Here the heart of nature is pulsing

Nikitskiy Botanical Garden is 200 years

As Mykhailo Prishvin said there was one’s “land of not frightened birds” on the South coast. This is Nikitskiy Botanical Garden. Walking its paths, you hear the earth breathing, plants’ quiet talkings, and nature’s heart beating.

The idea of ​​creating the garden belonged to the French emigrant Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, the 5th Duke de Richelieu. He is better known in the history as Emmanuel Osypovych de Richelieu - military governor, who led Novorossiysk region. Inhabitants of Odessa, which was founded by him, called him “Duke Richelieu”. Due to his petition the emperor Alexander I on June 1811 signed decree “On establishment of the Imperial official botanical garden in the Crimea”. Richelieu’s initiative was developed due to support of 29-year-old prince Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov - Russian aristocrat who was close to the emperor.

–             On the eve of the anniversary the collective of the garden together with the scientists charitable fund of Christian Steven launched the unique project “Your name tree” - tells the director of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of NAAS of Ukraine Valeriy Mykolaevich YEZHOV. – The work is labour-consuming, requires considerable finances. But the idea has found a keen response in the hearts of the locals and people whom fate has brought here once.

Luchiya PUZYKOVA