Botanical Garden of Petersburg excursions. Excursions and other services. "game" in the major league

The Botanical Garden in Petrozavodsk is an amazing place where every visitor can make a fascinating journey through the northern hemisphere in an hour. In a not very large area there is a magnificent collection of plants from Europe, Asia and North America.

Tract "Devil's Chair"

In the forest belt, east of the Solomenny district (Petrozavodsk), at the foot of the Bolshaya Vaara mountain is located open area, from which you can clearly see the city. This tract was named “Devil’s Chair”. About two billion years ago there was active volcanic activity here. Rocky screes and landslides at the foot are traces of strong, about 9.0 magnitude earthquakes that occurred during the post-glacial period.

One of the huge stone fragments was torn off by a sudden rupture and displacement earth's crust. It formed a niche in the shape of a chair. This gave the name to the entire tract and rock. In 1987, this place was recognized as a geological natural monument of regional significance, which stores information about the phenomena and processes that occurred during the Proterozoic era.

Story

The botanical garden was founded in 1951 on the (northern) coast of Petrozavodsk Bay of the majestic Lake Onega, at the very foot of the “Devil’s Chair”.

The territory was divided into several zones:

• park part;
• botanical exhibitions;
• collection and experimental areas;
• brood plantations and nurseries;
• economic infrastructure;
• protective plantings.

The Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk), whose address is Lenin Ave., 33, was headed by a wonderful scientist and unsurpassed organizer Mikhail Ivanov. Until 1963, construction of the main facilities was carried out on the territory of the park: buildings with offices for summer internships for students, a greenhouse, a laboratory building, greenhouses, a water supply network and roads were laid.

At the same time, botanists created a collection valuable trees and shrubs, which were intended for landscaping northern cities and afforestation, as well as ornamental plants. Gradually the garden area increased to 80 hectares.

After some time, the Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk) was headed by a candidate biological sciences P. Krupyshev, who focused on the study of fruit crops and expansion educational activities: more than 50 excursions for schoolchildren and teachers, nature lovers and tourists began to be held here every year. Meanwhile, the employees replenished the garden with new tree species and varieties, carried out Scientific research with teachers from the faculties of agriculture and biology. A department of medicinal plants was created.

By 1994, the Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk) had expanded its grounds to 367 hectares. Most The territory was occupied by a protected area. In the summer of 2011, a Stone Age object, the “Pagan Glade,” was opened in the garden in a solemn ceremony. This is a unique copy of a real clearing of the ancient Sami with a labyrinth of four paths and seid boulders.

Description of the garden

Its main departments were established in the very first years after its founding. At first it was planned to create only Asian, American and European departments of flora. Later, an orchard and a collection of ornamental plants and flowers appeared on the southern lakeside slope.

The Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk) today occupies an area of ​​360 hectares. Here are located:

• fruit and berry garden;
• arboretum;
• department of ornamental and medicinal plants.

The garden exposition, available for visits, occupies only 14 hectares; the rest of the area is a protected area. It performs the main task - the preservation of the unique flora and natural landscapes of this region. Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk), whose collection is a little over 65 years old, although in this case it does not of great importance, an unusual collection of rare plants. The uniqueness of his collection lies in the fact that the park is located in harsh climatic conditions, where in winter frosts often exceed -30 °C.

In addition to plants characteristic of these territories, you can see rare specimens that were brought from Asia, North America and other continents. Thanks to the enormous efforts of the park staff, the plants quickly adapt to new, difficult conditions and many of them even bear fruit.

Flowers

Flower lovers will find great pleasure in this park. Tourists from all over the country come to the Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk) to admire them. We will tell you how to get here below, but now let’s return to the collection.

At first it was quite modest: 36 varieties and species (mainly tulips, daffodils, gladioli). Scientists carefully selected them for resistance to very low temperatures, pathogens and pests. They analyzed decorative shapes and colors. As a result of this work, a list of the most suitable flower varietal crops for landscaping was created. In 1980, they decorated the parks and streets of Petrozavodsk.

