Maritime Victory Park is a municipal park on Krestovsky Island

Krestovsky Island

Krestovsky Island is a 3.4 km² island in Saint Petersburg, Russia, situated between several tributaries of the Neva: the Srednyaya Nevka, the Malaya Nevka and the Krestovka. The island is served by the Krestovsky Ostrov "Крестовский остров" station of Saint Petersburg Metro...

 in Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. It was opened in 1945 to commemorate the Allied victory over Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Today, it covers 243 hectares of recreational, scenic, and natural areas, and is expected to house a major new football stadium in 2010.

Notable features

The park is a popular destination for St. Petersburg residents and tourists , featuring

• Beautiful landscaping and formal gardens
• Bronze sculptures The Black Sea Fisherman and The Girl Greeting the Victors.
• The Avenue of Friendship of Cities, where delegates from various countries around the world have planted trees and flowers since 1966.

In addition to the war memorial, the park housed the former Kirov Stadium

Kirov Stadium

Kirov Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was one of the largest stadiums anywhere in the world. The stadium was named after Sergey Kirov....

, one of the largest multi-use stadiums in the world. A new stadium is (see New Zenit Stadium) is under construction, scheduled to open in 2010.