At the time of Peter the Great, the site was occupied by Menshikov Market. Then a spacious cobblestone square took its place, that served as a drill ground for the Cadet Corps. In 1818 it received the name “Rumyantsevskaya square ” after an obelisk in honor of prince

Rumyantsev`s victories in the  Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792  had been installed in its center.

Officially the garden was named Rumyantsev, but it always had the second name: Solovyovsky, after an honorary citizen, merchant Soloviev, who invested in the construction of the garden in 1867.

In 1927 the garden was replanned by R. F. Katzer and aquired its present appearance.The alleys of the garden are decorated by marble vases from the side of the Neva river, there are a musical pavilion and two fountains designed by arch. D.I. Jensen.

In 1939 the garden was named Ploshad Shevchenko (the square of Shevchenko) after T. G. Shevchenko - an artist and a poet of Ukranian origin, who lived and worked at the Academy of Fine Arts, located next to the garden).

In 1999 the garden was decorated by monuments of prominent Russian artists - alumni of the Academy of Fine Arts.

In 2001, the garden was returned its original name.