Medicinal plants

In the eighties, the head of the Department of Plant Physiology and Botany of the University of Petrozavodsk, Professor Alexey Shtanko, began the formation of a department of medicinal plants based on introduced and native species that are grown in small areas.

The exhibition was significantly expanded in 2004, since students of the Department of Pharmacognosy at Petrozavodsk University, which was created at that time, needed practice. Today it is an integral part of the herbaceous perennial plants department of the garden.

Karelian birch

This tree is considered the hallmark of the park. Souvenirs made from its wood are very valuable and cost a lot. The fact is that this species is characterized by extremely slow growth of radial wood - one millimeter per year. The population of the tree is very small in the world: there are small plantings in Scandinavia and the Republic of Belarus. The main part of the range is located in Karelia.

Sale of seedlings

In the courtyard of the main building of the university there is a store where you can buy seeds of cultivated varieties of rare plants. It is open from September 2 on Fridays from 14.00 to 18.00. Has its own nursery, Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk). Seedlings are sold in the Solomennoye area on the street. Botanicheskaya, 2. The nursery is open on weekdays from 10.00 to 18.00.

Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk): opening hours

Today the park occupies a vast territory. Entrance to its natural part is free and free. The exhibition areas of the garden can be visited on weekdays from 9:00 to 16:00. The entrance ticket costs 100 rubles. Tours here are held from May 1 to November 1 from 10:00 to 16:00. The Botanical Garden (Petrozavodsk), reviews of which are always positive, can be visited independently or as part of a small excursion group.

Order an excursion

If you want to view the garden collection, please call the administration in advance and agree on a time. Guided tours of the park are available for groups of no more than twenty people from Wednesday to Sunday.

In the garden you can organize a party, conduct a photo shoot or shoot a video. The excursion includes a visit to the Botanical Garden, fishing villages, and the Church of the Presentation. In addition, there are programs including lectures by experts and practical classes in gardening.

The best time to visit the garden is in the summer, when it is simply surrounded by flowers and greenery. At the end of May, the traditional Apple Blossom festival is held here. Everyone is invited to attend. If you find yourself in winter, don’t worry. At this time the garden is unusually beautiful. In addition, the New Year is celebrated here in an interesting and fun way.

Petrozavodsk, Botanical Garden: how to get there?

The park is located in the nearest suburb of Petrozavodsk. This is the village of Solomennoye in the northeast of Lake Onega. From the city center you can take buses No. 27, 23, 8, 4. They go towards the village you need. At the “Magazin” stop, you should get off and walk about two kilometers. First, you will cross the bridge, pass the Church of the Presentation, and turn right. From here Botanicheskaya Street will take you to the park.

Purpose and activities of the Botanical Garden

• The collections and exhibitions of the Botanical Garden are formed in order to preserve the diversity and enrichment of the plant world.
• The garden takes an active part in and provides educational, scientific and educational activities in the field of botany and nature conservation, ecology, plant growing and selection, ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture. Training and Internship and research work of students of environmental-biological, forest engineering, agrotechnical, medical and other faculties of the university, training sessions are conducted for teachers and schoolchildren of Karelia, excursions for city residents and tourists.

Scientific research is carried out in the following areas:

• development theoretical foundations and methods for preserving the gene pool of plants of the natural and cultural flora of Karelia, increasing the diversity of cultural flora through the introduction of new economically useful plants;
• creation of scientific and educational information resources on the formed collections and plants growing on natural areas Botanical Garden;
• development and implementation of new information technologies to solve problems of inventory of plant genetic resources and coordination of collection activities of botanical gardens of the Russian Federation.

Story

The issue of creating a Botanical Garden in Petrozavodsk began to be considered in 1944. After the return of the Karelo-Finnish University from Syktyvkar, where it was evacuated during the war, the need arose to create a research and production base where students of the Faculty of Biology could undergo internships, as well as work on landscaping the city. Both teachers of the Department of Botany and employees of the Karelo-Finnish Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences and representatives took part in the discussion of this problem.

Organizational period

The first director of the garden was Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry Mikhail Vasilyevich Ivanov. A Garden Council was created, which determined its structure, territory layout and development paths.

