Park of the Living and the Dead. Literary necropolis or Park of the Living and the Dead (WIM)

The popular name is ZIM or Park of the Living and the Dead.
1828 - 1935
Newly built Mitrofanovskoe cemetery
It was founded by the inhabitants of the Blizhnyaya Chizhovka settlement in 1828 on the outskirts of the settlement and outside Voronezh. The new cemetery did not gain wide popularity, since there was no church on it, and the funeral service had to be performed on the other side of the settlement. Therefore, the cemetery, almost immediately after its foundation, was abandoned and continued to be buried there already in 1831 and 1832, during the cholera epidemic, when there was a shortage of places at other cemeteries. The epidemic is over - the burials have stopped. In 1836, the All-Saints Church was finally built here, and the cemetery became a citywide one.
In 1842, the poet A. Koltsov was buried at the Newly-built churchyard, and in 1861 - I. Nikitin. Their graves became a tourist attraction for passing travelers, therefore, signs were installed on the paths: "To the graves of Koltsov and Nikitin." By the 20s. XX century this cemetery occupied more than 8 hectares and was the largest in Voronezh. In 1930, the writer E. Militsyna was buried here. On the tombstone - the words of A. Gorky: "an intelligent and staunch fighter for the revival of our country."
In 1934 the Voronezh City Council closed the New Building Cemetery. The last burials took place in 1935. Soon the bulk of the gravestones were removed from the churchyard, leaving only A. Koltsov in eternal rest with his relatives, I. Nikitin and E. Militsyna. In the 1960s. during the construction of the Circus, the All-Saints Church was also demolished. And the so-called Literary Necropolis can be visited even today - it is next to the circus, near the tram stop.
1940 g.
At the former cemetery, it was decided to set up a park for the rest of the townspeople. The apt popular definition of "Park of the Living and the Dead" appeared immediately after the start of construction. A historical document tells about how wonderful it has become to live and relax:
Kommuna newspaper July 19, 1940
PLANT CULTURE AND RECREATION PARK - 16.
More recently, a huge green area was abandoned. Now this area is difficult to recognize - it has changed so much. The array is framed by a high fence. There is a beautiful arch at the entrance. In the center of the main alley there is a monumental sculpture of Comrade Stalin. Around - flower beds and lawns.
In a record time - two months - the park of the Voronezh plant was created - 16. A summer cinema, a stage, a reading room, a dance floor, and a cafe were built. In the depths of the park there are two shooting ranges: one for firing small-caliber weapons, the other for brass. A large area is set aside for a sports town. Here, an obstacle course is being built for passing the norms for the TRP badge, a tennis court, two volleyball courts, a basketball and croquet grounds, and a shower are being equipped. Attractions are set nearby: "flying people", "swing boats", "giant steps", etc.
The grand opening of the park will take place on the evening of July 27, on the eve of the Day of the USSR Navy.
And further, until the 80s:
Aviation Engine Plant - 16 was evacuated to Kazan in 1941, and remained there. After the war, the park was rebuilt and named the park of the Leninsky district. Entertainment - for all ages and for all tastes: playground, pony riding, summer theater, where amateur groups perform on weekends; cafe with Zhiguli beer and different waters; dance floor with live music; benches under the trees where you can sit and remember your youth. When the Circus opened in 1972, there was an added opportunity to take part in the fun organized by the visiting troupe: ride a camel, chat with a clown or take a photo with an elephant. And behind the lattice fence of the dance floor, promising students met young military men and took off in waltzes to the sounds of a brass band? Back in the 80s, in Leninsky Park, you could sit in a cafe with relative comfort and admire how children sort things out in the sandbox.
And in the years of the 90s:
In 1996, the dance floor was demolished, and in its place the Church of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Solonsky was built. The townspeople asked the city administration a question, are they going to return the cemetery to the place? .. And move the circus, for example, to the square named after the leader? ..

