Parque Lenin
| Parque Lenin | |
|---|---|
 Lenin monument in the park | |
 Interactive map of Parque Lenin | |
| Location | Havana, Cuba |
| Coordinates | 23°01′25″N 82°21′25″W / 23.02361°N 82.35694°W |
Parque Lenin (English: Lenin Park) is a recreational park complex in Arroyo Naranjo, Havana, Cuba.[1] It is Havana's largest recreational area, occupying 670 hectares (1,700 acres).[2]
Once a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, it has suffered from prolonged neglect, and many of its attractions have either been destroyed or are no longer operating.[3] Many of its facilities closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and were still closed on the park's reopening in April 2022, its 50th anniversary.[4][5]
History and description
[edit]The idea of the park was conceived when Fidel Castro visited the nearby Rebel Arms Dam, then being built.[1] Construction began in 1969 at the instigation and under the supervision of Celia Sánchez, one of Castro's closest associates, and was completed in 1972.[2]
The ground was so poor that about 4,000,000 cubic metres (140,000,000 cu ft) had to be excavated and new soil put in, as well as all-new vegetation, including 80,000 mature trees.[1] Among the more abundant plants are "cane brava, yagruma, ficus, pine and araucaria, cedar, mastic, caroline, triplaris, cyca and various palms."[1] A small reservoir was also constructed.[1]
The park was opened in 1972[3] with restaurants Las Ruinas, La Faralla and Los Jagüeyes; cafes Infusiones 1740 and El Galápago de Oro; food kiosks; an outdoor amphitheater with a floating stage over the reservoir; and an aquarium.[1] Other attractions, some added later, include the "Parque Mariposa", an amusement park with rides (possibly in response to the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 in nearby Florida[6]); swimming pools;[7] a steam train for transportation within the central part of the park, with 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) of track;[2] an art gallery;[7] and a monument to Lenin by Soviet realist sculptor Lev Kerbel.[1]
When the park reopened in April 2022, only six of the 17 Parque Mariposa rides were working, and those shut down within a year.[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maria Elena Martin Zerquera (April 2013). "Lenin Park: four decades later". Scientific Journal of Architecture and Urbanism. 34 (1). Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Parque Lenin". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Abandonment and Desolation: What Remains of Lenin Park in Havana". CiberCuba. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ↑ "A Cuban visits Lenin Park and what she found left her speechless: "It looks like a cemetery."". CiberCuba. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ "Lenin Park reaches its 50th anniversary with th..." Portal del ciudadano de La Habana. Retrieved 2 April 2026. [dead link]
- ↑ "The Lenin Park, Havana, Cuba: an Ode to Destruction, Abandonment, and Forgetfulness". thecubanhistory.com. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- 1 2 "46 [sic] Anniversary of Parque Lenin". CubaPlus. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
