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The Dostyk Avenue runs into a big park. Just for your information, it was laid out in place of a cemetery. It has changed several names including «Pushkin’s Garden» in 1899 in token of Pushkin’s 100 birth anniversary, «Fighters’ for Freedom Park» in 1919 and, finally, stayed with «28 Panfilov Heroes’ Park» given to it in 1942.
Its current name commemorates soldiers that gave their lives defending Moscow suburbs (Volokolamskoye Shosse) in the first year of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) against the German invasion. The soldiers were led by their division officer Panfilov. The names of the twenty eight heroes are engraved on stone boxes set up along the Memory Alley going across the Park. To remember all soldiers that shed their blood for the Soviet Union’s freedom and independence, the Glory Memorial was added in 1975. This monumental construction consists of 3 compositions arranged around the Eternal Flame. The most amazing one has the contour of the USSR map with soldiers of different nationalities shielding the Kremlin with their bodies. On the one side of the Eternal Flame is a soldier leading the horses of his dead friends, a symbol of grief and mourning, on the other side, as a symbol of revival and joy, stands a soldier victoriously blowing a trumpet. Just married couples never break the tradition to visit the Park and lay live flowers at the Memorial and the Eternal Flame.
In the eastern part of the Park, you will find the Museum of National Instruments (open from 09.00 a.m. through 06.00 p.m. except Mondays). The wooden tower designed and built in 1908 by a famous architect and construction engineer Andrei Zenkov is protected by the state. You will be able to see the instruments of such outstanding Kazakh composers as Zhambyl, Abai and Kurmangazy and to listen to tape recorded sounds of every instrument exhibited in the Museum.
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