Golden autumn on Yelagin Island

Yelagin Island stretches from east to west. The western cape stretches towards the Gulf of Finland, and the observation deck on this cape offers a beautiful sea view. The terrace on the western cape is guarded by two stone lions. But there are no other architectural sights on the western cape, all the main buildings of Elaginoostrovsky Park are concentrated in the opposite, eastern part of the island.

At first glance it may seem strange that the place with the most beautiful view was not chosen to build the palace. But if you go for a walk on the island in autumn, you will not wonder about this. no matter how beautiful the autumn scenery is, the cold wind from the sea will make you seek shelter among the stone walls. The eastern part of the island is well protected from the wind by a dense park, and walking in this part of the island is much more pleasant.

In addition, the low-lying eastern shore of the island has suffered quite a bit from flooding in the past. Now the threat of catastrophic flooding has been eliminated thanks to the construction of a dike. In past centuries, however, the height of the coastline was a significant factor in the choice of location, and some of the coastal land remained unpopulated.

Yelagin Palace is located close to the eastern promontory. This is the summer imperial palace. It was built in the second half of the 18th century. The palace is surrounded by park pavilions, service buildings and other park structures. Now the palace and other pavilions house museum expositions.

The park on Yelagin Island is one of the most beautiful parks of our city. Like other parks it is especially beautiful in autumn, when the crowns of trees are painted in different shades of yellow, orange and red. But it is also very pleasant to walk here in spring, watching the first flowers blossom in the park beds. The park is also perfect for summer walks, when the thick tree crowns provide dense shade and protection from the summer heat.