In the north of Moscow in the left-bank region there is a small green zone, which was given a good name - "Friendship". The park has a small area of 50 hectares. It was laid in 1957 according to the project of three young architects - Valentin Ivanov, Anatoly Savin and Galina Yezhova.
History of the park
Work on the project to create this green zone began in October 1956. This major urban development project was entrusted to three graduates of the Moscow Architectural Institute, sponsored by Vitaly Dolganov, the head of the project workshop for landscaping the city.
The place for the future park was chosen on a site near the Leningradskoye Shosse, where in the coming years it was planned to begin construction of a large residential area of Khimki-Khovrino. This zone amazed everyone with its picturesque decorativeness: open-cast mines with clear water intersect the hilly terrain, in which crucian carp live, and reservoirs are connected by picturesque isthmuses.
As planned, the site was to be prepared for the VI World Festival of Youth and Students, the beginning of which was planned for August 1, 1957. With titanic efforts, in a record short time (less than a year), all work was completed, and it was on the appointed day that the festival participants laid the foundation for the park — planting trees and shrubs and flowers in flower beds according to the given pattern.
Why is the park called "Friendship"?
Initially, aspiring architects worked in the territory of the future park and only one team from the Moszelenstroy trust numbering only ten people. At their disposal was one old bulldozer, which often broke. Since there was little time before the festival, and there was a lot of work - garbage collection, clearing the area from dilapidated buildings, leveling the site, arranging lawns, preparing places for future landings, Moscow Komsomol members were sent to help the workers. For more than two months, six hundred guys and girls worked here every day, who worked with rakes and shovels with songs and enthusiasm. On time, the friendship won! The park was named after the close-knit work of Muscovites.
Interestingly, the laying of this facility was far ahead of the start of construction of the residential complex, in the center of which it is today. Only three years later, two streets appeared along the borders of the park - Festivalnaya and Naval.
What Friendship Park (Moscow) looks like today
This small green island stands out nicely against a dusty metropolis. For more than 50 years, Muscovites have come and come here to breathe in fresh air and relax in nature. It is nice to walk along shady alleys, admire picturesque landscapes, climb hills and go down to ponds, cross water bodies on openwork bridges.
"Friendship" is a park in which all conditions are created for a full-fledged youth and family vacation. A lot of playgrounds, a sports ground, a football field, benches and gazebos, adults and children’s attractions - all this is built for interesting leisure. Also on the territory is constantly located the Rainbow Circus, where wonderful performances are regularly held.
The architectural and park ensemble attracts many interesting monuments. In the center is the Friendship monument (appeared in 1985), nearby is a huge boulder depicting Alisa Selezneva with a talker bird on her shoulder, marking the beginning of a beautiful alley, then a memorial plate is erected in honor of the soldiers who fell in Afghanistan, a stella is a tribute to the Soviet feat Finnish people presented the monument to the Children of the World with a Finnish monument, a monument of Soviet-Hungarian friendship stands near it, figures of Miguel de Cervantes and Rabindranath Tagore look at the surroundings, the park is also decorated with two sculptures - Bread and Fertility.
However, the symbol of the park is still the monument "Friendship". It is he who is depicted on all postcards dedicated to this place.
