Field of Mars

The Field of Mars, which was named by analogy with the Field of Mars in Rome and Paris, is the biggest public garden on the territory of Saint-Petersburg and is located in the very centre of the city. This park memorial, dedicated to the victims of wars and revolutions, is associated with the history of the Northern Capital.

Formerly, this territory was named as Bolshoi Lug (Big meadow), but that was in the beginning of the XVIII century, at the time of the erecting of Saint-Petersburg. The bog throughout the area was drained and that fact laid the foundation for the future park. After that the park changed its name for a few decades: Poteshnoe Pole (Fun field) because of the mass celebrations, which were held here, Tsaritsin Lug (Tsar’s meadow) in honor of the located near “Tsar’s house”. The park got its modern name after the setting of the monument to A. V. Suvorov, because the sculpture depicted in the armor of Mars – war god. On the 7th of April 1918 the memorial was opened, the architect of which was L. V. Rudnev. The text for the monument was created by writer and arts critic A.V. Lunacharsky, famous artists such as N. A. Tyrsa and V. M. Konashevich worked on the appearance of the monument. The first ones, who were buried on the Field of Mars, were the dead during the February revolution 1917. The participants of uprisings, and the ones, who stifled the rebellion, and party workers, and Soviet workers and many others were buried here later. The most part of the first half of the XX century the Field of Mars was called the Victims of the Revolution Square. The Eternal Flame, which today attracts a lot of tourists, was lightened in the heart of the memorial in 1957 – by the way, it was the first eternal flame in Russia.

The park was designed in a classic style, which emphasizes the solemn nature of the memorial. Besides the fact, that the Field of Mars is located in the very centre of Saint-Petersburg, it is one of those places in the city, where you can relax from the city fuss and enjoy the nature and, of course, pay tribute to the fallen.

The following famous people were buried on the Field of Mars: propagandist and agitator V. Volodarsky, the Commissioner of the Latvian Riflemen S. M. Nakhimson, Soviet military figure R. Sivers, “hero of the revolution” Kotya Mgebrov-Chekan and many others found their peace here.