Field of Mars

Welcome, colleagues and travelers, to one of the most intellectually evocative spaces in Saint Petersburg—the Field of Mars, or Martsovo Polye. As we stand here, surrounded by the echoes of imperial grandeur and revolutionary…

At the northern edge of the field, facing the Neva, stands the majestic bronze statue of Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov. Cast by Mikhail Kozlovsky in 1801, this monument does not depict the general in a literal sense but rather…

We now approach the center of the field, marked by a massive, austere granite memorial designed by Lev Rudnev in 1917. This is the Monument to the Victims of the Revolution. …

In the very center of the revolutionary memorial burns the 'Infinity Fire,' or the Eternal Flame. Lit on November 6, 1957, to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the October Revolution, it was the first eternal flame in the…

As we walk south away from the revolutionary monuments, the atmosphere of the Field of Mars shifts significantly. The rigid granite gives way to wide, sprawling paths and manicured lawns. …

Turning our gaze to the western side of the field, we see the massive facade of the Barracks of the Pavlovsky Regiment. Built by Vasily Stasov in the early nineteenth century, this building is a masterpiece of Empire-style…

The eastern boundary of the Field of Mars is defined by the Swan Canal, a narrow waterway that separates the field from the lush, enclosed world of the Summer Garden. This canal is one of the oldest in the city, and its name…

As our scholarly exploration of the Field of Mars comes to an end, I hope you have gained a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted nature of this extraordinary site. We have traversed a landscape that has served as a marsh, a…