The natural landscape of urban everyday life in the perception of the population (by the example of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries) 

Aleksandr A. Gushchin, Candidate of historical sciences, vice-rector for scientific work, Penza Regional Institute of Regional Development (40 Popova street, Penza, Russia) E-mail: Alone-87@yandex.ru

Background. The evolution of the urban landscape and the interaction of citizens with it is an integral part of the appearance of the city, which is reflected in the historical memory of the population. The participation of the population in urban improvement and landscaping is one of the factors in the formation of love for a small homeland. The study of this issue will allow us to analyze the ongoing policy of greening the city and the impact of green space on the image of the city. The purpose of the study is to analyze the daily practices of interaction of the population with the green space of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries. Materials and methods. The daily practices of interaction of the population with the green space of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries are considered on the basis of an analysis of the policy of local authorities on greening the urban area. The source base consisted of archival documents, materials from local and central periodicals (Pravda, Izvestia, Trud, etc.), memoirs of contemporaries. The research methodology is based on the principles of the historical and systematic method, which allows us to analyze the effectiveness of regional greening policy. The historical and genetic method allows us to trace the transformation of the green zones of the Penza urban space. Results. The greening policy of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries is considered. The ways of interaction of the population with green areas of urban space are revealed. The influence of landscaping on the image of the city in the perception of the population is analyzed. Conclusions. The good landscaping of Penza in the 19th century was due to the geographical location and the use of the natural landscape. The main green area during this period was a public garden and a country party. With the growth of the city's territory in the 20th century and a purposeful greening policy, much more green areas appear in the city. At the same time, the Central Park of Culture and Recreation named after V.G. Belinsky and the adjacent alleys retained their importance. It should be noted that the population was actively involved in the process of greening the city. All this contributed to the consolidation of the adjective “green” in relation to Penza in the historical memory of the population.

Penza region, Penza, regional policy, park, square, landscaping, urban space

Gushchin A.A The natural landscape of urban everyday life in the percep-tion of the population (by the example of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries). Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Gumanitarnye nauki = University proceedings. Volga region. Humanities. 2024;(3):128–139. (In Russ.). doi: 10.21685/2072-3024-2024-3-11