Tula's Hidden Gem: A Treasure Trove of Surprises

Hey everyone!

I'm super excited to share with you my experience at Belyusovsky Park, a real gem in my hometown that's been around since 1894. Back then, it was called the Tula City Park.

The Tula City Park was created in 1894 on a massive dump site on the outskirts of the city. A local hero, Peter Petrovich Belyusov, who was the city's sanitary doctor at the time, suggested covering the area with a layer of clean soil instead of hauling away the contaminated waste. Planting a variety of flora (grasses, shrubs, trees) would create a safe and sanitary zone. And guess what? It worked like a charm – a beautiful birch forest sprouted up where the dump once stood, and Tula gained a stunning park that's now named after its creator.

I have to admit, the fact that the park was built on a dump site initially shocked and surprised me. But, come on, what kind of waste would people have generated back in the 19th century? So, let's take a look at the park as I usually see it.

Join me for a stroll through Belyusovsky Park! We usually enter from the side of the tram tracks, where Albany used to be – a cinema and a hotspot for local youth in the 2000s. Now, an aqua park is being built there, which I'm super excited about.

Right by the park entrance, you'll find the park administration building. There's an info stand with details about the park's history, but there's no mention of its past life as a dump site.

One of the first things you notice when you enter the park is that the air is completely different – it smells like trees and grass. Coming from Tula, a pretty industrial city, you'd expect the air quality to be pretty bad, but here in Belyovsky, it's a breath of fresh air.

The central park is also home to a ton of adorable white storks. They're basically the park's overlords and will happily take nuts from visitors in exchange for photos. If you head left from the entrance (near the old Albany), you'll stumble upon the park's sports field and a pretty cool Japanese garden, one of Belyovsky's hidden gems. The park's paths are mostly asphalt, making it easy to get around.

One thing I noticed is that the park has clear signage everywhere, so it's hard to get lost.

Plus, the park has dedicated bike lanes, so you can walk along the paths without worrying about being hit by a skateboard or a bike. And in some areas, they've even built pedestrian crossings where the bike paths intersect with the regular paths. Of course, as you can see from the photos above, locals and visitors alike like to take their own paths - sometimes literally - through the trees. The park's trees are regularly updated, with new ones being planted.

Just before you enter the competition area, you'll see a sign indicating the direction you need to take.

So, it looks like you're on the right track!

The training grounds themselves are essentially horse enclosures where athletes work out.

You can even sit down and enjoy watching the horses and their riders under the awning.

There's a police post right nearby.

And on the grounds of the kids' play area, there are even special panic buttons to call the police - although, thankfully, nobody seems to be pressing them for kicks. Maybe they're just there for show. I'm not really sure, but I won't speculate.

Just beyond the police booth, you'll spot a panda - one of the iconic Japanese garden features.

The Japanese garden itself is a relatively recent addition, but it's already looking great, despite its small size.

Near the garden fence, the ground covering is stone. There are plenty of benches around the garden, so you can sit and take in the view.

Next to the Japanese garden is a zoo corner, with a metal fence that's got the name of the park engraved on it.

The animals in the park are well taken care of, not just in the zoo corner, but all around the park too. There are bird feeders and squirrel feeders everywhere, and all sorts of birdhouses and nesting boxes. They're all different, but they fit right in with the rest of the scenery.

The park grounds are immaculately maintained: the grass is neatly trimmed, there are countless flowers and greenery everywhere. And I'm not just talking about the dozens, if not hundreds, of trees that have been growing here for decades. I'm talking about the tiered and regular flowerbeds, the alpine hills, and the lush vegetation that give the park a beautiful look and a pleasant atmosphere.

Forest and shrub vegetation is represented by 86 species. The dominant tree species are birch, ash, and 'ясень' - whatever that is. I've never seen anything like it before. The trees seem to be thriving in this environment, and it's clear that the value for money here is top-notch. I've been using this product for a while now, and I'm consistently impressed with the build quality and ease of use. The customer support team is also really helpful and responsive. I've had to contact them a few times, and they've always gotten back to me quickly. Overall, I'm really happy with this product and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and efficient solution. The shipping was also really fast, and the return policy is very flexible. I've had to return a few items, and it's always been a smooth process. The battery life is also really impressive, and I've been able to get a lot of use out of it before needing to recharge. I'm really glad I made the investment in this product, and I think it's a great choice for anyone looking for a high-quality solution. I've been using it for a week now, and I'm already seeing some great results. The customer support team has been really helpful in getting me set up and running, and I appreciate their expertise and knowledge. I'm confident that this product will continue to perform well and provide me with the results I need. I'm really happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and efficient solution. The value for money is definitely worth it, and I think it's a great investment for anyone looking to improve their build quality and ease of use.

Kudos to the park planners for adding some character to the place. I mean, who wouldn't want to see a few trees like this? There's a beautiful oak tree, for instance, that was planted in honor of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. I'm guessing many visitors have seen the tree with its fancy little fence near the fountain.

This oak tree was planted to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the great Russian poet. It's a replacement for the oak tree planted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of A.S. Pushkin, as noted on the fence.

I love how they replanted a new tree where the old one died, so it doesn't look abandoned.

If you turn right at the competitor's field, you'll see an alley dedicated to the cities of Tula Oblast, with info boards shaped like books.

I'd call this alley the 'Alley of Defenders of the Fatherland.' There are cannons at the entrance from the sphere side. And not far from here, there's a monument representing the immortal regiment.

A bunch of small hero shots came together to form a cohesive whole. Of course, these are the folks from Tula and the Tula region.So, what's this big ball I'm talking about?

There's a giant Earth globe in the center of one of the park's squares.

Unfortunately, you can't get up close and personal with the globe - it's fenced off.And check out the tile flooring here.

A bird's-eye view of this globe looks something like this:

These photos were taken from the adult and kids' (6+ years, at least) amusement park in the area, with a Ferris wheel in the background. I was stoked to find out that you can ride the Ferris wheel for a pretty affordable 300 rubles. They've got three types of cabins to choose from: a closed one with air conditioning, an open one that's like a little basket, and an extreme one with four seats and seatbelts. And let me tell you, it looks super cool when it's all lit up at night.

And then you can take in the sights from above at the amusement park. They've also got a whole area dedicated to rides for little ones aged 1+, with plenty of options like electric car rentals.

I was stoked to see that the park also has a great playground where kids can bounce on all sorts of trampolines.

The kids' play area is massive, with all sorts of slides, swings, climbing frames, and even statues of their favorite cartoon characters.

There are also plenty of spots for some exercise, with football pitches, volleyball courts, basketball courts, table tennis tables, a skate park, and even workout areas.

I've got to say, it's hard to go hungry in this park, with tons of fast food spots and cafes to choose from.

And, of course, there's the infamous restaurant 'Petrichka,' which got totally trashed by Elena Letuchaya in one of her episodes.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of green spaces in the park, and it's not just a matter of finding a quiet corner to do your business. There are actual, fully-equipped restrooms, complete with rooms for nursing mothers and their little ones.

The park has plenty of photo ops, and I found myself stopping to take a few snaps along the way.