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In this article we will tell you about the Park named after. Kirov on Elagin Island - a beautiful corner of nature not far from the historical part of St. Petersburg.

Any well-kept park in a big city is a desirable place to relax, a real oasis of silence and greenery. Well, if a city park is located on an island, it becomes a true paradise on Earth. It is no coincidence that the Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after S.M. Kirov, located on Elagin Island in the delta of the Neva River, attracts native St. Petersburg residents and guests of the Northern capital. Despite the fact that the park is located very close to the central part of St. Petersburg, a calm, secluded atmosphere reigns here, setting you up for a good rest.

A variety of lush vegetation with representatives of the animal world living in it, well-groomed alleys and bright flower beds, transparent ponds and elegant bridges, sculptural and architectural works, areas for all kinds of leisure and beach recreation, luxurious museums and “appetizing” cafes, playgrounds and catamaran rental points , cozy gazebos and exciting attractions - here you can find everything you could want for relaxation and entertainment.

Elaginoostrovsky Park: historical background

But the island was not always so comfortable. Until the 18th century, this area could, without exaggeration, be called “bear’s corner.” The Finns then called this island Mistulansaari, which can be translated as “Mishin’s Island” - probably because the most noticeable inhabitants of the surrounding area were bears.

With the start of construction in St. Petersburg, attention was paid to this area. In 1709, Emperor Peter I gave the island to his namesake, Vice-Chancellor Shafirov. Then this place changed owners several times until it finally became the property of Ivan Perfilyevich Elagin, chief chamberlain at the imperial court. It was then that the island acquired a new name that has survived to this day.

It was Ivan Elagin, during the years of his ownership, who ordered the establishment of a landscape park here in the English style: with majestic trees, lush bushes, original flower beds, grottoes, gazebos, canals, ponds and bridges. He conceived this park as a place of leisure and meeting for the St. Petersburg nobility; they even organized lunches and dinners for guests. Also, at his behest, a church was erected here in 1786.

The passion with which Ivan Perfilyevich was engaged in arranging the island park was noticed by the townspeople. Even after his death, as a result of which the island passed into the possession of the state, and then Count Orlov, the name of Elagin remained in the name of the island, in memory of the man who put his soul into it.

At the end of 1917, the island with the park was nationalized. And in 1932, a new stage in the development of this place began - it was then that it began to be called the Central Park of Culture and Recreation (since 1934 named after Kirov). Since then and to this day, it has been a favorite vacation spot for millions of visitors.

Entertainment and attractions of the park

It is generally accepted that the most striking attraction of the park is the Elaginsky Palace. It is distinguished by a unique, well-recognized appearance: a three-story building in the Palladian style is crowned with a dome, the main facade is decorated with a six-column portico in the center and two four-column ones on the sides. The interior structure of the palace is an excellent example of the history of interiors. It is possible that this served as the basis for the building to receive a special status in 1987 and become known as the Elaginoostrovsky Palace-Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts and Interior of the 18th-20th centuries. The first and second floors of the palace are given over to the permanent exhibition. The first also periodically organizes exhibitions of sculpture and painting, organizes costume balls, and hosts cultural and entertainment events.

After visiting the Elaginsky Palace, lovers of works of decorative and applied art can head to another interesting building nearby - the Museum of Art Glass, which is essentially a continuation of the Elaginsky Palace Museum. Previously, this building, which was also erected under the direction of the architect Rossi, was a Greenhouse building, built for growing exotic plants and recreation. Long, well-lit galleries seem to be specially created to make glass and crystal products play with all the colors! Among the exhibits there are many antiques; along with products of Russian masters, works of specialists from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Belarus are presented. And, of course, no one can be indifferent to the small working workshop, in which various interesting things are made here. In addition, children and adults have the opportunity to attend a themed master class.

Having visited these two brightest attractions of the park, the paths of visitors diverge. Those who are interested in the process of creating works of art will most likely rush to the Creative Dacha. Here everyone can try themselves as a sculptor, artist, fashion designer, or architect.
Those who want to plunge into the atmosphere of 19th-century balls will head to the Maid of Honor Corps. This cozy house was once occupied by ladies-in-waiting who served at the imperial palace, and now costume balls and musical evenings are held here.

For those who just want to wander in silence, admiring nature and the works of ancient architects, a visit to the park's pavilions will be interesting. In a beautiful place, on the eastern cape of the island, there is a Pavilion under the flag. It was built in an antique style, and owes its name to the fact that during the days when the emperor was visiting the island, the royal standard soared above the flagpole. The Music Pavilion is also majestic but cozy. It consists of two rooms connected by a semi-rotunda with marble columns. One side of the building faces the Middle Nevka, the other faces the shady Old English Garden. If you continue your walk through the garden, one of the paths will lead to the Pavilion on the island. This romantic 18th-century building has been preserved almost unchanged. It was installed by I.P. Elagin in honor of his friend N.I. Panin, which is why this pavilion is often called Count Panin’s Gazebo.

