Shevchenko Park (Odessa)

After the conquest of the Hadzhibey fortress , a Russian fortress was built on this site by 1795 (the powder tower and arcade of which were preserved), which was part of the system of border fortifications . The fortress, however, lasted only less than 20 years - when, as a result of the next Russo-Turkish war, the Russian-Turkish border moved further south-west, the fortress was abolished as unnecessary. After its abolition in 1811, the entire territory was transferred to Quarantine , part was used as a quarantine yard, and part was used as a plague and quarantine cemetery. Barracks were used under quarantine and prison. The place was neglected and groomed.

According to the preserved plan of the architect F.K. Boffo from 1840, a park was to be laid out at this place. The trees, obviously, were planted, since this area on the plans of the city of the middle of the XIX century was designated as “Fortress Garden”, but they were not taken care of; the garden was wild and notorious. Obviously, this was facilitated by the fact that the lands were listed by the military department and the city did not belong. Only on September 7, 1875, the park was finally opened, and on September 10 it was called Alexandrovsky , in honor of a visit to Odessa by Emperor Alexander II , who, on the occasion of the opening of the park, planted an oak tree in it with his own hands ^[1] .

These places were visited by Pushkin , Zhukovsky , Gogol , Ostrovsky , Dostoevsky , Chekhov , Akhmatova and other famous people.

Near the Chernomorets stadium is a mound (the remains of fortifications) with the Alexander Column . From this place balloons and planes were launched, one of the first in the Russian Empire , and the famous Sergey Utochkin also made several flights ^[2] .

In the popular guide of Grigory Moskvich for 1911, the park was described with these words ^[3] :

Of the gardens of Odessa, the most popular and visited is the Alexander Park, located although on the outskirts, but adjacent to the lively and aristocratic part of the city. In general, it occupies a very vast area, bounded by Marazli (Novaya) Street and Mikhailovskaya Square, and is famous for the Langeron urban dacha. A good highway passes through the park, leading to Langeron. This expensive park is divided into two unequal parts: the left, more extensive, adjacent to the sea, and the right. The left side is more lively and better contained, but the right side has the main attraction of the park: a beautiful monument is erected on a high mound - a column to Emperor Alexander II, who planted the first tree with his own hands - an oak tree, which has now grown quite well and is surrounded by a magnificent massive lattice with state emblems. The oak is located right at the monument. The slope of the mound is beautifully decorated with greenery, among which the emperor's initials crowned with a crown stand out vividly. This part of the mound, like the oak tree, faces the road. We recommend dedicating an hour or two to visiting the park to every visitor, especially since the beautiful vegetation and plentiful shade make the walk tireless even in the hottest time of the day

April 30, 1920, shortly after the final establishment of Soviet power in Odessa, the park was renamed the "Park named after T. G. Shevchenko" according to the decree of the city executive committee ^[3] .

The park’s green theater was attended by such celebrities as Leonid Utesov , Arkady Raikin , Tarapunka and Shtepsel , Edita Pyekha , Mikhail Vodyanoy . In 1936, the Central Stadium of the city was built.

1910 Odessa Exhibition

Special mention deserves the "Factory, Art, Industrial and Agricultural All-Russian Exhibition" 1910-1911, which took place in the park under the auspices of the Odessa branch of the Imperial Russian Technical Society and the Imperial Society of Agriculture of Southern Russia on which many thousands of exhibits from all ends of the Empire and from abroad ^[3] .

A monument to Taras Shevchenko was erected in the park (from Marazlievskaya Street, at its intersection with Sabansky Lane ), there is an “Alley of Glory” with the graves of the city’s defense participants, underground fighters and liberators of the city during the Great Patriotic War and a monument to the Unknown Sailor with eternal flame, as well as obelisk to the soldiers of the Afghans.

On April 10, 1968, on the “Walk of Glory” at the Monument to the Unknown Sailor, “Post No. 1” was created with the aim of military-patriotic education of youth and memory of those who died during the Great Patriotic War .

On the basis of “Post No. 1”, the Odessa city center of military-patriotic youth education “Post No. 1” was created. Every year, from April to November, honor guards from students of schools in the city of Odessa carry an honorary memory watch on the “Walk of Fame”.

Since 2006, the pupils of the Center for Military-Patriotic Youth Education have been holding an honorary watch in memory at the “Post No. 2” at the monument to the soldiers-internationalists who died in Afghanistan .

From the “Walk of Fame” numerous paved paths lead to the Black Sea , the beach “Langeron” . In the same place begins the pedestrian alley "Health Track", stretching along the coast of Odessa to the beaches of Arcadia .

On the beach "Langeron" is a dolphinarium .

In the summer of 2011, the Odessa public organization Dozor took the initiative to return the park to its original name “Aleksandrovsky”. As an argument for this proposal, activists of the organization cite data that in the toponymy of Odessa, one of the main streets (Shevchenko Avenue) and the whole district (Shevchenko village) are already named after T. Shevchenko, “Taras Shevchenko himself, creativity which was riddled with protest against serfdom, would approve of a step aimed at perpetuating the memory of the ruler, eliminating this phenomenon ” ^[4] .

The deputy of the Odessa City Council, Aleksey Kosmin , made a similar initiative, who said: “This year is a few significant dates: the 130th anniversary of the death of Emperor Alexander II, the 150th anniversary of the abolition of serfdom. During the reign of Alexander, Odessa developed at a very rapid pace; he rendered this maximum assistance. Moreover, he was in this park, planted a tree there - at the place where the Alexander Column was installed 120 years ago ” ^[4] .

According to the newspaper "Evening Odessa" in favor of returning the park to its historical name "Alexandrovsky", it also says that the Odessa Regional Council back in 1991 by decision No. 580 took this park under state protection under the name "Alexandrovsky City Park" ^[5] .

• KP "PKiO" them. T. G. Shevchenko (neopr.) . Department of Culture and Arts of Odessa City Council. Date of treatment December 16, 2011. Archived on May 17, 2012.
• The official website of the city of Odessa. Parks of Odessa.
• Gubar O. Question No. 48. How did the Alexander Park and the surrounding area settle down (neopr.) . Vikna-Odessa (January 24, 2007). Date of treatment December 13, 2011. Archived on May 17, 2012.
• Kalugin G. TsPKiO: what should he be called now? (unspecified) . The newspaper "Evening Odessa" (October 27, 2011). Date of treatment December 16, 2011. Archived on May 17, 2012.
• Plague graveyards of European cities