The original structure of the garden, approved by the Garden Council in 1951, included the following departments:

• Directorate;
• Introduction Department;
• Breeding Department;
• Reproduction Department;
• Department of Woody Plants (Arboretum);
• Department of fruit and berry crops;
• Department of Ornamental and Medicinal Herbaceous Plants;
• Seed laboratory;
• Plant Protection Group;
• Propaganda Group;
• Group for organizing and conducting excursions;
• Meteorological station;
• Classrooms in botany and plant physiology.

On the territory, areas were allocated for botanical exhibitions (woody, fruit and berry, herbaceous plants), a park part, experimental areas, collection areas, nurseries and uterine plantations, protective plantings. The economic territory (buildings, warehouses, water supply network, etc.) also occupied a lot of space.

At first, the garden received planting and seed material from Leningrad (Krasnoselsky Decorative Nursery, Pushkin Fruit and Berry Nursery), Moscow (Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Main Botanical Garden), Lipetsk, Riga, Sortavala, Barnaul (Altai Breeding Station), Apatit () , Penza and other introduction centers. In 1953, an expedition took place in the Ladoga region (in the outskirts of the city of Sortavala and the island of Valaam), which significantly replenished the garden’s supply of planting material, as well as the composition of introduced species.

Creation and formation of collections

Modern period

The protected area is home to 395 species of vascular plants, 124 species of leafy mosses, 44 species of hepatic mosses, and 117 species of lichens. The flora includes 9 species of plants listed in the Red Book of Karelia () and 38 species in the Red Book of Eastern Fennoscandia ( Red Data Book of East Fennoskandia, ).

Collection departments

Arboretum

A system for registering botanical collections has been created "Calypso", which is used in botanical gardens in Russia and neighboring countries and serves as the basis for systematizing data from the national collection of genetic resources of vascular plants ex situ. In 2009, version 4.99 of this program was available.

The information retrieval system (IRS) “Botanical collections of Russia and neighboring countries” provides free access to information about collections of vascular plants.

The information and analytical system “Botanical Collections of Russia” includes network and local analysis tools that make it possible to identify the taxonomic diversity and value of individual collections, compile a list of potential introductions and formulate a strategy for the development and increasing the importance of collections for the region and Russia. As a result, the Council of Botanical Gardens of Russia has information support for coordinating the activities of botanical gardens with the aim of optimally enriching the total National Collection - Russia's plant genetic resource and research base for a wide range of scientific disciplines.

Publications of the Botanical Garden

• CD “Unique Objects” high school. Botanical gardens and dendrological parks" - includes a comprehensive analytical review as part of monitoring educational, scientific and social activities botanical gardens of universities Federal agency education, as well as illustrated materials about their collections and natural and climatic conditions. Created by order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
• Hortus botanicus - Online journal of botanical gardens. Publishes materials devoted to the results of scientific, educational and social activities of botanical gardens around the world.

In Petrozavodsk there is actually a very interesting botanical garden - this is the Botanical Garden of the State University. The garden is located in a picturesque location on the shores of Lake Onega, in the suburbs of the city. On the way to the park you can meet many local residents who sell fresh fish (fishing is still one of the main fisheries in these places).

The botanical garden is located on an area of ​​360 hectares and on its territory there is a fruit and berry garden, an arboretum, as well as a department of medicinal and ornamental plants. The garden explosion occupies only 14 hectares, and the rest of the area is a protected area. The main task of this zone is to preserve the unique flora of this area and natural landscapes. Some tourists come to this botanical garden to see a unique natural monument called the Devil's Chair. This natural object is formed using rocks and volcanic rocks and is shaped like a chair, where the backrest is a 122-meter-high rock, and the seat is a clearing.

The garden is young, its collection is about 60 years old, but age does not matter here. The uniqueness of the collection lies in the fact that the park is located in a rather harsh climatic zone, where in winter there can be frosts of up to 30 degrees or more. In addition to plants traditional for this area, you can see specimens brought from North America, Asia and other continents. Thanks to the efforts of the park staff, all plants adapt to new conditions and even begin to bear fruit.

