Hippodromes

Categories / Sports/Sports and Recreation Facilities
HIPPODROMES. A hippodrome was built in 1861 in the north part of Krasnoe Selo (where in 1772 the first races in Russia were held) L.N. Tolstoy described it in his novel Anna Karenina (after 1945, a municipal forest park was laid out there). Summer races were organized at Konnaya (as of the end of the 19th century, Grecheskaya) Square; in wintertime, on the Neva River, close to the Winter Palace (from 1846). In 1880 in the east part of Semenovsky Square a hippodrome was opened by the Society of Winter Horse Race Amateurs (as of 1903, the Imperial St. Petersburg Society of racing horse-breeding). The first races took place on 28.12.1880, from 1881 autumn races were organised in addition to winter races. In 1889-91 the minor grandstand (West Grandstand, architect L.N. Benois and N.A. Makarov) and the major grandstand (East Grandstand, architect Benois, G. Y. Levi), crowned with tent bartizans were made in the style of the 17th century Russian architecture. (1886, architect Benois). In 1904 a pavilion was erected on the place of the minor grandstand (architect V.P. Tseidler); in 1908, the main grandstands were reconstructed. As of 1884, track racing championships were held at the hippodrome, on 12.9.1893 the first football match in St. Petersburg took place there. In 1941-44 on the territory of the hippodrome there were antiaircraft positions and all the buildings were destroyed by artillery bombardment and bombing. In the 1940-50s the territory of the former hippodrome was developed and merged with Pionerskaya Square. Its former name was preserved in the naming of the Ippodromny Bridge over the Obvodny Canal. In 1888-92 the grandstands of Kolomyazhsky (Udelny) Hippodrome were built at Kolomyazhsky Avenue (architects Benois, V.F. Kovraisky; did not survive); as of 1908, demonstration flights were organised there (see Komendantsky Aerodrome). In the 1970s it turned into the residential development area.

Reference: Ландцерт В. П. С.-Петербургский зимний ипподром. СПб., 1881; Велихов Л. А., Красовский А. А. Исторический очерк деятельности С.-Петербургского общества поощрения рысистого коннозаводства, 1861-1911. [СПб., 1914]; Аминов Д. А. Скачки // Диалог. 1990. № 2. С. 30-31.

I. A. Bogdanov. Benois Leonty Nikolaevich
Kovraysky V.F.
Levi Grigory (Sigfried) Yakovlevich
Makarov N.A.
Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich, Count
Tseidler Vladimir Petrovich
Grecheskaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Kolomyazhsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Pionerskaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Ландцерт В. П. С.Петербургский зимний ипподром. СПб., 1881
Велихов Л. А., Красовский А. А. Исторический очерк деятельности С.-Петербургского общества поощрения рысистого коннозаводства, 1861-1911. [СПб., 1914]
Аминов Д. А. Скачки // Диалог, 1990