Now called the Park named after Durov, Voronezh residents know this memorable place by the abbreviation "ZhIM", which stands for the Park of the Living and the Dead. Its history and evolution is so bizarre that it deserves a separate story.
In 1828, at this place (beyond the then Voronezh line), residents of the Blizhnyaya Chizhovka settlement founded a new cemetery, which initially turned out to be of little demand, since there was no church on it, and the funeral service had to be performed on the other side of the settlement. Therefore, the cemetery, almost immediately after its foundation, was abandoned by the residents of Voronezh ... However, due to the cholera epidemics that shook Voronezh in 1831 and 1832, the funeral processions again headed here. Several thousand Voronezh residents were buried in this land during those cholera years.

All Saints Church

And then the construction of the Church of All Saints, which was built from 1834 to 1851, began at the cemetery, which became a citywide one. The long-term construction is explained by the fact that the cemetery church was erected on private donations from the merchant Evdokia Sergeevna Avramova. For 17 years, observing that construction site, the residents of Voronezh named the church, and then the cemetery itself, Newly built.

Memorial service at the monument to the poet A. Koltsov

In 1842, the great Russian poet Alexei Vasilyevich Koltsov was betrayed to the land of the Newly Built (Mitrofanovsky) cemetery, mourning his untimely death, the most famous Russian writers one after another agreed with the literary critic Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky, who recognized the poet - after Pushkin and Gogtovol the right to be genius.

Monument at the grave of the poet I. Nikitin

And in 1861, in the neighborhood of the Koltsovs, another great Russian songwriter Ivan Savvich Nikitin rested forever. Thus, a literary necropolis arose in one of the corners of the Mitrofanovskoye cemetery. And long before our days, admirers of poets came here, to whose graves, along the well-groomed cemetery, there were signs with the inscriptions "Path to the monuments of Koltsov and Nikitin."

Park of the Living and the Dead

Over the hundred-year history of the Newly-built (Mitrofanovsky) cemetery, many thousands of Voronezh residents have found the last earthly refuge here, among whom were high-ranking officials, and retired generals, cultural figures, merchants, and working people.

Continuing to operate after the 1917 revolution, the cemetery was closed by the decision of the Voronezh City Council in 1934.

And on the eve of the war in 1940 - in the literal sense of the word, on the graves - a Park of Culture and Rest of the Voroshilovsky District was established, which immediately received the gloomy name "Park of the Living and the Dead" or, in short, "ZhIM".

Of the thousands of burials, the destroyers of the largest city cemetery in Voronezh did not touch only 6 burials, including the graves of two Voronezh poets (I.S. Nikitin and A.V. Koltsov), three close relatives of the poet A.V. Koltsov (mother, father and sisters), as well as the resting place of the now little-known Soviet writer E.M. Militsyna.

In 1930, she was buried with her brothers in the pen - under a marble tombstone in the form of a sarcophagus, on which the words of the classic of socialist realism A. M. Gorky were carved from his letter to E. Militsyna: "An intelligent and staunch fighter for the revival of our country."

Circus construction (1967)

Following the cemetery (after the war), the cemetery All-Saints (Novo-Mitrofanovskaya, Newly built) church was destroyed, under the vaults of which a smithy was located at one time, then a garment factory No. 1.

Built at the behest of the soul with private donations from Voronezh residents, the Church of All Saints was mercilessly demolished by soulless descendants in 1964 in order to build ... a circus in its place!

And since then, Voronezh residents, visiting their circus, built on the graves of their ancestors, walk past the remains of a destroyed cemetery - fenced off by a low fence, a plot of cemetery land measuring 16x19 meters, which today is officially, but with a touch of lyrical regret, is called "Literary necropolis ", and is positioned by the city authorities as one of the main attractions of Voronezh.

It is symbolic that this sad Voronezh landmark is located at the intersection of the 20th Anniversary of October Street (read - 1937!) And the street named after one of the leaders of the armed uprising in Voronezh in October 1917, a participant in the Civil War, A.S. Moiseev. In 1919, shot by the White Guards who temporarily seized Voronezh, the Bolshevik Moiseev was buried by his wife at the Newly Built Cemetery - in a grave that is now considered lost along with the cemetery.

