Sokolniki

Sokolniki Park is one of the largest parks in Moscow with an area of 516 hectares. In the old days, hunting for game using falcons was tripled here.

In the 14th and 16th centuries, there were dense forests here. In the 16th century, Ivan the Terrible himself hunted in Skolniki with the help of falcons. The birds were trained by special people - falconers, hence the name of the park. Centuries later, Alekseevskaya, Olenye and Sokolnichye groves appeared. In the thicket that was closer to Moscow, Peter the Great ordered a clearing to be cut, where he organized grandiose festivities. Swedish prisoners lived nearby, who taught Peter the Great various wisdoms, and they held lavish festivities every year on May 1. These festivities were adopted by the locals and called them "tables" and "German camps."

During the Patriotic War of 1812, in order to quickly get from Moscow to Losiny Ostrov, another clearing was cut, called the 4th Ray. And in the Falconer Grove itself, the locals were hiding from the French troops. To rebuild the city after the fire of 1812, most of the grove was cut down, but it quickly grew. In the 1840s, the Sokolnichy Grove was laid out - additional clearings were cut, fanning out from the center, and a "labyrinth" was planted from bushes near the Putyaevsky ponds, but it has not survived to this day. In 1883, a rotunda was built in the park, where concerts and even operas were staged on holidays.

During the Civil War, the park fell into disrepair, everything changed only in the 1930s, when Sokolniki was declared a cultural and recreation park. After that, the territory was cleared of debris, green spaces, attractions for children, a restaurant, pavilions were restored, and a fountain was built at each entrance. In 1957, a Large Rose Garden was opened, and in 1973 the Sokolniki Sports Palace was built. In the 1990s, the park was reopened, and only 10 years later some of the structures were restored. In 2011, a plan was adopted, according to which 4.5 billion rubles were allocated for the reconstruction of the park. During the reconstruction, picnic areas were made, lawns were renovated, ponds were cleared, asphalt sidewalks were replaced with tiles, bike paths, sports fields, an ice rink were built, an outdoor swimming pool and a rose garden were restored.

Nowadays Sokolniki Park is one of the best places for a quiet family holiday.