Mariyinsky Parkis a park located in Pechersk neighborhood in front of the Supreme Council of Ukraine (Constitution Square), Hrushevsky Street, and Park Road. The park is also a Soviet necropolis. The park is recognized as part of the Nature Preservation Fund of Ukraine, yet its official listing is not known.
The park is around 130 years old. It received its name from the nearby Mariyinsky Palace. Mariinsky Park was founded in 1874 near central entrance of the Palace and the money for its foundation were budgeted by the wife of the Alexander II of Russia Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse). Appearance of the park changed a lot since that time. For example, in the end of 19th century marble busts and sculptures were erected along the alley. In 1900 cast iron fountain was established and it is still there.
At first the park was called “Tsarsky” (imperial), but after the revolution this name was inappropriate and it was changed into Mariyinsky. But park had other names as well. In different periods of its history it was called Park of the victims of the revolution, Proletarian park and Soviet park. In 1970’s – 1980’s children's railway was functioning in the park. The last great reconstruction of Mariyinsky park took place in 2000.
Park is located in the Pechersk Raion of Kiev next to important government institutions such as the Parliament's building which is separated from the park by ploshcha Konstytutsii (Constitution Square). The Constitution Square is rather elongated and serves as the park's northwestern border. It runs perpendicular to vulytsia Mykhaila Hrushevskoho (Hrushevsky Street) which is the park's southwestern border. To the southeast the park is cut off by vulytsia Merezhka (Merezhko Street) and row of residential multi-story buildings. On the northeast side of the park towards Dnieper's shores runs Parkova doroha (Park Road).
Within the Mariyinsky Park is located a complex of government administration buildings that belongs to the Ministry of Health Care. To the north from the park along the Park Road are located building of former hospital for chronically sick children and a big heliport.
At the Mariinsky park there are 2 interesting cast-iron fountain. Overall there are 5 fountains of such kind in Kiev. And if we check them in detail, we can see that their creator is a factory Teremin. They were installed more than 110 years ago.
Personally, I like the most fountains at the Mariinsky park simply because they are surrounded by the trees, and as a result all the complex looks nice and very fresh. Also interesting to consider the details of decor fountain. Incidentally, one of them involves a pretty well-known story.
face of the Pharaoh
There was a very grumpy person working at the Termin factory. He was always pesting his colleagues, and that's why everybody started to call him Pharaoh. Workers did long tolerate his bad behavior ... And then, when Pharaoh had gone on a business trip, they decided to take revenge in the original way. Guys secretly made adjustments to already existing forms of fountains, replacing antique Mascaron by the face of Pharaoh.
After installing fountains many Kievites did understand that it is evil Pharaoh shown on the fountains and began to make fun of it. Pharaoh himself was furious! He ran to the courts and tried to change anything in his favor, but his efforts were in vain ... In the end we have such wonderful fountains like this:
