Gorky Park

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure (Russian: Центральный парк культуры и отдыха (ЦПКиО) or Gorky Park as it is commonly known, is a park named after Maxim Gorky ( a Soviet writer who greatly opposed the Tsarist regime, he has been nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature). The park is located in Krymsky Val, Moscow near the Park Kultury metro station and along the Moscow river.

The Park is divided into two parts. The first part is mostly for children. The place has a wide range of roller coasters and fun fair rides. Visitors can rent boats or horses or play tennis on the tennis courts. There is also the volleyball court and hockey. In the winter, they will flood a good deal of the path, and the park becomes a skating rink. There are music and disco lights to match. In the summer, visitors sunbathe in the beach area. In the evenings, the place becomes an open nightclub as well as outdoor dance classes which include rock and salsa. 

The other side of the park is made up of formal gardens. There is a woodland that combines two historical gardens. A lot of visitors take a long walk in the park. Visitors can also visit the sculpture park, you would see sculptures of Stalin and other Soviet leaders.

Visitors can choose to lie down and relax or even read books. Many visitors also meditate in the park. You can also choose to enjoy the scenery; many visitors visit the park during late Spring and early summer to watch the blooming of the tulips and other flowers. Visitors can also take boat trips 

There is also a museum that is free to the public. There is an open-air theater in the park as well. There are also duck ponds and musical fountains. This park is also one of the popular locations for the pancake festival (the other park is the Muzeon park). This festival usually lasts for two days, visitors enjoy different types of pancakes, candies, and honey along with great music. 

All year there is free entrance for everyone. There is so much to do that this park that it is difficult to list it all in one article. Contemporary art, the open air cinema playing movies in summer evenings, rock music concerts where rock stars Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osbourne have played. Amazing river views to look at of the Moscow river. Its no wonder that this is a favorite place of many Muscovites.

Historical Information

The park was planned by renowned architect Konstantin Melnikov. The park was created by merging the Golitsyn hospital old gardens and the Neskuchny Palace gardens along with its river. The park was opened in 1928. It was named after M.A. Gorky in 1932. 

The park underwent major reconstruction in 2011. Almost all the amusement rides were changed and all other facilities were changed to make them eco-friendly. 

Miscellaneous

Visitors can rent bicycles or roller skates at the park’s renting point. This is the perfect place to tour a huge park by bike.

There are eight rental points in all; Central rental (next to Café Vokker),  Pushkinskaya Embankment at Radisson Pier , at the Pushkinskaya Embankment, there are four locations, one is next to Vlasov’s historic toilet, there is another one near Andreevsky Bridge, opposite Olive Beach, and yet another rental point next to the Green Theater. Other rental points include rental at the Western entrance (on Vorobyovy Gory, entrance from Vorobyevsky, highway , 41), Rental at the cable car (on Vorobyovy Gory, near the cable car and cafe Prawns), Rental in Neskuchny Garden (near Kovorking “Workstation “, Entrance from Leninsky Prospekt, 30A), Museon (next to the cycling club” Noodle Mama “), 5 pavilion (located near the fountain), Museon (located at the entrance to the park)

Foreigners need to present their passports to be able to rent the bicycle or roller skates.

It is recommended that visitors visit Gorky park on weekdays if they want to avoid the crowd. The weekdays can be crowded but not as crowded as the weekends. There is also free WiFi for visitors in the park. In Moscow, you will find few other places as peaceful and relaxing as this park. Possible exceptions are Tsaritsyno Park or Alexander Garden