Commissioned in 1874 under orders from Maria Alexandrovna - the wife of Alexander II of Russia - who lived  in the Mariinskyi Palace at the time, the park was built to the south of their Baroque palace.

From 1918 to 1920, the area was used as a memorial ground for those who died during the 1917 Revolution, and continues to be recognised as a place of remembrance, with several graves, monuments and memorials. 

The appearance of the park has evolved over time, with the addition of various marble busts and sculptures at the end of the 19th-century. More recently a playground and observation deck have been added. However many of the park’s original shrubs and ornamental trees can still be admired today, having survived both World Wars.