autumn is roller skating, scooters and other wheeled forms of transport. The large area of the park allows you to ride for fun without fear of coming face to face with a car or motorcycle. Even beginners can ride here.

However, it is worth noting that cycling in the Central Park of Culture and Culture has recently been prohibited. Those who wish can go to the park on the neighboring island - you can get to Elagin Island from Krestovsky in a matter of minutes.

Visitors also enjoy boating and catamarans, which can be rented from the park. Such a vacation away from the major river arteries of the city will be a wonderful romantic memory for a couple in love or a wonderful way to spend time for a family with small children.

Exhibitions and festivals

The territory of Elagin Island regularly becomes a platform for various cultural events. Charity events in support of people with disabilities, traditional culture festivals, international exhibitions, performances by theater troupes gathered literally “from all over the world.”

One of the brightest events beloved by St. Petersburg residents was the tulip festival on Elagin Island, which took place in 2017 for the fifth anniversary. 140 thousand flowers were planted on an area of more than two thousand square meters. According to the park administration, every year up to 100 thousand people visit the festival over two weekends.

Nature

If you want to lie on the grass, sunbathe and enjoy other benefits of outdoor recreation without leaving the city, take advantage of this great way to get to Elagin Island in St. Petersburg.

Visitors with children will enjoy the opportunity to interact with animals - the Central Park of Culture and Culture has its own petting zoo. You can simply bring some nuts with you to feed the local squirrels - they may well be found in any corner of the park. In addition, children love to feed the ducks, which can be found in any body of water here. Ducks are unpretentious, eat bread and rolls with pleasure and are not afraid to swim to the shore.

Oddly enough, the easiest way to get to the park is on your own, namely by metro. The reason is that in this area, especially when entering from Krestovsky, there is not much space for parking, and on event days, those who want to leave their car somewhere nearby become disproportionately large to the number of free spaces.

In addition, since the Primorsky Victory Park is located nearby, the number of cars doubles on weekends and holidays. Sometimes, in search of a parking space, you have to drive in circles along nearby streets, and you may only get lucky on the third or fourth try.

If you are going to come with small children or just want to come to personal car, below we will look at how to get to Elagin Island from different parts of the city. First of all, we will consider options affecting public transport.

From the Krestovsky Ostrov metro station

The closest station to the Central Park of Culture and Culture is Krestovsky Island. You can get there in 12-15 minutes from the Sadovaya station on the purple metro line. This station belongs to the triple interchange of the St. Petersburg subway, and you can go to Sadovaya from both the blue and orange lines.

When you find yourself at the required station, the last and simplest question remains - how to get to Elagin Island from the Krestovsky Island metro station. To do this, just turn right and walk along Ryukhin Street straight to the 2nd Elagin Bridge over the Middle Nevka.

From Staraya Derevnya metro station

Since the park is large, it is easier to get to some parts of it by entering the territory from the back side. To do this, you need to get to the Staraya Derevnya metro station - this is the penultimate station of the purple metro line - and follow the following simple route.

After exiting the metro, turn right and follow straight along Lipovaya Alley to the very end. If you don’t turn off the path, then you will have no choice but to get to Elagin Island in 10-15 minutes on foot. At the end of the alley you will run into the Bolshaya Nevka, the bridge over which you will find immediately on the right, after crossing Primorsky Avenue.

By land transport

Since the easiest way to get from the purple line metro stations is on foot, let’s look at how to get to Elagin Island in St. Petersburg by land transport from other points of the city.

From the Petrogradskaya metro station you can get to the Central Park of Culture and Culture by minibus K131, departing from Leo Tolstoy Square. You will need to get off after 11 stops on Martynov embankment. The park will be right in front of you.

Several suitable minibuses run from the Chernaya Rechka station: K132, K133, K206 and K417. You will need to drive three stops and get off at Lipovaya Alley. The park will be on the left, on the other side of Primorsky Avenue.

If you leave your car south of the park, you need to look for a parking space on one of the streets - sometimes this requires “circling” around the island, since there are practically no centralized parking areas here.

Perhaps these are all the details on how to get to Elagin Island by car.

For cyclists

Along the northern border of the island there is a section of the bike path that runs along the Primorskoye Highway from Kantemirovsky to Lakhtinsky Bridge. From the Krestovsky side, the only path runs through the territory of the Primorsky Victory Park and will in no way help you get to the Central Park of Culture and Culture.

It is also worth remembering that the bicycle cannot be used except to get to Elagin Island, since riding directly within the park is not permitted. Here you can use roller skates, scooters and other types of sports equipment. You'll have to get by without a bicycle.

Best time to visit

Since autumn and early spring in St. Petersburg are accompanied by heavy rainfall, best time The periods for visiting the park will be from May to September, as well as three winter months.

Advantages summer holiday were described in the relevant paragraphs about leisure, communication with animals, various exhibitions and outdoor festivals. When visiting in May, be sure to ask how to get to Elagin Island for the tulip festival so as not to miss the most interesting days holiday.

Winter recreation, due to low temperatures, may be somewhat less varied, but children really like it: here you can play snowballs, sledding and skiing, and there is also an ice skating rink in the park. There are no cars here, the snow is clean, and children can play in complete safety.