Winter Park: a new recreation area for Baku residents
By Aynur Jafarova
A new facility, the Winter Park or the Winter Boulevard, was solemnly opened in Baku May 10, on the 90th anniversary of Azerbaijani National Leader Heydar Aliyev and Flower Day.
The ceremony was attended by President Ilham Aliyev, his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva and their family members.
The park, which was built on orders of the Azerbaijani President, has all the conveniences and is tailored to every taste -- from comfortable benches and fountains to a unique natural area.
Furthermore, five fountain complexes were installed in the park and seven underground passages designed for convenient movement of visitors.
The passages were equipped with 24 escalators. There are 32 passageways in the parking lot for visitors to enter the park.
The new complex, located above the underground car park between the Fizuli and Mirzaga Aliyev streets of Baku, is the biggest park in the city with the length of 1 kilometer and width of 150 meters. The park starts from behind the Heydar Aliyev Palace and extends to the Fizuli Square.
A unique natural area was created at the upper area of the parking lot as well. Nearly 2,000 trees and over 10,000 ornamental bushes were planted over 35,000 square meters of the park territory.
The project was implemented without causing any harm to historical buildings located near the territory where construction work was carried out.
In accordance with an agreement with a Dutch company, a nearby historical building was relocated to make the construction process easier. The initiative became a historical and successful project. Thus, as a result of the three-day efforts of the company the building was relocated northward by 10 meters and the road was broadened.
The Winter Boulevard is a real gift to Baku residents, who will now enjoy two beautiful places to have a rest - a boulevard on the coast of the Caspian Sea and another in the center of Baku, a pearl of the Caspian.
Visitors think that the Winter Boulevard is a successful alternative to the "summer one". The summer boulevard is not attractive in winter due to the well-known chilly Khazri wind in Baku. However, there are almost no wind gusts in the area of the Winter Park thanks to its location. The Winter Boulevard will be a real decoration of the Azerbaijani capital.