Russia wants to build a replica of Moscow's Zaryadye Park in Havana

One major Russian ambition in Havana could be regarded as the interest of entrepreneurs from the Eurasian nation in constructing a vast park similar to the well-known Zaryadye in Moscow, in the Cuban capital.

The idea of the Russians is to create a smaller version of the vast Moscow park, which spans over 50,000 square meters and connects the tourist center of Moscow with the business district of Kitay-Gorod.

"Now we are working with our colleagues so that our investors can build something like the Zaryadye Park in Havana, similar to what is in Moscow," said Nikita Stasishin, the Russian Deputy Minister of Construction, to the TASS agency.

According to the official, they proposed to the Cuban side the idea of "building something that would become a jewel of Havana."

Investors could be the Moscow-based companies that are directly involved in the construction of the Zaryadye Park, the deputy minister stated in an interview held during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which took place from June 5 to 8.

The intention is to build a smaller park with a local style, although the specific location in Cuba's capital for its implementation has not been disclosed.

However, the projection is that it could be completed within three years after determining the source and mechanism of funding, Stasishin added.

The Cuban delegation at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum was led by Vice Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz. Also in attendance were Minister of Transportation Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila; Ambassador Julio Garmendía Peña; First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex) Carlos Luis Jorge Méndez; Director of Europe at the Foreign Ministry Ileana Núñez Mordoche; and the Director of Trade Policy for this region at Mincex, Inalvis Bonachea González.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the event, the delegation from the Island engaged in discussions with official and business counterparts related to the key issues on the bilateral agenda and the agreements reached to ensure the effective participation of the Russian Federation in Cuba's National Economic and Social Development Plan through 2030.

Zaryadye Urban Park is located on the banks of the Moskva River, very close to Red Square. It features four types of Russian biomes arranged in terraces from northeast to southwest: tundra, steppe, forest, and wetland.

The paths that wind through the park extend along a walkway that rises above the road and hovers over the river, providing a fresh perspective from which to rediscover the city.