Sylvia Park

The name "Sylvia" originates from the Latin "silvia" — forest, and is also connected to the journey of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and his wife abroad, during which they visited the French ensemble of Chantilly on June 10–12, 1782, where there was already a park named "Sylvie" (this was the poetic name of Marie-Félix des Ursins, wife of Henri II de Montmorency). Sylvia in Gatchina was created from 1792 to 1800 by architect Brenna and garden master Hekket.

The park covers an area of about 17.5 hectares. It is located in the left-bank part of the Palace Park, northwest of the palace. From the city side, the park boundary runs along Krasnoarmeysky Avenue. At this boundary, at the end of the 19th century, a brick fence with Black Gates was erected, which were destroyed in the early 21st century, along with a guardhouse. Similar guardhouses were installed near two other entrances to Sylvia Park — the Sylvian and Cascade gates. From the Palace Park, Sylvia is separated on one side by a solid stone wall with the Sylvian gates, and on the other by a conditional boundary, where remnants of a modern metal fence with the Cascade and Deaf (entrance from the Cold Bath side) gates still remain. Along the fences on their entire length, on the inside, paths ran. To date, one of their sections — along the brick fence, turning at the stone wall — has become overgrown with grass, young trees, and shrubs. In 2012, the park was fenced on all sides — on the northern side along the bank of the Kolpanka River (Pilnaya) and along one of the paths, a metal grid fence was installed.

A part of the park's territory is occupied by the complex of the former Dairy Farm, built on the bank of the Kolpanka River. This winding river separates Sylvia and the "Zverinets" park. On the opposite bank of the Kolpanka, almost opposite the stone pavilion "Farm," there is another stone building — the "Poultry House," which was significantly damaged during a fire in 1983.

Not far from the Poultry House and Farm pavilions on the river are, in a ruined state, a dam with a cascade, a temporary pedestrian bridge, and also the "Naumachia" pool. Further away, as seen in old photographs, there was the Ruin Bridge, into which from the Sylvia side ran the road from the Cascade gates, and from the Zverinets side — the Tsagovaya road, forming one straight line. On the other side of the Farm, there was also another bridge over the Kolpanka — one of the standard metal ones installed in Zverinets in the 1880s. The Pilnaya road of Zverinets led into it.

Near the Sylvian gates by the wall stands the Monument to the Komsomol Heroes of Gatchina, who were shot here by the wall on June 30, 1942. In May 2022, search operations began in the park, resulting in the discovery of the remains of more than 100 victims of fascism.

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Сильвия_(парк)