Green Spaces of Omsk in Late 19th — Early 20th Centuries: Projects and Initiatives for Greening City

Abstract

The issue of creating green spaces in the cities of the Russian Empire, relevant for the turn of the 19th—10th centuries, is considered. Particular attention is paid to the city of Omsk, for which this problem was the most acute, since the landscaping of the space was supposed to improve the city in sanitary terms, improve the climate by reducing dust storms and creating recreational areas for citizens. It is noted that the creation of green spaces in Omsk was part of the policy for the improvement of the city and was on a par with the creation of water supply, sewerage, etc. It is shown that during this period many projects for the gardening of Omsk were considered, but only some of them were fully or partially implemented, the reason for which was a rather modest budget. It was revealed that the main direction was the renovation of existing green spaces and the design of parks and squares in the city center near administrative buildings. It is emphasized that projects to change the urban space were put forward by different groups of citizens, including merchants and representatives of the Orthodox Church. In conclusion, it is noted that the gardening of Omsk in the late XIX — early XX centuries was continued after the revolution and turned into a large project to create a garden city.