To this it remains to add that the building of the Voronezh circus was commissioned in 1972 - during the godless Soviet era. But at the beginning of the 21st century - already in the era of seemingly renewed Russia - despite numerous protests from Voronezh residents, a huge shopping and entertainment complex with the pretentious name "Europe" was erected on the cemetery land (on the territory of the Park of the Living and the Dead).

Voronezh is one of the "greenest" cities in Russia. We have selected the largest city parks and talk about their pros and cons.

Despite the fact that spring cannot come into its own in any way, we all understand that there is very little time left to wait for truly spring weather, which means that romantic walks, picnics and other similar pastimes are on our nose.

Park "Scarlet Sails"

History:
Founded in the late seventies on the shores of the newly created "Voronezh Sea", the park was intended to become the main resting place for the townspeople, but with the restructuring the enthusiasm of the city authorities quickly faded away, and after almost twenty years only residents of the nearby streets remembered its existence.
By the 425th anniversary of Voronezh, the park was finally reconstructed and immediately became one of the most favorite walking places for Voronezh residents.

What is remarkable today:
The first and, possibly, the only Voronezh park of a truly European level. Short-cut green grass, original swing, rubber coating on the playground, an impressive view of the panorama of the right bank - all this turns the "Alye Parusa" into a worthy analogue of the quiet and tidy squares of a European town.

Pros:
The park is constantly patrolled by law enforcement agencies, this, if not completely excludes, then at least significantly reduces the possibility of becoming a victim of hooligan elements. On a fine spring day, you can enjoy a picnic on a neat lawn. food delivery through the ZakaZaka service

Minuses:
The opening hours of the park from 11 to 23 will surely hinder those who like romantic night or morning walks.

Park them. Durova ("ZhiM")

History:
Originally on the site of the park was the Mitrofanovskoye cemetery, which was liquidated in 1940 as a relic of the bourgeois heritage. The Circus was erected on the site of the graveyard, depressing with its pessimism, and the park itself was built on the nearby territory. Initially, it meant an ideal place for parents to walk with their children, couples in love and schoolchildren of all ages. However, very soon it turned into a place of harsh showdowns between local aborigines, and in the nineties it finally turned into a favorite place for carriers of social vices.

What is remarkable today:
Through the efforts of the city administration, the park has been landscaped and ennobled; now it practically does not in any way resemble the sad landscape of the "ZhIM" of the nineties. Pretty flower beds and flower beds are about to start to delight the eyes and soul of the townspeople.
As well as the restored fountain, and in the near future - a summer cafe.

Pros:
Convenient location in a quiet corner of the city, relatively few people walking.

Minuses:
The South-West region has always been distinguished by some marginality among a certain part of the local population, so it would be somewhat imprudent to linger in the park until dark.

Dynamo Park

History:
One of the oldest city parks was opened already in 1929 and for almost 70 years it remained a favorite resting place for several generations of Voronezh residents. There were many attractions in the park, including almost the only one in Voronezh, "The Devil's Wheel". The Green Theater was especially popular. In the spring, snowdrops were collected here, in the summer they took shelter from the heat, in the fall they thoughtfully walked along the yellow alleys, and in the winter they arranged funny rides from the Pionerskaya Gorka.

What is remarkable today:
Not a trace of the rides remained, but the Pioneer Hill, snowdrops and trees are in place. As well as alleys, perfect for thoughtful and romantic walks. A major improvement of the park is expected this year, so you probably have the last opportunity to meet spring in post-apocalyptic scenery.

Pros:
Despite the general disorder in comparison with other parks, Dynamo has its positive features - for example, this park is ideal for picnics, cycling and photo sessions. And there is also a stable, where everyone can ride on horseback.

