Grīziņkalns Park is located in the historical Riga neighbourhood of the same name. The park was organised on sand dunes in the period from 1901 to 1911. The architect of the park was the famous master of park art Georg Friedrich Kufaldt, who was in charge of the city's landscaping at the time. The area Park is just over 10 hectares, with the highest point at 24 metres above sea level.
The decision to lay the park was taken by the rulers of the city as early as 1885, but it was not until the beginning of the last century that real action began. Brewer Fritz Schindler undertook to build a restaurant, a summer theatre in the park in three months, a dance floor, and a café on the highest point of the park with an observation tower. However, by the end of 1911 only the bandstand had appeared, where free concerts took place twice a week. For a restaurant Schindler adapted his pavilion from the exhibition dedicated to the seven hundredth anniversary of Riga.
The most famous events connected with the park took place from 2 to 4 November 1905. 2 to 4 November 1905. At that time, about 100,000 workers from all over Russia gathered in Grizinkalns Park for a rally. Later, in honour of this event, the park was renamed the 1905 Park in honour of the event. And this rally was not the only one, but only the largest. In the days revolutions of 1905, the park became the centre of mass protests. During the period from 1905 to 1908, the park was home to the Apollo Theatre, which hosted a number of well-known actors of the time.
The initial arrangement of the park was completed by 1911. But in 1917, when the troops of Tsarist Russia were leaving Riga, the park buildings were burnt down. Only the gardener's house, built in 1903, remained untouched, which, by the way, has survived to this day.
After these events, the improvement of the park, completed by 1930, was held under the direction of A. Zeidaksa. At that time the park acquired a terraced layout. The main role in this layout was played by the terraced steps of the central staircase. At the same time, a children's playground, a swimming pool and a decorative sculpture “Lutausis” (sculptor M. Šmalcs) were installed. The summer bandstand, which took its place at the top of the hill, later burned down and was demolished. In 1930 it was decided 1930, a decision was made to rename Grizinkalns Park to the 1905 Park.
During World War II, the park overgrew and fell into disrepair again. It was not possible to put it back in order until the late 1940s. In 1949, under the hill on which the park was located, a top-secret military facility. The bunker built would become a reserve headquarters in the event of war. The bunker headquarters bunker was accessed through an underground passage from a military unit located nearby.
In 1975, a monument was erected at the entrance to the park, dedicated to the the revolutionaries of 1905. The sculptor of the monument was master V. Albergs. The monument monument is made of yellowish lime tuff, carved from the rocks of the Staburags cliff on the Daugava River. This cliff was flooded by the Pļaviņa HPP reservoir in 1966. It is not known how the blocks necessary for the work were carved out of the cliff.
There are 16 local species and 62 imported species of trees and shrubs in Grizińkalns Park. In 2003, the largest skatepark in the capital opened in the park's territory skatepark. Fans of extreme sports have at their disposal about 6,000 sq.m. there is a paved area, small structures and slides for training, as well as an indoor field where you can improve your skills during bad weather. During the winter months, a public ice rink is open, and various competitions are also various competitions are held.
