Description of the attraction
The Menagerie Park is a landscape park adjacent to the northern border of Sylvia and the Palace Park. Occupies an area of 340 hectares. This park is a kind of tribute to the ancient tradition of keeping in its possession collections of unusual animals, as well as animals used for hunting. Menageries of this kind were among the great princes of Moscow, among the tsars. Evidence of the "hunting fun" of Ivan IV the Terrible, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, landowners and boyars in the 16-17th centuries has survived to this day. Peter the Great also set up a menagerie in the Lower Park of Peterhof.
Having historical information, it is possible to assume that at the time when the Gatchina manor belonged to Prince B. I. Kurakinu, the local forests were vast hunting grounds. During the time of Count Orlov, their importance increased even more. Orlov did a lot to improve the Menagerie and the nearby Oryol Grove. This hunting reserve contained animals that were intended to be shot during the corral.
At the time of Pavel Petrovich, the Menagerie was given a look that corresponded to the general style of the imperial residence. The Menagerie received a similar to the existing layout in 1782-1790. Its territory was a system of alleys-glades, which intersected diagonally and at right angles. In 1796, according to the projects and under the strict supervision of J. Hackett, more than 30 thousand lindens were planted along the circumference of the round platforms and along the glades. It is known that in 1797 Siberian and American deer were kept in the Menagerie, wild goats and hares were found here.
Period from 1838 to 1850 is the most significant in the history of the Menagerie. It was at this time that major changes were made to the volumetric-spatial composition of the park. The river bed was expanded. Gatchinka, as a result, a flowing lake with an area of about 14 thousand square meters and a depth of more than a meter was formed, with an archipelago of 10 specially filled islands.
From 1838 to 1844 the hedge was being set up. It was made of spruce stakes fastened crosswise, with a height of 6.5 m. The length of the fence was more than 8 km. Such a hedge, merging with the trees, was known under the name "ha-ha", and in the Russian manner "ah-ah", which reflected the surprise of the person who faced it.
In the 40s. 19th century on the territory of the Menagerie, six wooden bridges and one drawbridge were built. The Gatchina Menagerie has become an exemplary and, in fact, one of a kind. Here in 1849 the Peterhof Imperial Hunt was transferred, for which additional buildings were built during the year.
The territory of the Menagerie along the entire perimeter had strict rectilinear outlines. The forest area of the Menagerie was cut through by a network of glades. The twelve main glades with seven round areas had a specific functional purpose: the huntsmen with dogs drove animals to them and along them, which were perfectly visible from round areas and intersections of roads, giving the hunter an opportunity to take good aim.
The Tsagove clearing, which started from Sylvia, led to the Jaeger House, barracks, a corral for bison and a winter corral for animals, which were located in the northern part of the Menagerie. The Jaeger House, which existed until 1920, was a special attraction of the Gatchina Park. Its façade was decorated with antlers, furniture was made of antlers, and the ceiling and walls of the house were covered with picturesque images of romantic architectural ruins on a wooded mountain.
During the reign of Alexander II, the Menagerie became even more comfortable. Here, work was carried out to drain the swamps, wooden bridges were replaced with bridges with stone abutments. The Menagerie's livestock was constantly replenished with new specimens of animals: bison, wild boars, deer, otters. In 1881, there were 347 animals in the Menagerie, most of them were deer - Arkhangelsk, Siberian, Prussian, American.
Functionally and compositionally connected with the ensemble of the Menagerie is the so-called Rabbit heald. Its name indicates the type of hunting that was carried out in this area. Remiz, bordered by a hedge, was divided by glades into 36 rectangular sections. The road from the palace led to the Hare's heald; and the second road connected the harbor with the settlement where the huntsmen lived. Menageries, a puppy establishment, kennels, and also a house for the emperor were located here.
After the February Revolution of 1917, the park was transferred to the people's property. During the Nazi occupation, the Menagerie Park was badly damaged, but a creation of landscape art has come down to us, which still makes an impression with its perspectives and landscape views.
