St. Petersburg is dotted with many parks. Some have a luxurious infrastructure, others have a rich history, and others are more like corners of pristine nature. All of them are ideal for evening promenades and picnics. Rzhevsky forest park, gradually turning into a real forest with mushrooms and berries, is a great place for leisurely walks, sports and collecting gifts of nature.
Park name
The park has three names: two official and one national. The official name - “Okhta Training and Experimental Forestry” - did not take root at all. The forest area is not called by the name “Okhtinsky”. In documents the name "Porokhovskaya" is often found. In the people his name is not other than Rzhevsky forest park.
Geography
The park partially occupies the eastern outskirts of St. Petersburg. At a distance of 4 kilometers from it are two metro stations. The Ladoga station is located in the west, and the Bolshevik Avenue is in the south-west.
However, not only in the vicinity of St. Petersburg stretches Rzhevsky forest park. Vsevolozhsk district, or rather, its southwestern lands - the area along which the bulk of the forest was spread. The city of Volzhsk is located two kilometers from the north-eastern borders of the park.
Its neighbors in the north are Pereperechnaya and Lesoparkovaya streets, Ryabovskoe highway and Krasnogvardeisky district of St. Petersburg. In the western outskirts it is in contact with Sosnovsky Prospect, Naberezhnaya, Lesnaya, Vodoprovodnaya and Kommuna streets, and the Krasnogvardeisky district.
The southern borders of the forest are adjacent to the Koltush highway, the villages of Zanevka, Novosergievka and SNT Kolos. Its northeastern outskirts abut against the closed airport "Rzhevka" and the Kovalevsky forest. The eastern surroundings are adjacent to the village of Yanino-1.
Along the meridian, the Rzhevsky forest park crosses the ring highway. In the same place there are power lines and a single-track railway connecting Rzhevka and Zanevsky Post stations. From east to west along the forested territory, the Lapka River (Zhernovka) and the Karaulov Stream meander. The branch of the Ladoga railway station - MGA stretches in the south.
Park topology
Until 2010, the Rzhevsky forest park in St. Petersburg merged with the forest, which stretched the Karelian Isthmus. When building a suburb, forests were gradually cut down. As a result, the Kovalevsky forest massif and the Okhtinsky park turned into independent natural zones. Despite the fact that the forest belt is crossed by transport routes, many places with virgin vegetation have been preserved in it.
Flora and fauna
In the south-west, the Rzhevsky forest park is overtaken by forests, in which deciduous species prevail. Its eastern and northern territories are overgrown with majestic conifers. The forest park is inhabited by permanent inhabitants: squirrels, hares, weasels and newts.
Otters and beavers are old-timers of a small lake. In the off-season, migratory birds find shelter here. In the depths of the forest, its wild corners, moose occasionally appear. In addition, feral dogs roam here.
Forest park improvement
There is practically no asphalt coating in the park, and what is there is in poor condition. But its territory is covered with a network of winding paths suitable for walking, running and cycling.
In the center of the forest zone there is a small lake with beautiful panoramic views. Under the dense crowns of trees barbecue facilities are equipped, where visitors arrange fun picnics.
In winter, multiple ski slopes traverse the snow. There are light walking trails and challenging sports routes. Intricate figures of adults and children write out on an open ice rink. Many visitors frolic on ice-covered slides. At the rental point, skates, skis and sledges are available for rent. On weekends, horse and pony owners drop by with their pets, inviting guests of the park to enjoy horse riding.
One attraction in the forest park is one - an obelisk to dead aviators. The monument is located near the Ring Road. The memorial survived the restoration after a vandal attack on it in the 2000s.
