To understand how small our city was in the 19th century, it is enough to look at pre-revolutionary maps. For example, Pushkin Street did not exist then, and in its place was the suburban village of Bolshaya Fedorovka.

In the early 19th century, the city's boundaries ended at the intersection of Pushkin and Plekhanov Streets. Beyond them began rural buildings with attributes characteristic of village life. Two hundred years ago, one could encounter herds of cows or goats here, chickens ran in the yards, and the surrounding fields were sown with various grain crops. Until the 1870s, a small river, Shelakhovka, crossed the village, flowing through Bazaar Square and into the Sura River. It caused many inconveniences for the residents, so it was soon enclosed in pipes. Now, Shelakhovka flows beneath the roadway of Pushkin Street. By the end of the 19th century, Penza was expanding to the north, and the village of Bolshaya Fedorovka was incorporated into the city limits. In 1899, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Pushkin's birth, the area was renamed in his honor. At that time, a park was laid out, and a bust of the poet was installed, created by sculptor Konstantin Klodt.

Historians still debate whether the great Russian poet ever visited our city. However, it is well known that Alexander Sergeyevich often mentioned Penza in his letters and personal notes.