Most often, tourists come to the park in the fall, since winter and spring are cold, and summer often ends very quickly. It is best to come in the second half of September, then the weather is not very cold and the garden appears in all its glory. Also in the fall, the park appears a large number of mushrooms (whether they can be collected or not, you need to check on the spot).

There are greenhouses on the territory of the garden; visitors can buy seedlings of various trees and shrubs. In the orchard you can see several varieties of apple trees, raspberry bushes and even edible honeysuckle, which is a curiosity for these places.

The visiting card of the garden can easily be called the Karelian birch. Souvenirs made from this tree are very valuable, but their cost is very high. The thing is that this type of birch is characterized by a very slow growth of radial wood - less than one millimeter per year (if you are interested in this, you can ask what this means). The tree has extraordinary hardness. The population of this tree in the world is small (there are small populations in Belarus and Scandinavia), but in Karelia there are the most of them.

Previously, entrance to the botanical garden was free, but now the situation has changed and now you need to pay 100 rubles to visit it. According to the information on the official website of this botanical garden http://hortus.karelia.ru/?id=74 it is now open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is very difficult to describe all the objects and plants of the garden, so on this site you can find out all the information you are interested in and even contact the administration to clarify some points.

From Petrozavodsk you can get to the botanical garden by many bus routes, for example, No. 23, 27 and others. While in the city, you can find out information from local residents (you are not going abroad).

The Botanical Garden of Petrozavodsk University was founded in 1951 on the north-eastern shore of the Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega, has an area of ​​367 hectares, is a specially protected natural area and is one of the most northern introduction points in Russia. The garden is located in the middle taiga subzone, at the limit of the natural distribution of many tree species, which makes it a link between the northern Polar-Alpine and St. Petersburg botanical gardens in carrying out stepwise acclimatization of plants important for forestry, landscape architecture and northern fruit growing. In 2009, the collections included 1,185 species and cultivars of vascular plants.

Purpose and activities of the Botanical Garden

The collections and exhibitions of the Botanical Garden are formed in order to preserve the diversity and enrichment of the plant world. The garden takes an active part in and provides educational, scientific and educational activities in the field of botany and nature conservation, ecology, plant growing and selection, ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture. Here educational and industrial practice and research work of students of environmental-biological, forest engineering, agrotechnical, medical and other faculties of the university take place, training sessions are held for teachers and schoolchildren of Karelia, excursions for city residents and tourists are held. Scientific research is carried out in the following areas: development of theoretical foundations and methods for preserving the gene pool of plants of the natural and cultural flora of Karelia, increasing the diversity of cultural flora through the introduction of new economically useful plants; creation of scientific and educational information resources on the formed collections and plants growing in the natural areas of the Botanical Garden; development and implementation of new information technologies to solve problems of inventory of plant genetic resources and coordination of collection activities of botanical gardens of the Russian Federation.

The issue of creating a Botanical Garden in Petrozavodsk began to be considered in 1944. After the return of the Karelo-Finnish University from Syktyvkar, where it was evacuated during the war, the need arose to create a research and production base where students of the Faculty of Biology could undergo internships, as well as work on landscaping the city. Both teachers of the Department of Botany, as well as employees of the Karelo-Finnish Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences and representatives of the Botanical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences took part in the discussion of this problem. Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR and the decision of the Petrozavodsk City Council of Workers' Deputies on the recusal land plot size of 14 hectares was adopted on February 1, 1951. It was decided to locate the future botanical garden on the basis of the Solomensky sawmill on the northern shore of the Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega.

In 1951, on the northern coast of Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega among coniferous forests, located on the southern slopes of a relict volcano, the Botanical Garden of Petrozavodsk State University was founded. Located on the northern borders of the natural distribution of a number of species of woody plants, it is a connecting link, the next introduction step between the St. Petersburg and Polar-Alpine botanical gardens.

