The Botanical Garden of Moscow State University has two branches: one on the Sparrow Hills, the other on the Pharmacy Garden on Mira Avenue. The latter was formerly the main and only and existed in the 18th century. On the Sparrow Hills in Soviet times, more than half a century ago, a new one was created.
Botanical Garden on Sparrow Hills
The Botanical Garden of Moscow State University on the Sparrow Hills is the new and currently the main territory of the University Botanical Garden. It was founded in 1951. The new botanical garden of Moscow State University was founded at the same time as the construction of new buildings of Moscow State University was underway . Its territory is located just near the educational complex.
When the botanical garden of Moscow State University on the Sparrow Hills had just begun to equip, it was divided into several sectors: taxonomy and geography of plants, flora and protection of the gene pool, dendrology, garden plants. Material for him was collected from different places in the USSR and other parts of the planet, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Pamirs, the Far East, Japan, North America and others.
Rock garden
The MSU Botanical Garden on the Sparrow Hills has many different plant collections. The central and honorable place among them is rock garden - an artificially created imitation of mountain systems. These are small slides on an area of 1 hectare, planted with various plants. In total, approximately 700 species grow here. A rock garden was built in the 50s, it is considered the standard in landscape gardening art.
It has many exhibits: "Far East", "Western Europe", "Carpathians", "Crimea", "Caucasus",
"Central Asia", "Mediterranean", as well as "Polar Exposition". In the center there is a small lake, near a rock, towering 6 meters above the water. One side of the rock is covered with
Cossack juniper. In the Central Asian exposition in late spring and early summer you can see blooming wild peonies, tulips, junoes, bulbous. On the hill, dedicated to the Caucasus, you can see the beautiful pink flowering of Georgian almonds, openwork purple inflorescences of broad-leaved kermek. Admire the yellowish flowers of peonies Mlokosevich and other species of this plant or bright scarlet
poppy oriental. At the exposition representing the mountainous Siberia, one can see a bright orange Siberian trollius, popularly called "lights". Fir trees and pines growing in the Siberian taiga are also available here. The bright pink flowers of
Daursky rhododendron, which in the spring cover the Altai mountains and are called maralnik, fascinate the eye. On the site dedicated to the Far East, you can see many woody plants characteristic of this part of Russia. Unusually looks Kurilian bamboo. On one of the hills where the polar alpine plants once grew, now is one of the typical species from North America.
And one of the most beautiful places in the garden is a pond that imitates a mountain lake. Since the beginning of summer, various types of water lilies have bloomed here, the color of which varies from pure white to dark pink.
Arboretum
The Botanical Garden of Moscow State University on the Sparrow Hills also has a huge collection of woody plants. It occupies the largest plot. Its area is 10 hectares. Placed plants in it on a geographical basis. When creating it was assumed that a person getting here, as it were, passes through different natural zones on our planet. The alley along the arboretum leads from north to south. One half is devoted to Asia, the other to Europe and America. Here you can see coniferous, mixed, deciduous and mountain forests. Basically, collections from temperate regions are collected, as they are able to grow in open ground. These are woody plants that grow throughout the former Soviet Union. From overseas, North American and Japanese species have taken root here.
Excursions
The Botanical Garden of Moscow State University on the Sparrow Hills conducts many excursions. On the official website, you can choose excursions both group and for individual visits. There is also a specific schedule, with which you can find out what time to come and what kind of exposure you can get at the same time. The tour is conducted in all weather conditions, and even if only one visitor comes.
The total cost is 300 rubles. A little less for schoolchildren, students and other beneficiaries - 200. If with a curator, then a full ticket will cost 600 rubles. This tour lasts 2 hours.
There are two types of excursions: sightseeing and thematic. The first involves viewing the most beautiful sights of the garden, such as a rock garden, arboretum or a collection of ornamental plants. The thematic tour involves the selection of one exposure.
"Pharmaceutical garden"
The oldest botanical garden of Moscow State University has the name "Pharmaceutical Garden", it was created in 1706, by order of the Emperor Peter the Great and is located on Prospekt Mira. In greenhouses, plants of tropical and subtropical latitudes grow here.
Plants are collected from all over the world. Here you can see majestic palm trees and fantastic orchids, many cacti and vines. Reconstruction of greenhouses began in the late 20th century. It is necessary today, since the botanical garden of Moscow State University and its buildings are in poor condition.