Gorky Park

Gorky Park traces its origins back to the 19th century, when it was established as the “city boulevard” — a leafy public promenade for Bendery’s residents. The park acquired its current name when a monument to the celebrated Russian writer Maxim Gorky was erected near one of its entrances, a tribute that gave this green space the identity it carries to this day. In 1949, the park underwent a significant reconstruction that gave it a fresh lease of life and shaped the appearance familiar to generations of Bendery residents.

Over the course of the 20th century, the park played host to an array of monuments that reflected the changing political landscape of the era: statues of V. Lenin and I. Stalin stood within the park at various times, while the entrance was once graced by a rather unusual and striking monument — “Worker and Collective Farm Girl with a Space Rocket” — a characteristically ambitious piece of Soviet monumental art. None of these monuments have survived to the present day, though their memory adds another layer of historical texture to this beloved green space in the heart of Bendery.

Location: Bendery city center