Its story began in XVIII century with the foundation of St. Petersburg and took two centuries to become what it is today. At Peter I times there was a post and animal yards. The latter had such exotic animals as lynx, lions, leopards and even an elephant.
Other parts of what is now Field of Mars was a swamp. After draining it was used for military exercises. With the reign of Empress Elizabeth it was turned to a walking park with lawns and paths. That’s why it was renamed several times: the Amusement Field (Poteshnoe Pole), Tsarina’s Meadow and only with the return of the function of the training ground it became the Field of Mars (1805). After the February Revolution it has lost military training significance and became a memorial, where the honoured dead of revolution were buried. In 1942 the field became a vegetable garden which provided the besieged St. Petersburg (Lenigrad) with food.
Nowadays it is a memorial park complex with several monuments and an Eternal Flame (was lit in 1957 and became the 1st one in Russia). While taking our course of Russian language students often visit this sight.
