Description of the attraction
Victory Park is located across Ojara Vatsietis street from Arcadia Park. The area of the park is 36.7 hectares. The park was founded in 1909. Work on the creation of the park continued throughout the year, and in 1910 it was opened. Then he was called Petrovsky. 5 years after the opening, in 1915, a linden alley was planted in the Uzvaras park.
Petrovsky was renamed into Victory Park in 1923, as military parades were held here. In 1938, the 9th Song Festival was held in this park, especially for which a stage was built by the architect A. Birzniek. Later it was planned to build a stadium and a square for this celebration, but these plans were interrupted by the Second World War.
In 1961, the park was renamed the Park of Congresses, and already in 1963 - the park named after the XXII Congress of the CPSU. At the same time, the reconstruction of the park began. The architects of the project were V. Dorofeev, E. Vogel and dendrologist K. Barons. As a result of the reorganization of the park, the bed of the Marupite River was changed, a pond was dug, and lawns were sown. Later, new trees were planted in the park in honor of important events in Latvia.
A new monument was opened in the park in 1985, it was dedicated to the "Soldiers of the Soviet Army - the liberators of Riga from the Nazi invaders." In the center of the composition there is a 79-meter stele, on the sides there are sculptural images of the Motherland and the soldiers-liberators. In section, the stele is a five-pointed star, five rays symbolize 5 years of struggle against the German occupation. In 1985, the park was renamed Victory Park again.
In 2006, a skiing track with artificial snow began its work in Victory Park. It also hosts cycling competitions and has a 9-hole minigolf course. The modern area of the park is 36, 7 hectares. Lindens, oaks, birches, maples prevail among the trees planted in the park. It is also home to 23 species of native plants and approximately 75 forms of introduced woody plants (such as Ledebour larch and balsam fir).
