Description of the attraction
Guests of St. Petersburg, as a rule, first of all rush to see the Kazan Cathedral, visit the Hermitage or take a photo with the Bronze Horseman in the background. But there is one more attraction in the city (perhaps no less popular than all of the above), which tourists who come to the northern Russian capital with children are especially eager to see. And adults often prefer it to the numerous architectural sights of the city. it Leningrad Zoological Park.
The only zoo not only in the city, but in the entire region, one of the oldest in the country, this zoo has a very interesting and rich collection: you can see about six hundred species of various birds and fish, invertebrates and mammals. All of them are located on a fairly small area - just over seven hectares (this is one of the smallest zoological parks in Europe).
The history of the zoo in the 19th century
The history of the zoo began in the middle of the 19th century. None of the buildings of those times have survived to this day, but the general arrangement of the pavilions and aviaries largely corresponds to the original layout.
In the 19th century, the zoo (at that time called the zoo) belonged to Sophia and Julius Gebhardt … The inhabitants of the zoo were tigers and bears, lionesses and parrots, several waterfowl and small predators.
Later, the owner, widowed, remarried; her second husband was Ernest Rost, a talented entrepreneur. Having become the owner of the zoo in the early 70s of the XIX century, Rost did a lot for its development and prosperity. The collection of animals has been updated; it amounted to more than one and a half thousand copies. Giraffes, anteater, orangutan, chimpanzees, hippos, kangaroos and many other exotic animals appeared in it.
The zoo was divided into two parts - the zoological and the purely commercial. The commercial part was built summer stage … Later, there was a real (albeit small) theatre … It accommodated five hundred spectators. The performances that could be seen here were very diverse - from circus acts to opera performances. The zoo had its own orchestra … You could even listen to organ music there!
In the late 80s of the XIX century on the territory of the zoo was built a restaurant … She worked at the zoo farmproducing dairy products (cream, butter). In the zoological garden it was possible to buy food for pets.
But that is not all. The zoo had its own power station … At the end of the 19th century, when electric lighting was still quite a rarity, visitors to the zoo admired the "fabulous view" of its alleys in the evening hours.
The zoo held Exhibitions on ethnographic topics. The townspeople visited them with great pleasure. These exhibitions allowed them to get acquainted with the customs and traditions of various peoples of the world.
At the end of the 19th century, the flourishing era of the zoo suddenly ended: Rost had serious health problems, he hastily retired. The zoological garden gradually fell into complete decay. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was closed.
Zoo in the XX century
An entrepreneur becomes the new owner of the zoo Semyon Novikov … Prior to that, his field of activity was theater, and he achieved considerable success in this field (as an entrepreneur).
He repaired the old aviaries and demolished the dilapidated buildings. Also, during his time, several ponds were cleaned and even one new one appeared. By that time, the collection of the zoo had significantly decreased (compared to the end of the 19th century) and consisted of only two and a half hundred copies. The new owner has purchased a large number of new animals.
Was lined up new entrance to the zoological garden … It was decorated with two sculptures, one of which depicted a lion, and the other a lioness.
At that time, the zoo contained not only pavilions and open-air cages with animals; several theaters, worked restaurant and shooting range, there was a brisk trade in the kiosks. Kids could ride a donkey or a pony, was in the zoo and bright, elegant carousel … On the territory of the zoological garden representation, in which the famous tamer at that time participated with his trained animals.
This heyday of the zoo ended immediately after the revolutionary events. The owner immediately left the city, and the zoological garden was nationalized.
Interestingly, some animals acquired in the pre-revolutionary period lived for a very long time: for example, a female hippo named Gorgeous survived the military events of the 40s of the XX century. The elephant named Betty (died during the blockade of Leningrad).
After nationalization the zoo continued to function. In the early 30s of the 20th century, a phenomenon that was quite rare in those years occurred in it: polar bears had offspring.
During wartime and even during the period blockades the zoo did not stop working. It was possible to preserve only a part of the collection of animals, but at the same time young animals appeared. What the employees of the zoo did during the siege years can be called a feat without exaggeration: they worked in incredibly difficult conditions, doing everything possible and impossible to preserve the collection and continue the work of the zoological garden. In memory of their heroic efforts, the zoo is now called Leningrad (and not St. Petersburg). By the way, the word "zoo" in its name was replaced by "zoo" in the 50s of the XX century.
In the mid-60s of the 20th century, the zoo celebrated its centenary. By that time, many new animals had appeared in it, the collection was one of the largest in the country. But the old buildings were dilapidated and in dire need of reconstruction. Their restoration and modernization began at the end of the 60s. For a number of reasons, this process took a long time. Some of the animals were sent to zoos in other cities in the country, and the collection was significantly reduced.