AT THE FOOT OF THE DAMN CHAIR

On vast space forest strip east of Solomennoye (Petrozavodsk region), under the highest mountain, Bolshaya Vaara, there is an open area from which the city is clearly visible. This tract of the Devil's Chair is one of the classic objects for studying the history of the development of our planet: 2 billion years ago active volcanic processes took place here. At the foot there are landslides and rocky screes - traces of strong (up to 8 - 9 points) earthquakes during the post-glacial period, which began 12 thousand years ago. One of the stone pieces, torn off by a sudden displacement and rupture of the earth's crust, formed an armchair-like niche, which gave the name to the rock and the entire tract.

The retreat of the glacier, which changed climatic conditions, was accompanied by a change in vegetation cover. At the first stages it was very unique, combining the features of different natural areas: birch, steppe wormwood, annual and perennial grasses, subshrubs or, less commonly, shrubs and low trees growing here, representing the families of the goosefoot and lycophytes. At that time, Greater Vaara was surrounded on all sides by lake water.

During the warmest post-glacial period - the Atlantic - the appearance of this area was largely shaped by broad-leaved species: linden, elm, maple and even oak. However, further climate cooling and anthropogenic impact have made their own adjustments. Nowadays, the local vegetation includes a wide range of phytocenoses (communities) both typical and rare for Karelia. 80% of the area is occupied by forests dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris (L.). Rare populations include individual populations of black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn) and heart-shaped linden (Tilia cordata Mill.), located on the northern border of the range. In addition, 395 species of vascular plants, 124 leafy and 44 liver mosses, 117 species of lichens grow in the protected area. The flora includes 9 species of plants listed in the Red Book Karelia (2008), and 38 - in the Red Book of Eastern Fennoscandia (1998).

In 1987, the Devil's Chair received the status of a geological natural monument of regional significance, storing information about the processes and phenomena occurring in this area since the Proterozoic, which began 2.5 billion years ago. The reserve functions as a base for practical training for students of Petrozavodsk State University, Karelian State pedagogical university, other universities in Russia and European countries, excursions for tourists. This is a favorite vacation spot for Petrozavodsk residents.

EXCURSION INTO HISTORY

The garden was laid out in complex post-war years. They first started talking about him in June 1944 - immediately after the return of Petrozavodsk University from the evacuation of the city of Syktyvkar. Then the botanical departments raised the question of the need for a base for research work and summer educational practices. Since 1947, the project was widely discussed at the Academic Council of the Faculty of Biology at active participation Head of the Department of Plant Physiology, Doctor of Biological Sciences Abraham Kokin, Associate Professor of the same department Evgenia Ovchinnikova, famous dendrologist, senior researcher at the Botanical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences Sergei Sokolov. In February 1951, the relevant authorities decided to allocate a land plot of 14 hectares in the area of ​​the village of Solomennoye on the shore of Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega. It was part of the Zaonezhsky floristic region and had a relief characteristic of Karelia: terrace-like ledges, flatter in the western part. In the same year, the academic council approved the structure of the garden, arboretum, departments of introduction (relocation individual species plants outside their natural range), selection, fruit and berry crops, ornamental and medicinal herbaceous plants; seed laboratory and classrooms. The entire territory was divided into several zones: botanical exhibitions, a park part, experimental and collection areas, nurseries and brood plantations, protective plantings, and economic infrastructure. The first director of the garden was the wonderful scientist and organizer Mikhail Ivanov.

In 1951 - 1963 builders erected the main objects: a house with offices for students’ summer practice, a laboratory building, a greenhouse, greenhouses, laid a water supply network, and roads. And specialists concentrated their efforts on collecting material for the main departments. In a short period of time, they created an extensive collection of decorative, economically valuable woody plants, suitable for implementation in the practice of landscaping in the northern cities of the country and afforestation. Further enrichment of dendrological communities was carried out using methods of stepwise introduction, climatic analogues, individual and group selection, taking into account plant resistance to low temperatures, seasonal growth, carbohydrate content and enzyme activity. The garden area gradually increased to 80 hectares. Pavel Krupyshev, Candidate of Biological Sciences (1963 - 1993), who replaced Ivanov as director, focused on the study of fruit crops and educational activities: more than 50 excursions a year were held here for schoolchildren, teachers, tourists, and nature lovers. The staff continued to replenish the garden with new tree species, conducted scientific research with teachers from the biological and agricultural faculties, and formed a department of medicinal plants.

