National Botanical Garden after Grishko, Kyiv

In 1918, the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (UAS) was established. The Botanical Garden was listed among its institutions. One of the presidents of the UAE is V.I. Lipinsky (a well-known florist, traveler and connoisseur of botanical gardens) developed the scientific foundations, substantiated the idea of ​​creation, outlined the structure, directions of activity and location. By the way, it was he who was elected the first president. But in 1919, a civil war broke out, and the question remained unresolved.

In 1935, the Academy of Sciences received a 117-hectare plot of land in the historical part of Kiev, known as the Menagerie. According to the annals, the country residence of the Kiev prince, one of the successors of Yaroslav the Wise, was located here. Even in princely times there were hunting grounds and the Vydubychi Monastery was founded, and around it there were settlements.
On the territory allotted for the garden, greenhouses and temporary greenhouses were built, which housed a significant collection of tropical and subtropical plants, as well as nurseries. By 1941, 1050 species, varieties and forms of plants had already been collected, and more than 1 thousand species of tropical and subtropical plants in greenhouses. Experimental studies have begun.

During the temporary occupation of Kiev by the troops of fascist Germany, most of the collections were lost. The revival of the garden began after the liberation of Kiev in 1944, it was not opened for visiting until 1964. Expeditions and scientific trips were organized to accumulate and form plant collections. They also searched for the most valuable and necessary species and forms of plants from different parts of the world, their reproduction and the formation of expositions.

Today, a unique collection of 12 thousand species, forms and varieties of plants from all over the world is collected on 132 hectares of the garden. Every spring thousands of visitors are attracted here by the largest collection of lilacs in Ukraine. In the greenhouses of the garden unique collections of tropical and subtropical plants are presented, among which one of the largest is a collection of orchids. In 1980, orchids from the collections of the Botanical Gardens first visited space on board the Salyut orbital station.

There are three zones in the garden: scientific, where entrance for visitors is limited, scientific and exhibition, which can be visited, and economic. Botanical and geographical areas of the Carpathians, Steppes of Ukraine, Polesie, Crimea, the Caucasus, Altai and Western Siberia, Central Asia, and the Far East have been created on the territory. Almost every year, new sites appear. In 2012, the Korean Garden was opened. Korean experts participated in its preparation. Plots of Tibetan culture have also opened, and it is also planned to create an Indonesian garden.

When lilacs begin to bloom during the May holidays, about 150,000 people visit the garden. This period is problematic for workers, because there is a very large load.

How to get there:
From the metro station "Friendship of Peoples" on Bastionnaya street.
Paid entrance.