In the mid-90s, a construction plan emerged terrarium … Construction work began, but there was not enough finance to complete it. The building was completed only at the beginning of the 21st century.
Zoo expositions
In pavilions and aviaries today you can see various types of predators (both large and small), fish and rodents, ungulates and calluses, many varieties of reptiles and amphibians, birds and primates … the territory of the zoo is small.
Let's talk in more detail about some of the exhibitions that can be viewed at the zoo today:
- In the pavilion called "Beasts of Prey" you can see magnificent jaguars, majestic African lions, formidable cougars and graceful snow leopards. Also in this aviary, oddly enough, you can see a collection of mongoose (meerkats and mongooses). They are located in a separate (internal) room.
- In the pavilion with an inscription "Primates" contains thermophilic species of animals. Here, as the name suggests, you can see various primates. In addition, lemurs are found here. The battleship usually makes a big impression on the visitors. You can also see some other species of animals in the pavilion. In winter, they are kept indoors, and in the warm season, they are transferred to summer enclosures (located outside).
- The pavilion with an unusual name is very popular among visitors "Exotarium" … It has two floors. On the first one you can see the inhabitants of the water depths. In particular, there are many different types of fish - both marine and freshwater. There you can also admire the magnificent corals. On the second floor is the kingdom of insects. Also, various reptiles live there, amphibians share the space of the second floor with them. In the cold season, there are also some species of small predators and aviaries with thermophilic birds.
- Approaching the enclosures with the inscription "Small predators", you will most likely be able to guess what kind of animals you will see in these enclosures. Of course, everyone's favorite fluffy and gloomy Pallas' cat and mobile wolverines are waiting for you here. You can also see the harzu (marten species) here.
- Aviaries with a beautiful name "European forest" well worth a visit for those interested in the typical inhabitants of the forests located in European territory. It contains beavers, squirrels, hares, lynxes and some other animals.
- For lovers of colorful and cheerful parrots, we recommend visiting the pavilion "Tropical House" … But not only these bright birds are kept here. In the pavilion you can also see the porcupine, squirrel monkeys (saimiri) and other exotic heat-loving animals.
- If you are not interested in tropical fauna, if you prefer northern nature or want to see animals of middle (temperate) latitudes, be sure to visit reindeer enclosures … Here you will see reindeer; moose are also kept in these enclosures. If you are interested in rare species of animals, then you will probably want to see the deer of David located there (currently they are preserved only in zoos).
On a note
- Location: St. Petersburg, Alexandrovsky Park, Building 1; phone: 232-82-60.
- The nearest metro stations: "Sportivnaya", "Gorkovskaya".
- Official website:
- Opening hours: from 10:00 to 20:00. The ticket office closes an hour before the zoo closes. The ticket office of the Exotarium pavilion opens at 11:00 (one hour after the start of the working day of the zoo).
- Tickets: 500 rubles. For privileged categories of citizens, the price will be lower. For certain categories of visitors (disabled people of group I, parents with many children, zoo workers, etc.), admission is free.
Reviews
| All reviews 5 Ekaterina 2019-11-05 15:25:50
Nice place to spend time with kids Usually we go to the zoo with our family in summer, in good weather. This time we were walking in the center, the children recognized the area, and began to beg to go.
I thought, why not: we will be provided with a lesson for a couple of hours. The animals here are in perfect order, it is clear that they are being looked after. The zoo is not so big in size …
5 Anastasia 2019-08-05 13:53:44
To everyone who has not yet been, I recommend The last visit to the zoo was delightful. The territory became noticeably cleaner, new bushes were planted, the aviaries were repaired. Before that, we were in the fall and last summer, the smell haunted us for a long time. These changes were the first to catch my eye. I liked the animals, they look good, were able to see a lot …
5 Alexander 2019-07-05 16:30:26
Not just for kids. If you still think that the zoo is a child's play, then you are greatly mistaken) In my 4th decade of life, I realized that I want to see no less than a child how they feed the lions) On TV, this is naturally not the case) In general, if you are thinking of sending a child to the zoo with my grandmother, then my advice is to change your mind) Get ma …
5 Egor 2019-04-05 16:12:55
Birthday at the zoo The child's birthday is coming soon, we are planning to spend it at the zoo. We recently found out that they have such a service. The son adores animals so much that he will definitely like such a holiday. More original get-togethers in a cafe. Moreover, it will be convenient for everyone to get to the center.
5 Dmitry K. 2019-04-05 9:39:10 AM
Interesting and informative The zoo for many is children's entertainment, but in Leningradskoye it will be interesting for an adult as well. We went on an excursion, some facts made me wonder, let alone children. They remembered a lot, now I follow the events on the site in order to choose what is relevant for children.
