The zoo's official materials and many visitors place it among Russia's historic parks: founded in 1896, occupying about 16.4 ha and hosting nearly 300 species according to the zoo website. Visitors consistently praise the park's greenery and atmosphere, saying it feels more like a dendropark than a cramped city zoo. Several reviewers specifically mention peacocks and free-roaming birds, roomy bear enclosures and the charm of older German-era buildings that give the site a distinct character.
At the same time a recurring theme in reviews is uneven maintenance and animal visibility. Multiple guests report empty or closed enclosures, overgrown areas and instances where popular animals were not on show; one reviewer wrote they arrived in summer to find half the enclosures empty, while others single out thin or stressed-looking birds with missing feathers. Visitors also mention specific problems: a few describe the hippo house as smelling bad or the seal pool as green and dirty, and one amusing but alarming comment claimed a hippo bite occurred.
Many reviews praise staff-run events and guided walks. Guests note that the zoo posts feeding and event times on its website and that feeds and guided tours — 'veterinary express' and director-led historical walks mentioned on the official site — are highlights. Several reviewers reported memorable encounters at the giraffe and elephant areas during scheduled feedings, while others say those pavilions can be closed for maintenance, and one local complained publicly about the zoo director's position on acquiring a new elephant after the death of the former 'Pregolya'.
Practical takeaways from visitors: buy tickets online to avoid queues, arrive mid-morning so you can catch the 11:00 feedings, allow about 2–3 hours to see the park, and be prepared for varied conditions depending on season. Accessibility is a noted weakness in some reviews: there are complaints about lack of ramps to indoor pavilions and difficult access with strollers. Overall, reviewers' impressions range from delighted praise of a historic, green zoo to sharp frustration at neglected enclosures — so expect a mixed but often rewarding visit if you time it around events and guided tours.