A photo exhibition on the history of the city park of the Olonets

The old photo of the city park in Olonets

The city park in Olonets is located on the territory of the former Lesser town of the Olonets fortress of the 17-18 centuries – one of the lost objects of the historical heritage with which the team of the InterActive History project works.

A small photo exhibition on the history of the city park has opened in the Olonets National Museum – one of the InterActive History project participant museum. 21 photos from V.N. Kirillov and the museum archives are views of the park of the XX century.

Olonets fortress was destroyed in the 40s of 18th century. Although some elements of the fortification, such as the moat, were partially preserved to this day.

In the middle of the 19th century, more than 50 species and forms of woody plants were planted by the forester of Olonetsky district, Matvey Puzelovsky and his assistant Linde, on the territory of the park and the opposite bank of Olonka-river. The park was laid out in the English style. In 1872, the merchant of the 2nd guild Kuttuev E.D. a house was built here. Under Kuttuevs, the park was always in perfect condition and guarded by Puzelovsky. Residents of Olonets loved to go to the park and look at the wonderful bird with a tail fan, a peacock.

The city park in Olonets at the present time

In 1937 the city garden officially opened in Olonets with a parachute tower, a shooting range and a swing. In the postwar years, the park settled down, a summer stage, a carousel, a dance floor appeared. In the 1990’s, the park was neglected, overgrown with shrubs, but in recent years, work began on its improvement.

At the present time, a historical and cultural park is being formed, combining the historicity of the place, natural features and modern trends in park design.

The InterActive History project involved 3 museums in Finland – The North Karelian Museum, The Outokumpu Mining Museum, Ilomantsi Museum Foundation, and 3 Russian museums – The National Museum of the Republic of Karelia (Petrozavodsk), The Olonets National Museum, Kurkijoki Local History Center. The project is aimed at introducing new interactive forms of interaction with visitors into the activities of museums – participants of the project.

Karelia CBC Programme is financed by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland