Gorky Park is a well-known public park dedicated to the great Russian writer Maxim Gorky and is the most famous and fascinating of the 120 parks in Moscow. Frequented by both tourists and Muscovites all year round, it is a serene oasis and a truly exciting meeting place in the hectic Russian capital.
This picturesque park, located in front of the Moskva River, was opened in 1928 and designed by Konstantin Melnikov, one of the leading architects of the time.
This park’s full name is Maxim Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure. It covers over one square kilometer, thanks to the addition of the large gardens of the old Golitsyn Hospital and the Neskuchny Palace.
There are countless fun activities that you can enjoy here, such as cycling, skating, beach volleyball, urban sports, table tennis, bowling and even extreme sports. There are several places where you can rent bicycles and roller skates, one of them being under the Andreyevsky pedestrian bridge. When the ponds freeze in winter, the park turns into the largest ice rink in the city.
The park underwent a major renovation in 2011 following various ecological criteria: the old amusement park attractions have been eliminated, several monuments have been restored and an ice rink measuring 15,000 square meters has been added!
While strolling along the paths, you may come across several pieces of art from various exhibitions and festivals, but Darija Zhukova’s Garage Museum of Contemporary Art plays a major role. The Garage is one of the capital’s most popular cultural spots. It is housed in an abandoned Soviet-era building which was renovated by Dutch visionary architect Rem Koolhaas in 2015, and hosts exhibitions, conferences, films and interactive educational programs with Russian and international artists.
Let me leave you with an interesting fact: The park owes its worldwide fame to the well-known novel, Gorky Park, by Martin Cruz Smith, and especially to the 1983 film adaptation starring William Hurt and Lee Marvin.
