The hallmark of the capital of Ukraine are the famous Kiev chestnuts, as well as the magnificent Botanical Gardens. Where, if not in this place, can such a grandiose riot of colors of blossoming flowers, the splendor of powerful centuries-old trees and a grandiose variety of shrubs come together? The most famous of the gardens are the arboretum them. Grishko and them. Fomina.
Botanical Garden M.M. Grishko
Kiev Botanical Garden in Pechersk is directly related to the history of the appearance and development of the Academy of Sciences. The initiator of the creation of the Botanical Garden in the city was V.I. Lipsky, a well-known scientist, florist and first president of the Academy. He was eager to build a garden in the territory belonging to the Goloseevsky forest. This idea never came true, as a famous scientist changed his place of residence. But the name of such a versatile personality has firmly entered the history of the amazing garden.
In 1935, a land plot of 117 hectares was allocated in the Zverinets Garden. The consultant for the arrangement of the botanical masterpiece was Lipsky. After the scientist passed away, his work was continued by V.E. Schmidt. He was also the director of the garden. The Botanical Garden in Pechersk (Kiev) was created slowly. Firstly, it was not sufficiently financed, and secondly, its rather large territory belonged to private owners, who left their usual place of residence with great reluctance.
Despite all the barriers, before the outbreak of World War II, the garden already boasted 1,050 species of plants and a thousand taxa of greenhouse crops. All this happened thanks to the new director Y. K. Gotsik and M. M. Grishko, who at that time headed the Academy of Sciences.
Grishko in the history of the botanical garden
The Friendship of Peoples Botanical Garden (Kiev) was severely defeated during the military confrontations. Most of its plants became unusable, and some were irretrievably lost.
With the arrival of spring 1944, active reconstruction of the reserve began, and in July it came under the direct control of M. M. Grishko. Botanical splendor was given the status of an independent unit belonging to the Academy of Sciences.
Expeditions began abroad to collect a variety of plant collections. Grishko wanted to create a garden that would become both a place for city dwellers to rest and a center of science in Ukraine. For guests, the Botanical Garden opened on May 29, 1964. Today this institution is a carefully protected area, which is part of the nature reserve fund of Ukraine.
"Population" of the Botanical Garden
The modern Botanical Garden of Kiev covers an area of 129.86 hectares. Here visitors can admire the uniqueness of the quantity and quality of collections and their compositions. These are medicinal, vegetable, fodder, flower and decorative, fruit, spicy aromatic and technical plants. They were collected in all world botanical and geographical regions. In the garden there are more than ten thousand varieties, types and forms of plantings. The garden contains the largest collection of linden, walnut, oak, lilac, maple and wild fruit plants in the entire eastern part of Europe. There is a unique collection of molded dogwood.
All this is valued by Kiev. The Grishko Botanical Garden is both a huge arboretum with an area of 30 hectares, and a greenhouse complex spread over an area of 20 hectares. The arboretum has 1062 species, forms and varieties of bushes, vines and trees. And the greenhouse pleases its visitors with a collection of 450 species and forms of delicate orchids.
Fomin Botanical Garden
One of the oldest Botanical Gardens in Ukraine is the Fomin Botanical Garden of Kiev. The official date of its creation is May 22, 1839. It was during this period that the first tree plantings were made. Today, this garden is considered a division of Kiev University. Shevchenko. Here it occupies 22 hectares of area, which houses collections of more than ten thousand plant species, a botanical museum, a huge greenhouse complex, and also a scientific library.
The garden is known for its exotic exhibits. Here is a large collection of all types of cacti and succulents. The grandiose collection of palm trees is also striking. In the former USSR, they were the largest and oldest.
How the garden of Fomin was created
Ancient Kiev legends say that a long time ago the territory of the modern garden belonged to the sister of Kia, Schek and Horeb - Lybedi. One of the rivers that flow into the mighty Dnieper is called Lybed. And on its left bank, among the ravines and hills, a garden was created.
Beretti, an architect who designed the University of St. Vladimir (now T. G. Shevchenko), proposed to set up a garden in a deserted place near an educational institution. In 1839, permission was granted to build a temporary garden. Only in 1941 he was honored to become permanent.
Botanical Garden (Kiev) Fomin came under the leadership of Alexander Vasilievich in 1914. Fomin ruled it until 1935. During the winter of 1919-1920, when severe frost broke out, a considerable number of plants were saved from freezing by the director and his staff.
War and the post-war period
During the Nazi occupation of the Ukrainian capital, some of the plants were taken out, some died at the hands of villains, but Fomin Botanical Garden was restored in the shortest possible time. Since the spring of 1944, he opened his gates to visitors. In 1977, a 30-meter greenhouse-climatron was built in the garden, with a total area of 1000 m 2 . In 1984, the construction of a domed greenhouse with an area of 532 m 2 and a height of 18 m was completed.
V. Sosyura, Lesya Ukrainka, M. Rylsky, M. Vrubel - all of them once visited the Botanical Garden (Kiev). The university, probably, cannot boast of such visitors. Today, Fomin’s Garden is an unsurpassed green oasis located in the center of the Ukrainian capital.
Fomin Garden today
The Botanical Garden of Kiev now plays the role of the research department of Shevchenko State University. Here students undergo botany practice. Pupils and young naturalists can take part in special cognitive and scientific excursions that reveal the secrets of nature to them, talk about its significance in the life of each of us.
In 2007, comprehensive restoration work was carried out here: the slopes were strengthened, new species of bushes and trees were planted, greenhouses were modernized.
Visitors to the Botanical Gardens
Every day, Botanical Garden. Fomin and them. Grishko is visited by many guests. True, not all of them come here in order to broaden their horizons and cultural recreation. Many do not understand the full importance of these institutions, leaving mountains of garbage after themselves. Everything that has been created for many decades, today, due to human frivolity and indifference, can turn into a dump. After all, it’s easy to destroy, but to build ...
Kiev Botanical Gardens are one of a kind. Yes, in the world there are many such reserves, but such as in this glorious city, will no longer be found. Their aromas, colors, beauty and uniqueness can safely claim one of the places in the list of modern wonders of the world. And whoever does not believe, let him be convinced of this personally by looking at the gardens with his own eyes!