Last summer, I went on a five-day trip to Almaty, a city of majestic mountains and unusual Soviet architecture. One day, I decided to take a walk through the Central Recreation Park. I read online that in the past, it was recognized as the best park in the Soviet Union.
History of the park
Although researchers claim that settlements on the site of Almaty existed back in the Bronze Age, it is considered that the modern city traces its history back to 1854. The Zailiysky military fortification (later – Verny) was founded on the site of an already existing settlement here. The future central city park was founded just two years after that. The original name of the place was the Kazenny Garden.
In Soviet times, the former garden was renamed the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure. Its opening date is 1935. Before that, plant specimens from Tashkent, Crimea, and Penza were brought to the park and planted, and reconstruction was carried out.
An encyclopedia published in 1983 states that by that time there were 2,000 plants in the park of culture and leisure, amusement rides were operating here, and there was even a cinema. On holidays and weekends, up to 100,000 people visited the park.
On the day of my walk, there were quite a few people in the park, but I was here in the heat of the day and on a weekday. The territory of the recreation area seemed well-maintained to me. The park is divided into several zones. Not far from the entrance is the Children's Town with a small railway (as I understood, it is not working). In the central part of the territory is the Mukhtar Auezov Stadium. In the north of the park, you can find amusement rides and a large pond with a fountain. If you want a snack — right by the pond, there is a cafe with outdoor tables. I, however, did not go into it.
It is worth noting separately that the toilets in the park are paid. You can pay for their use only in cash. I didn't have any money with me, as I am used to paying with an international bank card, but the employee let me in without any problems even without payment.
How to get there
I came here on foot after walking along the route with monuments of Soviet architecture. If you go to the park by public transport, it is easy to get here by bus, trolleybus, or metro. The nearest metro station is "Zhibek Zholy"; it takes about 20 minutes to walk from there to the park. Ground transport stops right at the main entrance.
Entrance to the recreation area territory is free. You can get here around the clock. The rides operate from 10 AM to 6 PM.
You can read about other sights of Almaty in my selection.
Happy walks!
