During a vacation in Abkhazia, tourists have a unique opportunity to visit many diverse attractions. One of the favorite places for walks and photo shoots of vacationers is the Sukhumi Botanical Garden.
The appearance of an oasis in Sukhum
In 1838, the modern capital of Abkhazia was called Sukhum-Kale, and a military garrison was located in the local fortress. At that time, many folk remedies were used to treat soldiers, including medicinal herbs. The chief physician of the Sukhum garrison - Bagrinovsky - set up a small garden near his own house, in which healed medicinal plants. The open-air collection of herbs attracted the attention of N. N. Raevsky, who served as commandant of the garrison. Already in 1840, the Sukhum-Kala Military Botanical Garden not only received a new name, but was also taken for state support. Thanks to the reorganization, the green zone was able to expand its borders. At that time, the young Sukhumi Botanical Garden actively collaborated with several similar institutions in St. Petersburg, the famous Nikitsky Garden in Crimea, due to which the plant collection was regularly replenished.
The history of the botanical garden in the city of Sukhum
In the second half of the 19th century, Abkhaz lands were often subjected to Turkish raids. The greatest damage to the botanical garden was done in 1853 and 1877. According to eyewitnesses, the enemy invaders behaved like real barbarians and sought to literally destroy everything in their path. The Sukhumi Botanical Garden suffered a lot, many valuable plant specimens were destroyed. However, already in 1894, restoration work began. At that time P.E. Tatarinov was appointed director of the garden; he personally brought exotic samples from other countries. The next period of decline can be considered the beginning of the XX century - the period of wars and revolutions in Russia. However, already in 1926, the All-Union Institute of Plant Production paid attention to the Sukhumi Botanical Garden. In the 80s of the last century, a green oasis in the center of Sukhum could rightly be proud of its extensive collection of plants and general amenities. In 1992-1993, the botanical garden again became the scene of hostilities. During the Georgian-Abkhaz war, shells exploded in the green zone. Employees of the botanical garden claim that at that time about 90% of all plants were damaged and destroyed.
The green heart of the Abkhaz capital today
Today, any list of Abkhazian popular tourist attractions must include the Sukhumi Botanical Garden. Abkhazia is again proud of its oasis, in which rare plants from around the world grow. Restoration work began immediately after the end of the Georgian-Abkhaz war. Today, more than 5,000 plants are growing in the garden. The local flora is fully represented; representatives of the foreign flora brought from Australia, North America, and Southeast Asia deserve attention. Throughout the entire warm season, the garden is literally buried in flowers, but it is not boring here even in winter, because in some species flowering occurs in the cold months. During the tour, tourists can walk along the bamboo alleys, carefully examine the various types of palm trees, admire the succulents brought from the deserts. One of the most unusual attractions of the garden is linden, which is more than 250 years old today. The Turks tried to cut down this tree, it was badly damaged during the hurricane, but, despite this, it continues to grow and has already reached a height of 20 meters.
Tourist information: prices, opening hours and reviews
The main botanical garden of Abkhazia is located at the following address: Sukhum city, D. Gulia street, possession 22. You can get here on a tour daily from 9.00 to 18.00. If you decide to visit the Sukhumi Botanical Garden, the price of the ticket will surely please you. Adult visitors must pay about 200 rubles for admission. Discounts are provided for children, students, senior citizens, disabled people and other privileged categories of citizens. Excursion service is free for groups of 10 people. Every year, a huge number of tourists visit the botanical garden in the city of Sukhum. Here you can see many amazing and very beautiful plants. Amid a riot of greenery and flowers, incredibly beautiful photos are obtained. Today, the garden is quite landscaped, tourists can walk along smooth paths, there are benches, picturesque bridges and arbors on the territory of the oasis. According to the recognition of vacationers who have visited this place several times, every year it becomes more and more interesting. Sukhumi Botanical Garden has very positive reviews from tourists. This is a place worth visiting!