Esplanada, Public square in Perm, Russia

Esplanada is a broad public square in the center of Perm, laid out between Lenina and Petropavlovskaya streets and framed by the Drama Theatre on one side and the Legislative Assembly on the other. The space is mostly flat and open, with paved walkways, lawns, rows of trees, and a large fountain near the theatre, making it easy to cross on foot and to see across from one end to the other.

Until the mid-20th century, the area was a low-lying neighborhood of wooden houses along the Permianka River. In the 1960s and 70s, the houses were cleared, and architect Gennady Igoshin proposed a green square instead of housing; the Drama Theatre was built in 1982, and a monument to home-front and rear workers followed in 1985.

The square is a stage for city life: on warm days, families gather around the fountain, teenagers skate along the paths, and open-air concerts and fairs draw crowds. The Alley of Valor and Glory, with its memorial plaques, is a spot where locals pause to read names and remember those honored by the city.

The square is easy to reach on foot from the surrounding streets, and its central location makes it a handy starting point for exploring the city center. Visitors can enter from several sides, and the wide paths are suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, though some areas may be uneven during renovation works.

The square sits on the site of the old Permianka River, which now runs underground in a pipe beneath the pavement. Near the Legislative Assembly building, a bench made of concrete blocks spells out the word "Power" in Russian, a piece that plays with the idea of the boundary between people and authority.