Shuvalov Park reveals Pargolovo’s cultural history through a landscape preserved almost in its original state and buildings with clearly distinct stories. These include the Church of the Saviour and a historic wedding at the Church of St Peter and St Paul. This gives your visit a specific focus: landscape design, the history of monuments, and individual stories about the churches can be considered separately, without blending their names and dates into a single historical picture.

Shuvalov Park: Landscape and Cultural Heritage

Shuvalov Park is an estate and park ensemble from the 18th and 19th centuries and a cultural heritage site of federal significance. The landscape park of the Shuvalov estate, designed by Erler, has been preserved almost in its original state. This makes both the design of the landscape and the history of individual buildings central to the ensemble.

A notable feature in the park is Parnassus, a hill 61 metres high. Together with the park’s nearly original state of preservation, this specific height draws attention to two different scales: the overall estate and one individual landscape feature. Those interested in architectural and landscape history will therefore find not only a collection of buildings, but also a distinctive park landscape that forms part of the cultural heritage.

Churches with Their Own Histories

In Shuvalov Park, Varvara Petrovna Shuvalova, who became Polier after her second marriage, had the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and the Adolphus Crypt built in memory of Count Polier. Both buildings were designed by A. P. Bryullov. Their commemorative purpose connects the two buildings with the history of Count Polier; they are also part of the architectural history of the park ensemble.

The Church of the Saviour, the Image Not Made by Hands, in Pargolovo has a different architectural history. It was built between 1876 and 1880 to a design by the architect K. A. Kuzmin and is a state-protected architectural monument. The Church of St Peter and St Paul and the Church of the Saviour should not be confused: a wedding story is associated with the former, while the construction dates and architect are known for the latter.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov married Nadezhda Purgold at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Pargolovo on 30 June 1872. This date marks a wedding; construction of the Church of the Saviour took place several years later, from 1876 to 1880. These details offer two different ways of exploring local history: a personal historical event and the creation of a protected architectural monument.

A Closer Look at the Park

During an excursion in 2021, young people from the work brigade of the Day Care Department No. 2 visited Shuvalov Park during their free time. Staff from the “Pargolovsky” Cultural Centre guided them through the park. The young people saw the ponds in the Lower Park, Parnassus hill, the Grand Palace, shady avenues, the grounds of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and the Polier Crypt. They also heard the story of the love between Countess Shuvalova and Count Adolphus Polier.

This particular excursion in 2021 brought together landscape features, buildings, and a story about the history of the Polier family. It offers a different perspective from considering a single monument: several aspects were presented side by side during this specific visit. If you would like to include individual sites in your itinerary, check current access arrangements in advance.

Saint Petersburg as a Separate Context

The wider destination of Saint Petersburg offers another, urban perspective on architecture and history. Saint Petersburg’s architectural heritage brings together Baroque and Neoclassicism; the Admiralty, Winter Palace, Marble Palace, and Hermitage are examples. Urban planning in Saint Petersburg began in 1703 under Peter the Great. The city has numerous canals and more than 400 bridges. This context describes Saint Petersburg as a destination in its own right and complements Pargolovo’s specific park and church histories without attributing them to the city.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Pargolovo, the area’s cultural history can be a useful starting point. First decide whether you are particularly interested in the park landscape, the memorial buildings in Shuvalov Park, or the history of the churches.

Discover more destinations: Strelna, Lakhta, Olgino, Aleksandrovskaya, Molodyozhnoye, Kolpino, Metallostroy, Saint Petersburg.

Back to the main travel guide: Saint Petersburg.