Penza, 11 June 2017. PenzaNews. The public garden "45th meridian", which was built at the intersection of Kulakova and Pushkina streets in Penza, was opened on the eve of Russia Day and City Day, on June 11.

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An official event organized on this occasion was attended by residents of neighbouring buildings, volunteers who took part in the improvement works, as well as representatives of the authorities.

Turning to those present, the head of the city Valery Savelyev expressed hope that the new public garden will become a place of attraction for people of all ages.

In turn, the honorary citizen of Penza, the chairman of the city council of veterans Vladimir Kerkhanadzhev noted thematic focus of the public garden, which had been named after a geographical notion.

"It turns out that our city is not only the greenest settlement in Russia but it is also the centre of time. Our Penza thrives and is becoming better and better. I congratulate you on this!" the participant of the Great Patriotic War said.

According to the mayor Victor Kuvaytsev, who personally coordinated works on the public garden improvement for several weeks, Penza gets more well-attended territories where it is possible to have a good time.

"Many areas need our attention. We should understand that we live in a good city butnot in a fairy tale. It is impossible to do everything in one day and even in one year. Everything should be done gradually. We saw that thematically decorated territories are in a great demand nowadays. They are popular not only among people who remember the history but also among those young people who must be taught: we must inculcate love to our city in them," the head of the Penza administration noted.

He added that the public garden was decorated with the art-object "45th meridian", which according to him is a result of the artists' toil.

The chairma of the Russian Geographical Society branch Igor Pantyushov also turned to the residents thanking the authorities for the support of the initiative of the RGS.

His speech was followed by reading out a message of the Penza native, the cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev.

"It is great that a famous but at the same time insufficiently studied fact that the 45th meridian with zero coordinates crosses the city centre provides an opportunity to emphasize the uniqueness of our Sura Land, of our city," the message says.