Emerald Park (Barnaul) yesterday and today

Oktyabrsky district gave the official name to this park of Barnaul. But the city residents still call it "Emerald". The majority of those whose childhood was spent in the Soviet era left the park with the brightest memories. Summer cafes, a winter ice rink, attractions, a planetarium ... It was nice to take a walk at any time of the year. But in the nineties this city garden came to desolation. And what is being done in the park now? Our short essay will tell about this. It should be said that the Emerald Park has a very interesting history. And it's worth telling about it to understand the significance of some architectural objects on its territory. A tidbit of land almost in the center of the city always attracted the attention of illegal developers. Let's see if the public has managed to defend its park.

Brief history of the place

Even Barnaulians are surprised by the presence on the territory of the city garden of a building resembling a sacral building. Already the Planetarium resembles an Orthodox church, only without a cross and with four pillars not very fitting in the ensemble. Here, from this building, the whole story began. Experts of sacred architecture are not mistaken - it really is a church that used to be called the Cross-Vozdvizhenskaya. And surrounded by its eponymous cemetery. Yes, yes, the park "Emerald" (Barnaul) is broken down in place of the ancient churchyard. However, there is no trace left of the cemetery. It is also known that in 1918, on this place, the champions of the proletarian revolution and the Soviet government were massively shot. This is now reminiscent of a small memorial. What happened, why did the cemetery become a park? This was facilitated by the construction of the Melange complex.

Formation of park

Scale transformations began in 1939. The territory of the cemetery was transferred at that time to the Melange complex. The church was closed in order to combat religious prejudice. The Soviet authorities had few sentiments for the peace of the deceased, so it was decided to demolish the tombstones, raze the graves and break the "Emerald" park in this cemetery. Barnaul then got a planetarium, which was located in the building of the Cross-Vozdvizhenskaya church. An extensive pond was dug, new trees and bushes were added to the plantations of the cemetery. However, at that time the new park was called "Park of Culture and Rest". But the memory that there was a cemetery at this place was alive among the people. It is not by chance that the dead Japanese prisoners of war were buried here.

Further transformation of the park. Titles

It can be said without exaggeration that the park changed with the city and the whole country. Its names also changed. When in 1953 the tyrant of all peoples died, the city authorities of Barnaul in a fit of servility renamed the Park of Culture in the Park. Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin. And even put a monument to the dictator on the main avenue. In less than three years, as the pathetic sign was dismantled, and the sculpture was demolished. At the beginning of this century, the Oktyabrsky district of the city made its contribution to the official name of the park, although the locals still continue to refer to it as the "Emerald". When the years of prosperity began (mid-seventies), the city had funds for a large-scale reconstruction of the cultural object. The alleys were covered with asphalt, the shores of the pond were reinforced with concrete slabs, new attractions were put on, additional landscaping was carried out.

Emerald Park (Barnaul) today

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city garden has noticeably declined. Desolation was seen in everything: in the paths, and overgrown bushes without the caring hand of the gardener, and in rusty attractions. But the local people continued to love their park. In the winter they laid a skis and poured a skating rink, in the summer on a pond water were lowered by catamarans and equipped with a dancing platform. The big Ferris wheel continued to operate, one of the few attractions left over from the Soviet era. Having survived the hard times of the nineties, the park "Emerald" (Barnaul) began to develop again. There were new, modern attractions for both children and adults. There were built playgrounds for volleyball, basketball and streetball, shooting range, cafe. The pond was reared by perch, pike, mirror carps and carp. But not everything is as rosy as we would like. The building, which housed a planetarium for many years, was transferred to the Barnaul diocese in the fourteenth year. And a year later the beautiful cafe "Mill" was burnt to ashes. All the time, attempts are being made to alienate a piece of territory from the park for building. But the public does not allow it.

Emerald Park (Barnaul): how to get there

The most beautiful entrance to this garden is located along Profintern Street. It is decorated with white columns with the inscription "Park of Culture and Recreation". The garden is perimeter fenced. But you do not need to take a long time to get to the park "Emerald" (Barnaul). The address of this urban infrastructure object is: Komsomolsky prospect, 128. There is also an entrance to the park. In addition, you can approach it from Lenskaya Street and from Sibirskiy Prospekt.