Sosnovka Park

Categories / City Topography/Green Areas/Parks
Sosnovka is a park between Svetlanovsky Avenue, Toreza Avenue, Severny Avenue and Tikhoretsky Avenue. The total area of the park is 303.5 hectares. Sosnovka is a remainder of the vast pine forests on sandy terraces in the northern part of St. Petersburg. In 1923, a forest section was included in the Educational Experimental Forestry of the Forestry Engineering Academy. A forest park of the same name was laid out in the 1930s. A park was laid out in the 1970s. Swamps to the north of the park almost doubled its original size. A military aerodrome, called Sosnovka, was constructed on the territory of the park in the autumn of 1941. There is a monument on the site, and a cemetery nearby for pilots who perished during the defence of Leningrad, among those buried are Heroes of the Soviet Union A. P. Savushkin and P. Y. Likholetov. The rise to the south-west of Sosnovka (so called Pargolovsky esker) smoothly passes into a waterlogged valley and further into a reclaimed up-river swamp with partly drawn peat to the north. The vegetation of Sosnovka has considerably changed in the last 100 years. Mixed pine-birch forests have formed where there were once pure pine forests. Pine occupies 55% of the total area. There are trees which are older than 220 years. The woodless swamp has become overgrown with undersized pines. Larches, oaks, lindens, maples and other trees have been planted in Sosnovka. Spiraea and lilac bushes have also been planted. Moss has given place to grass almost everywhere. Six ponds and drains drawing water to Murinsky stream have been arranged for the reclaiming territory in the park. A stage, sports grounds and tennis-courts have been built in the park.

A. I. Reznikov. Likholetov Peter Yakovlevich
Savushkin Alexander Petrovich
Severny Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Svetlanovsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Thorez Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Tikhoretsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Forestry Engineering Academy