The O.V. Fomin Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Ukraine.
History
The official date of the Kyiv Botanical Garden establishment is 22 May 1839, when E. Trautfetter started the first plantings. In 1850 design and layout of the garden were completed. 1941-1943, during the Nazi occupation, many precious plants from the collection were lost. Some plants were transported to Germany. In the spring of 1944 the garden was reopened to the public, the restoration of greenhouses and plant collections started.
The botanical garden is 22.5 hectares, with 10,000 plant species. The Garden is famous for its exotic plants: it has the biggest collection of succulents among the countries of the former Soviet Union. The greenhouse, which was built for the largest and the oldest palm trees in Northern Eurasia, is among the highest in the world. In 1935, the garden was named after the academician and botanist Oleksandr Fomin, who directed the garden in 1915-1935.
In 1976, the "Magnolia Garden" was laid, which is now the main decoration of the botanical garden and a visiting card of Kyiv in spring. In 2017, 20 sakura trees were planted in the botanical garden as part of the Year of Japan in Ukraine.
Interesting Facts
- The oldest tree in the collection of the garden is the Liviston palm, which has the status of national treasure - its age is more than 200 years;
- The oldest Kyiv chestnuts grow here - they were planted at the end of the XIX century;
- The collection of magnolias is the largest in Ukraine and counts more than 70 species, hybrids and varieties;
- One of the most amazing plants of the garden is a cactus "Queen of the Night". It blooms only at night, and the aroma resembles the smell of vanilla;
- In 1908-1913 the garden was a zoo.
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