The Old Ilyinsky Garden

According to the recollections of old residents, the Ilyinsky garden was a patch of almost pristine nature, miraculously preserved between the wide traffic arteries. The land in the valley of the Lubya River was densely overgrown with trees, bushes, and lush grass, which no one ever tried to mow.

The urban jungle was home to birds and small rodents, as well as a family of beavers that appreciated the organoleptic properties of the local wood. Narrow paths, trampled by the feet of local natives, led from residential high-rises to secluded glades. The garden, more like a forest, was a favorite place for dog walks and picnics.

Examination of maps and old address books helped to make significant refinements to the description based on direct observation. The site, not suitable for modern construction, was actively used in the 19th century, when one- and two-story buildings were the norm of city life. Some of these buildings have survived to this day, you can see them on the road from Irinovsky Prospekt to Ilyinsky Garden.

The bathhouse building of the Okhta Gunpowder Plant is not an example of classical architecture. Most likely, you wouldn't pay attention to it at all if you weren't aware of its history. The bathhouse was built in the mid-19th century and was in operation until 1971; later it was used as a storehouse.

The Ilyinsky garden is not much like the descriptions from Internet sources, the contents of which I briefly recounted in the introduction. In 2020-2021, when we were all disciplined to stay at home and took few walks around the city, the garden was transformed.

Grounds with wooden benches, playgrounds with slides and swings, sports fields with gymnastic equipment and exercise machines, dog training and walking areas, a rain shelter with benches for relaxing and a mirror roof, pretty bridges and wide paths - this is how the Ilyinsky garden now looks.

The main goal of my walk was the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet at Porokhovy.

In XVIII-XIX centuries this church was built at Okhta Powder Plants. The small wooden church, built in 1721 on the place of Ilyinskaya chapel, was first rebuilt on a stone foundation, then expanded by adding a warm chapel, then the dilapidated walls were replaced by stone ones and another temple was built nearby.

The final stage of construction was the merger of the two buildings in 1841, but work on the bell tower and the construction of outbuildings continued later. Despite such a complex and long history of construction and participation of different architects, the result looks like a single architectural ensemble.

The church is open to the public, but no photos can be taken inside without special permission. So I limited myself to taking a picture of the handsome usher near the entrance to the temple.