Minuses:
It is even less suited for night walks than all Voronezh parks combined. It is also popular with exhibitionists, which can certainly shock the unprepared casual viewer (although after the death of the infamous "Little Dwarf", which has terrified Dynamo visitors for the past decade, the situation in the park has more or less stabilized).

Aviation Park

History:
The park was founded back in 1934, and for 60 years faithfully served the residents of the Levoberezhny district, not enjoying much popularity among other Voronezh residents. But in 1994, the City Zoo was founded on its territory, and the park became much more visited. In general, this is one of those places that did not bent in the nineties, but on the contrary, over time it became more and more beautiful.

What is remarkable today:
In 2009, the zoo officially became a zoo, and its popularity among visitors has grown exponentially. As for the park itself, the atmosphere of such a children's park of the eighties gives it a special charm - a sculpture of the young Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, funny wooden fairy-tale characters, a children's train and many other elements of the Soviet period.

Pros:
Tired of walking in the park, you can always wrap up at the zoo and admire camels, porcupines, foxes, etc.

Minuses:
Actually, if you are not particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of looking at the unfortunate animals tormented in captivity, but you just want to walk with your beloved, then this place is not for you.

Park "Olympic"

History:
It is, in fact, quite small. Initially, the ski lodge in 1999 was transformed into a forest park of the Olympic Sports Complex, which immediately became a favorite place for outdoor activities. There are a lot of people at Olimpik all year round - there are skiers, rollers, football players, and just walking. The Olympic often hosts rock concerts and other events.
But what to say, of course, this is the most visited park in the city, and it is difficult to find a Voronezh resident who would not have been there at least once.

What is remarkable today:
The park is developing every year. For example, now what is happening at the Olympic can be watched through a webcam installed on its territory. There is also a ski track on the map. The Olympic is especially good in the spring. Where else, if not here, you can watch the awakening of nature from many months of hibernation?

Pros:
Ideal for rollerblading and cycling, or just walking the paths that wind through the trees. Also great for picnics, although of course you need to keep in mind the ban on lighting fires.

Minuses:
These include only the dense population of the park with lovers of a healthy lifestyle, who can fray your nerves if you just expect to relax in silence.

Park "Tanais"

History:
Park "Tanais" appeared on the map of Voronezh in 1973 (originally it was called more cumbersome - Children's Park of the Soviet District). It received its current name in 1994. The area of ​​the park is almost 24 hectares, in which pine trees and attractions peacefully coexist.

What is remarkable today:
By and large, Tanais Park is focused on the younger generation, but, frankly speaking, which of us still doesn't want to ride on the attractions familiar from childhood? The park's management gives preference to domestic carousels: "Steam locomotive", "Traffic light", "Orbit", giant swing "Emelya", "Whirlwind" and others. Plus tennis, carting and shooting range. In short, a great place to plunge into childhood.
Yes, and tame squirrels are also found here.

Pros:
Riding Soviet attractions promises to be one of the main trends in the coming spring. Why not?

Minuses:
Carousels can tire you out after all. Well, it will be extremely difficult to arrange a picnic here.

Park "Eaglet"

History:
Along with Tanais, it is the oldest amusement park in Voronezh. For a long time, the building of the Youth Theater at the Voronezh Institute was located here. In 2009, during the reconstruction, the building was solemnly demolished.
"Eaglet" is also known to the residents of Voronezh for its monuments, including the funny "Boy with a gum".
A special attraction is the majestic gate with white columns and a cast-iron fence.

What is remarkable today:
Roughly the same as Tanais. Rides, carousels and the like. True, unlike the South-West Park, they are popular not only among young schoolchildren, but also among young people. The monument to Osip Mandelstam, recognized, by the way, as the best new monument in Voronezh, has become a new attraction of the park since 2009.

Pros:
The location of the park in the very center of Voronezh is undoubtedly the main plus of this park. The many attractions guarantee you the thrill you will surely miss over the long, long winter.

Minuses:
Apart from riding the rides, there is practically nothing to do in Orlyonok.

Choose a park to your liking and welcome spring there!