Ponds in Tsaritsyno estate in Moscow photo

Two big ponds are at the entrance to the Tsaritsyno park: Upper and Middle ponds. But they are only the first ones in a cascade of several big ponds. The very first pond appeared in this place in the time of Tsar Boris at the end of 16 century. It was called the Borisovsky pond. 

The Upper and Lower ponds appeared at Tsaritsyno in the second half of 17 century when the estate, which was then called Chyornaya Gryaz (Black Mud), was owned by the Streshnevs. They built dams and blocked the flow of the small rivers Gorodnya, Yazvenka and Cherepishka. The Lower and Upper ponds were then called Shipilovsky and English, respectively. The next owners of the estate, the Golitsyns and the Kantemirs, maintained these ponds in good condition.

When the construction of the imperial estate Tsaritsyno began in this place, the ponds were paid a special attention. The Upper Tsaritsyno pond is considered the most beautiful one. The pond was faced by the Opera House. They were connected by a stair, which didn’t survive to our days. All pavilions of the landscape park are oriented to it.

Man-made islands remained on the Upper pond. The biggest of them, the Duck island, was created near the dam and was intended for bird breeding. The small Mermaid island with a decorative arch-ruin is on the far side of the park.

In 1980 the Lower pond was divided in two parts by a high dam, so now the «Middle pond» is near the park. After the pond was was completely reconstructed in 2006 a light and music fountain appeared on another artificial island, the Catherine island. It is the biggest fountain of such kind in Moscow. Picturesque bridges connect the island to the park. If you came to Tsaritsyno, you must stroll over the bridges.