The amazing nature of Elaginsky Park will attract naturalists of all ages. Although the park has undergone several reconstructions over the years of its existence, efforts have been made not to disturb its historical natural landscapes. Coniferous trees grow here, for example - spruce, larch, pine. Many deciduous trees grow: elms, maples, chestnuts, lindens, ash trees, oaks. Two mighty oak trees have been preserved, growing here since the times of Peter the Great. The Central Park of Culture and Culture is home to a dozen species of animals: brave squirrels, timid shrews, cautious mice, and graceful ermine. But there are especially numerous birds, whose voices are so pleasant to hear. They are home to more than 140 species: colorful woodpeckers and several species of tits, restless wagtails and flycatchers, masters of singing - nightingales and thrushes, busy mallards and nuthatches, finches trying to predict the weather. In the central part of the island there is a Mini Zoo.

For lovers of active recreation, Elaginsky Park has many opportunities. The smooth surface of the paths will be appreciated by wheel enthusiasts who love to ride roller skates, bicycles, skateboards and scooters. By the way, all this can be rented. There is a skatepark and a roller rink here, there are places for tennis, both large and table tennis, and boats and catamarans are offered. In the summer, the youngest guests of the island enthusiastically play on the playgrounds or ride velomobiles, while the elderly dance and reminisce to the sounds of a brass band. Visitors to the park don’t get bored even in winter: the skating rink beckons, the ski and toboggan runs call, and rental offers all the necessary types of equipment.

The Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after S.M. Kirov is famous for the numerous events that are organized here. Guides are ready to satisfy the needs of inquisitive visitors. Exhibitions of various types follow each other. Various festivals take place in the park at any time of the year: at the end of winter Maslenitsa is noisy, the height of spring marks the tulip festival, in the summer street theater artists entertain the public, and on the eve of autumn the park’s birthday is celebrated.

Interactive tour of the park named after. Kirov on Elagin Island

How to use the interactive tour window:
by briefly pressing the left mouse button on any of the white arrows in the tour window, you will move in the corresponding direction (left, right, forward, etc.), by pressing and holding down the left button - rotate the mouse in different directions: you can look around without moving from the spot. When you click on the black square in the upper right corner of the interactive tour window, you will be taken to full-screen viewing mode.

Closest to the Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. Kirov there is the Krestovsky Island metro station. From the station, Ryukhin Street leads here - straight to the 2nd Elagin Bridge over the Middle Nevka. You can also walk from the Staraya Derevnya metro station: along Lipovaya Alley, along Primorskoe Highway and to the right - to the 3rd Elagin Bridge. Or you can walk from Kamenny Island - along the 1st Elaginsky Bridge.

Undoubtedly, for residents and guests of the “city on the Neva” the Central Park of Culture and Culture (St. Petersburg) is a favorite place for leisure. In the summer, this object attracts like a magnet to take a walk among the shady alleys, take a boat ride, admiring the unique natural landscapes. In winter, the Central Park of Culture and Culture (St. Petersburg) invites you to go ice skating, skiing and sledding, and wander around the squares in the evening, admiring the bright and colorful illumination. In general, here you can find entertainment to suit not only adults, but also children.

Excursion into history

Previously, the territory where the recreation area is located today was called Misha Island. One of the legends says that Russian soldiers were looking for Swedes here and found a bear. The first owner of these lands was diplomat P. Shafirov, then Prosecutor General P. Yaguzhinsky became the owner.

But a co-owner of Misha Island was also Senator A. Melgunov, who built an estate for himself here and created a small park area. Then the land was sold to Field Marshal General G. Potemkin, who some time later ceded it to the historian and poet I. Elagin. He built a palace ensemble here with greenhouses, pavilions, buildings and gazebos. In addition, the poet ordered that ponds and canals be dug on the island, and ramparts 2 meters high be built along the banks. This was done to protect the park area from flooding. The island was named Elaginsky and everyone began to visit it. After the death of the poet, the land repeatedly changed owners, passing from hand to hand.

Opening

Of course, St. Petersburg has a huge number of public gardens for recreation. The Central Park of Culture and Culture is the kind of place where you want to return again and again.

At the beginning of the 30s of the last century, on the territory of three islands - Elagin, Krestov and Kamenny, in the Neva delta, it was decided to develop a recreation area for St. Petersburg residents. The Elagin palace and park complex was transformed into the Central Park of Culture and Culture. But before this, certain preparatory work was done: the walking areas located next to Elagin’s estate were partially modernized, and arches and propylaea were erected at the three bridges along which one could reach the island.

The alleys were decorated with colorful posters, and the palace was decorated with banners and flags. Of course, this object has become unique for such a cultural city as St. Petersburg. The Central Park of Culture and Culture was opened in a solemn ceremony on August 5, 1932. Residents and guests of the “city on the Neva” walked through the summer pavilions, rode bicycles rented here, visited the attractions and happily rushed to the hammock station, where they could relax in the fresh air. In winter, St. Petersburg residents came to Elagin Island specifically to go ice skating and skiing.

