Alexander Square (location: near Alexander the Third Monument)

The square near the monument bears the name of Alexander. It was suggested long before the installation of the main city monument. In 1901 the site for the monument and the square began to be prepared for the monument and the square. A man who delivered soil for the future constructions was paid 5 kopecks from the treasury. The soil content was important for the future trees, that is why it consisted of horse and cow dung. Alexander Panteleev (the then Governor general) wrote a letter to the head of arboretum (to Arnold Regel' who was working there and was a scientist in this field). Soon the project was set. Innokentiy Kontsevitch, a member of the Emperor Geographical Society, chose local trees  and bush for the future square. To June, 1905 three rows of trees were planted (apple trees, larches and poplars). A permanent protective from cattle fence was set. Russia commenced the war with Japan in 1905 which made it impossible to construct the monument and the square. The construction resumed in 1907. Alexander the Third monument was opened on the 30th of August, 1908. In 1909 there was a decision to build some sort of a protective fence around the garden. Wrought iron fence was made in mechanical workshops on Troitskays street by Shelekhov and Korenev, the owners of the shops. Vladimir Rassushin made final projects for building Alexander Garden. Among the constructions of the garden there were: a kursaal (for public events), a buffet pavilion, a milk seller's pavilion, a summer house, a stone grotto and a fountain. Official opening of the Square was on the 30th of July, 1912, but its beautification works continued till 1914. There was an entering fee. The citizens loved to spend time in the Square. Wonderful views to Angara river, Glazkovskoye Suburb and Irkutsk railway station could be observed from here. A brass band played in the park. A bronze monument to the Emperor was installed in the middle of the square. After the Soviets came to power, the monument was taken down. The square was renamed to be called Park of Paris Commune (Paryzhskoy Kommuny). The square (park)  became a place for recreation of citizens and also a place for public events. The fence was dismantled in 1950 while improvement works around Angara Embankment happened. In 1961, the Boulevard which had been constructed here, was named after Yuri Gagarin.