4 Ways to Trully Enjoy Gorky Park
Impossible to miss it
This past Sunday, I took advantage of the beautiful weather to enjoy Gorky Park or Park Gorkovo (Парк Горького). The full name is the Maxim Gorky Central Park for Culture and Leisure (Центральный парк культуры и отдыха имени Горького). To get to the park, you can take the Koltsevaya Line to Park Kultury (Парк культу́ры) or Oktyabrskaya (Октя́брьская) and follow signs for the park, which is approximately a 5 minute walk from both stations. However, to catch a spectacular view of the Moskva River from the Krymsky Bridge (Крымский мост), I highly recommend getting out at Park Kultury and crossing the 668-metre suspension bridge by foot.
Everyone Enjoy Gorky Park
The park itself is around 300 acres and was first opened to the public in 1928. While it was always popular with Muscovites, it fell into disrepair over time, until 2011 when a major redevelopment project was commissioned by the city. The entire area was overhauled and cleaned up, and since its reopening, the park has become a popular destination for locals and tourists. The broad tree-lined avenues surround perfectly-manicured flower arrangements and several ponds which are great for strolling around in the spring and summer, and there’s lots of green space on which to enjoy an afternoon picnic. From the river bank on the western edge of the park, you can purchase tickets for the Radisson Royal Moscow River Cruise (which I’ll describe in future post!)
There’s plenty to do inside the park as well. Here are my top recommendations to get the most out of your visit to Gorky Park!
What can you do?
Relax On The Beach: Immediately upon entering the park, you’ll come upon Pioner Pond, where a beach and lounge chairs have been set up for everyone to enjoy. Catch some sun and dip your toes in the refreshing water. It can get quite busy during hot days, so come early.
Get Moving: In approximately the middle of the park, you’ll find a Rental Centre which provides several types of bikes, rollerblades, skates, scooters and skateboards. The minimum rental period is one hour, and prices range from 100-500 rubles. Note: all rentals require a 1500 ruble-safety deposit! There are also many ping-pong tables scattered throughout the park, so grab a racquet (good luck keeping the ball in play 🙂 )
Visit the Cinema: Further into the park, you’ll find Pioner Cinema and Cafe. This is an outdoor theatre, so make sure to bring a blanket in case it gets cold! Screenings include contemporary art house films with dubs or subs, Russian documentaries, and many foreign films.
Whet Your Appetite: After you enjoy Gorky park, you can opt for many sit-down cafes offering contemporary Russian cuisine, as well as several food stalls serving up flavours from around the world, including burgers, noodles, and samosas. Don’t forget to try some Russian ice cream (typically prepacked in a cone, in Vanilla, Chocolate, or Crème Brulée).
Who Was Maxim Gorky?
Maxim Gorky, born Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (1868-1936) remains one of Russia’s most famous authors and social activists. Before becoming a writer, he spent 15 years exploring Russia in its entirety which influenced his political leanings. He was vocal about his opposition to the monarchy for which he was exiled and heavily involved with the Bolsheviks. He returned to Russia after the Revolution, and remained active in politics until his death.
Maria, currently studying Russian at Liden & Denz Moscow