In 1934, under mysterious circumstances, the communist S. Kirov was killed and a park on the island was named in his honor. A bust of the revolutionary was installed at the main entrance. In the second half of the 30s, the authorities decided to continue modernizing the recreation area on Elagin Island in the city of Leningrad, which today is called St. Petersburg. The Central Park of Culture and Culture underwent the following changes: the Main Alley was built from Maslyany Meadow to the western spit, and the spit itself was decorated with a granite terrace, on which stood lion statues mounted on pedestals. In the winter, the Main Alley was transformed into a long ice track, and the Butter Meadow turned into a skating rink. In the summer, the Main Alley was decorated with flower beds and lawns.

Decorative marble vases and bronze sculptures were also installed in this area: “Girl Crossing a Stream”, “Discus Thrower” and “Dancer”. In addition, the park administration took care of the creation of new alleys and the construction of a summer theater with a capacity of 1,600 people. But that was not all. They also built a cinema (which has not survived to this day) and a sports town.

The Great Patriotic War caused serious and irreparable damage to the city of St. Petersburg. The Central Park of Culture and Culture became the place where defensive fortifications were erected, and the site was significantly damaged by bombing. After the victory, it took decades to restore the park to its former appearance. Restoration work was completed only in the early 90s.

Central Park of Culture and Culture today

Currently, residents and guests of the northern capital, as before, prefer to spend their leisure time here. Where do tourists go when they arrive in St. Petersburg? Central Park of Culture and Culture named after Kirov, of course. And what can surprise this object today? A lot of people. You can visit the musical Granite Pier, the Stables Building, the Kitchen Building, the Greenhouse Building, the Variety Theater and, of course, the Elaginoostrovsky Palace. The latter is considered a real masterpiece of Russian architecture.

Currently, it houses a museum of decorative arts and interior design.

On the territory of Elaginsky Island there is a huge number of cozy cafes, there is a volleyball court, a boat station, and a tennis court.

In December 2012, a restored mini-zoo began operating on the territory of the Central Park of Culture and Culture St. Petersburg (address: 190068 Elagin Island, 4). Guests could see with their own eyes red and yellow pheasants, guinea fowl, turkeys, brahma chickens and other exotic representatives of the fauna.

Park in winter

When snow falls and the water outside turns into ice, not everyone knows where to go ice skating and sledding in such a big city as St. Petersburg. The Kirov Central Park of Culture and Culture is just the ideal place for this. For lovers of active recreation in winter, a skating rink is specially organized here. In the evening, Elagin Island is especially beautiful: garlands of light decorate the Stable Building, the lanterns of K. Rossi are pleasing to the eye, and opposite the Butter Meadow you can admire a stunning spectacle called the “Winter Fountain”. This composition includes exquisite light figures, inspired by the Christmas decorations in the capital of France.

In the second half of December, folk festivals take place annually. At this time, Elaginsky Island resembles a fairy tale. Guests can purchase New Year's toys and decorations, gifts and souvenirs in the shopping pavilions. Visitors are happy to be treated to delicious cakes, gingerbread cookies, pies and other rich delicacies.

Park in summer

There are many interesting entertainments in the Central Park of Culture and Culture during the warm season. Boat rides, hiking accompanied by the singing and chirping of birds, playing on the tennis court - all this is at the disposal of guests who have come to have a pleasant time on Elagin Island. Even the squirrels here are tame: they will gladly accept treats from visitors. Well, the numerous attractions in the Central Park of Culture and Culture (St. Petersburg) will not leave any child indifferent. But how much does it cost to relax in this picturesque place?

Price-list

It should be noted that a budget option for leisure activities is offered specifically in the Central Park of Culture and Culture (St. Petersburg). The prices here are quite affordable.

For example, one hour of roller skating costs 150 rubles. Those who want to ride a bike for an hour's ride will pay 200 rubles. If you want to rent a scooter for an hour, this pleasure will cost 80 rubles.

Transport

Not everyone knows what kind of transport and what route to get to the Central Park of Culture and Culture (St. Petersburg). The best option is to use the subway. You should get to the Krestovy Ostrov metro station, and then exit to the right and walk some distance along Ryukhin Street. Then the path goes to the bridge over the Middle Nevka.

The second route can take you to the Staraya Derevnya metro station. Then you should walk along Lipovaya Alley all the way to Primorskoe Highway. Next, turning right, we move to the bridge.

The park can be reached via three Elaginsky bridges from Kamennoye and Krestovsky islands, as well as from the Primorsky district.

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 northernmost 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 is a fabulous forest corner in the center of St. Petersburg, it is located at the mouth of the Neva. An ideal place for family holidays, 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 reduced ticket costs 160 rubles.

To the west of Kamenny Island is one of the most famous islands of 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 by 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 one day walking near this pavilion, Cagliostro predicted the death of the Russian Empire, “having once seen its 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 a romantic underground passage that led from the manor house to the local church.

Main facade of the Elaginsky Palace

From 1826 to 1839 she lived in Italy. Famous musicians, artists, and writers gathered in her luxurious country house 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 a love of art, a democratic way of thinking and independence in relations with the powers that be - qualities that developed far from the “all-seeing eye and all-hearing ears” and were 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: “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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