Published on: 2026-10-04
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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In Moscow’s parks, subordinated to the capital’s To the Department of Culture, there are many sites that stand out due to their age, scale, or history. For example, in the Vorontsovo estate, one of the oldest estate bridges in Moscow is preserved; in the Tsaritsyno museum-reserve, there is the oldest and longest cascade of ponds in the capital; and in the Silver Bor natural park, the longest ecological trail in Moscow runs through. Ancient trees also grow in the green areas, such as the 300-year-old oak in the N.N. Pryamikov children’s park and the 255-year-old oak in the Hermitage garden.
The bridge in the Vorontsovo estate was built in 1790. It was buried under a layer of earth for a long time and was accidentally discovered in 2005 during archaeological excavations. Today, the bridge serves as a reminder of what the estate territory looked like several centuries ago.
The bodies of water at the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve also have their own centuries-old history. One of the oldest and most extensive cascades of ponds in Moscow includes the Upper, Middle, and Lower Tsaritsyno ponds and the Borisov ponds. The Borisov ponds were added to “Tsaritsyno” in 2025, making the historic cascade unified once again. Its water system was formed over several centuries in the valleys of the Gorodnya River and its tributaries — Yazvenka, Cherepishka, and Chertanovka.
Borisovsky Pond is the oldest in the cascade. It appeared back at the end of the 16th century, during the reign of Boris Godunov. The Upper and Lower Tsaritsyn Ponds were created in the second half of the 17th century, when the estate was owned by the Streshnev boyars. Later, the reservoirs underwent various transformations: under Catherine the Great, the Lower Pond was deepened and cleaned, and in the 1790s a decorative island in the shape of a horseshoe appeared on it.
Today, the total area of the cascade together with the Borisovsky ponds is about 170 hectares. The reservoirs remain part of the park’s natural ecosystem: the Borisovsky ponds have beaches and recreation areas, and the Lower Tsaritsyn pond serves as a habitat for many species of waterfowl, including rare and endangered ones.
Centuries-old trees
The memory of the past is also preserved by the trees in Moscow’s parks. The 300-year-old pedunculate oak in the center of the N.N. Pryamikov Children’s Park is a legally protected monument of landscape art and a cultural heritage site.
The oak in the Hermitage garden, which is 255 years old, was already growing here in the 18th century, long before Yakov Shchukin founded an amusement garden on this territory in 1894. When planning it at the end of the 19th century, the tree was deliberately preserved. Today, specialists monitor its condition: they conduct wood monitoring, strengthen the branches, and care for the root system.
In Fili Park, on the territory of the former landscape park near the Kuntsevo estate, there is also an ancient oak tree whose age dendrologists estimate at more than 250 years. The circumference of its trunk exceeds 410 centimeters. The tree is included in the all-Russian program “Trees — Monuments of Living Nature” and in historical walking routes through the park.
In the formal park on the territory of the Kuskovo estate, an old larch tree has been preserved. It has been growing opposite the Large Stone Greenhouse for over 200 years — back when the estate under the Sheremetev counts reached its peak.
Record scales
The length of the ecological trail “In Harmony with Nature” in the Silver Forest nature reserve is 5.5 kilometers. It was opened in 2018. The route passes through various natural landscapes: from the quiet bays of Lake Bezdonnoye and pine forests to views of the Moskva River and the Lemeshev oak. Along the way, you can see lindens, birches, larches, sea buckthorn, reed thickets, and water lilies, and among the forest inhabitants — squirrels, woodpeckers, and songbirds. Among the grasses, there are rare plants listed in the Moscow Red Book.
There is also a record-breaking park in the capital in terms of size. The Losiny Ostrov National Park is recognized as the largest park in Moscow by area. It is home to more than 2,700 species of animals, including moose, wild boars, and rare owls, as well as insects. The park is listed in the Russian records registry.
Izmailovsky forest park holds several records — from natural to historical. It covers more than 1,300 hectares and remains the largest area of natural forest within the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD). The forest and recreational zone allow visitors to relax, engage in sports, and enjoy nature right within the city limits of the metropolis.
The memory of military history is preserved by the memorial complex “Square of Courage” — the largest open-air museum of military equipment in the Eastern Administrative Okrug. Here is an exhibition of armored vehicles and anti-aircraft complexes from the Great Patriotic War. The complex was created in 1968 based on a project by architect M.N. Moshinsky. Its establishment is directly connected to the events of the Great Patriotic War: in July 1942, the 85th Guards Katyusha Mortar Regiment was formed from volunteers on the territory of Izmailovsky Park.
Cultural life
The cultural life of Moscow’s parks is also marked by records. For example, the main stage of the N.E. Bauman Garden “Rakushka” is one of the oldest functioning open-air concert venues in Moscow. It was built in the 1920s–1930s and is still used for its intended purpose. Performers like Leonid Utyosov, Klavdiya Shulzhenko, and other famous artists appeared on this stage, and today musical evenings and major garden events take place here.
Modern walking routes, concert venues, and recreation areas in Moscow’s parks stand alongside sites whose histories span decades, centuries, and even several centuries. Each such record is another way to see the familiar green spaces of the capital from a new perspective.
Moscow parks are a large-scale city initiative aimed at creating comfortable, modern, and multifunctional recreational areas for residents and visitors of the capital. It unites more than 50 park territories that have been transformed into attraction points for sports, culture, family leisure, and communion with nature. The project not only preserves unique landscapes and ecosystems but also fills the parks with new infrastructure.
A large-scale project is presented on the mos.ru portal special project, dedicated to the development of key areas of Moscow. Among them are transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed in recent years, what initiatives, aimed at making the lives of city residents even more comfortable, are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, Heritage, and Leisure Industry” you can learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital.
Moscow is the center of the country’s cultural life and ranks among the leading megacities in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. The city has established a film cluster that unites the Moskino film plant on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Gorky Film Studio, and the Moskino film park.
Quickly get the main news on the official channels of the city of Moscow in messengers “Max” and “Telegram”.
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