Happy Saturday everybody! Are you enjoying your weekend?
This post is absolutely off the topic of translation. Last weekend my mother, my daughter Delia and I went to our favourite park in the city. Vladimir is beautiful in late spring, and this park is so very special!
It is called "Patriarch's garden" (Патриарший сад). It has been known since the 16th century. Some legends say that it has existed since the days of Pince Andrey Bogolyubsky (12th century), but there's not enough evidence of that. In the 16th century a cherry orchard was planted here and the Russian Orthodox elite came here to enjoy the cherries and the beautiful views that the park offered. It was especially popular in the 19th century.
Unfortunately, after the revolution of 1917 the park was virtually destroyed. In 1948, after the war it was renamed into the "Garden of 16 republics" (Сад 16 республик). School children helped the adults to take care of it. They planted the trees again, but they decided not to limit themselves to just cherry trees. In fact, they managed to grow a whole variety of vegetables, fruit trees and other plants that grow in all parts of the former Soviet Union, including the far away South.
Now the park is gaining back its popularity both among the local residents and among tourists. And it totally deserves all the attention :)
Here are some pictures. Hope you enjoy them.
 |
| roses |
 |
| irises |
 |
| view of the park |
 |
| Mom showing something interesting to Delia |
 |
| This is the oldest tree in Vladimir. It's several centuries old. |
 |
| View of the city from the park |
 |
| That's the view of the city observation platform near the Assumption Cathedral |
You can see the full album in my Google + profile.
Click here to see Baba Yaga's hut and more interesting pics ;)
Those of you who speak Russian can read more info about Patriarch's Garden here:
Линия жизни
Прогулка по Патриаршему саду
Olenka,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this interesting information! Due to you, I was able to discover this park again last year and I am going there this week too! :) Tanya M.
Privet Tanechka!
ReplyDeleteYou are so very welcome! Yes, you should definitely visit it! Right now, there are not as many tourists and weddings there, so you can enjoy the nature and the quiet, almost intimate atmosphere. It is very special. It helps me regain my strength and the right perspective on things. So glad you like it, too :)
Dear Olga,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. Vladimir park looks like a beautiful place where you can rest your mind and soul. Thank you for wonderful photos, they fit in the text perfectly. And I mustn't forget to add- Delia is adorable in this outfit! :-)
Dear Aleksandra,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your compliment to Delia! You know how to make a mother's heart happy :) I am glad you liked the photos. This is my favourite park. It's really a very special place.
Olga, is it related to "patriarshi prudi", that are mentioned in Master and Margarita?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos :)
Thanks Mike :) No, Patriarshi prudi are in Moscow, and the Patriarch's garden is in Vladimir. You can read about the etimology of Patriarshi prudi here: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B4%D1%8B
ReplyDeleteBoth names honor the Patriarch and the Orthodox church though, so I guess it's the only similarity between them.