Chernoprudsky Skver is a public space in the center of Nizhny Novgorod, located on the site of the former Black Pond. The square occupies the historic area near the lane of the same name, close to Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street. In 2019, a large-scale renovation of the square was completed, with design references to the history of the body of water that once existed here.[1]
History of the Site
The square takes its name from Black Pond, which formed on the Chyornaya River, a tributary of the Kovalikha: a dam was built on the river, and the name followed from that. The water's dark color came from the natural properties of the river itself. Local historian Nikolay Khramtsovsky, in his book A Brief History and Description of Nizhny Novgorod, linked the pond's name to the discharge of urban sewage, but tour guide Anna Sorokina considers this version mistaken: the pond was named after the river, not after any pollution.[1]
The pond was impressive in size: 125 meters wide and 237 meters long. It was popular year-round. In the first half of the 19th century, a merchant named Medovikov leased it and created a leisure area: he planted linden trees along the banks and placed a floating platform with a temple-shaped gazebo in the center. Every year on May 1 he held a large celebration there, with floral decorations and stalls selling soda water. In winter, a skating rink was flooded on the pond and operated from November; admission cost twenty kopeks. The Imaginist poet Anatoly Mariengof, who lived nearby from 1897 to 1913, recalled that boys without money would climb onto the rink over snowdrifts. In summer, people rowed boats and fished here — the pond was home to carp.[1]
In the mid-19th century, Medovikov's descendants gave up the lease and the pond gradually became overgrown. In 1926 it was filled in. The linden trees planted by Medovikov did not survive, but trees over a hundred years old remain on the square's grounds.[1]
The 2019 Renovation
The renovation work was completed in November 2019; minor finishing touches — the relaying of cobblestones — were planned for the following year. The project was developed by the Institute of Urbanism; architect Marina Rodionycheva explained the concept: every key element of the square brings visitors back to the image of the vanished body of water.[1]
The centerpiece of the children's playground is a wooden sculpture in the shape of a fish, which local residents nicknamed "the carp skeleton." The sand around it symbolizes water. A light canopy over part of the square was designed to resemble ripples on water — the structure suggests movement, and its nighttime shimmer evokes the reflective surface of the pond. A new piece of graffiti appeared on a wall: a vivid splash of color with flecks of black — a reference to the site's history. The fountain that previously stood there had been installed before the renovation as a reminder of the filled-in pond.[1]
The square is open around the clock and accessible to wheelchair users. Its proximity to Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street draws large numbers of visitors; however, local residents report that in the evenings and at night the area is frequently taken over by noisy groups.[2]
References
- Wikidata (Q110318747 — entry in the open knowledge base)
Sources
- V gorode N — Mysteries of Black Pond (archive)
- yandex.ru — Chernoprudsky skver, square, Nizhny Novgorod, Chernoprudsky skver — Yandex Maps