Field of Mars (Saint Petersburg)

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Benjamin Petersen's view of the field in 1801.

The field in 2007.

The Field of Mars (Russian: Ма́рсово по́ле) is a large park and square in the center of Saint Petersburg with an area of almost 9 hectares. Named after the Roman god of war, the Field was for a long time the setting for military parades and drills for imperial guards regiments. Monuments to military leaders Pyotr Rumyantsev and Alexander Suvorov have been erected here. Its layout remains unchanged.

Originally the Field was called the Big Meadow (Большой луг) and then, after the victory in the Great Northern War, was renamed to Funny Field (Потешное поле). In the 2nd half of the 18th century the name was changed to Tsaritsa's Meadow (Царицынский луг). Paul I, a great enthusiast of military formations, made it into military parade and training ground from which the name "Field of Mars" arose in 1805 or 1818. During the 1917 February Revolution many people were killed here which led the Bolsheviks to construct the existing memorial and eternal flame and to rename the field to "Victims of the Revolution Square".