In 1994, the Botanical Garden expanded its holdings to 367 hectares. Most of it was occupied by a protected area, the main purpose of which is the preservation of regional flora in situ and the organization of practices in the specialty "ecology". Under the leadership of the head of the Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Doctor of Biological Sciences Evgenia Markovskaya, in the mid-1990s, they conducted a comprehensive study of the area with the participation of Karelsky employees scientific center RAS and for the first time compiled geological, geomorphological, soil, geobotanical maps, carried out an inventory of flora, including higher vascular plants, mosses and lichens. Grade current state natural complexes, the history of their formation, monitoring populations of rare and endangered species and the development of measures to protect ecosystems - this range of issues is still the focus of attention of the department of floristic and phytocenological research, headed by Candidate of Biological Sciences Elena Platonova.

"AND IN THE CITY THERE IS A GARDEN, ALL HERBS AND FLOWERS..."

The unique landscape created by volcanoes, glaciers and pine forests made it possible to create an attractive exhibition - an arboretum, which was based on a geographical principle. Initially, they decided to form 3 departments on an area of ​​5 hectares: European, Asian and American flora.

Arboretum (or arboretum)- an area allocated for the cultivation in an open pound of woody plants, located according to systematic, ecological, decorative and other characteristics.

On the initiative of university teachers Evgenia Ovchinnikova and Antonina Lantratova, centers for obtaining planting and sowing material were identified, including nurseries and botanical gardens of the Leningrad region, Moscow, other Russian cities - Lipetsk, Penza, Kirovsk, Barnaul, as well as Riga and Salaspils (Republic of Latvia). In 1953, a scientific expedition was organized to explore the surroundings of the city of Sortavala, located 287 km from Petrozavodsk, and the island of Valaam, which contributed to a significant replenishment of the collection. And Candidate of Biological Sciences Nikolai Sokolov, who previously worked at the Leningrad Forestry Academy named after. CM. Kirov, one of the oldest forestry schools in the world, launched multi-series experiments on growing in a nursery various forms Karelian birch (Betula pendula var. carelica (Mercklin) L. Hamet-Ahti). Plants that had its characteristic features were planted in the arboretum and border areas of the garden, and part of the material was transferred to forestry enterprises.

At the same time, biologists carried out phenological observations, studied the rhythm of growth and development of crops, determined the winter hardiness of tree species. The formation of collections and scientific research took place in close collaboration with teachers from the Department of Botany and Plant Physiology of the university. Antonina Lantratova, Faina Kudryashova, Lyudmila Ganyushkina, Maria Mironova and Maria Chekhonina supervised work on the generic complexes of spruce, fir, larch, pine, oak, maple, rowan, birch and a number of shrubs. As a result of geographical sowing of Siberian larch and Norway spruce seeds, elite seedlings were selected from 25 reproductive regions, distinguished by phenetic characteristics: the color of the needles and seed scales. The founder of physiological research was Arthur Olykainen. His work on the pigment composition of pine needles was published in Russian periodicals - Higher School Reports, Bulletin of the Main Botanical Garden named after. N.V. Tsitsin RAS, foreign press.

In general, during this period, biologists tested 420 taxa, identifying from them, on the basis of the greatest stability, elements of Eurasian and North American origin that underwent stepwise introduction. By the way, this method was also used to study the seasonal development of some woody plants, which was carried out in 1984 in close cooperation with the Polar-Alpine and Kaliningrad botanical gardens.

Much has changed since then. The trees and shrubs planted by the founders of the garden have grown. In the arboretum, which is now curated by Marina Potapova, there are now about 300 species representing the flora of Asia, Europe and North America. The territory allows the creation of large groups that imitate natural plant communities.

Now the prospects for the development of the arboretum are associated with the cultivation of forms and cultivars of those species that have already been introduced and are successfully growing in the conditions of Karelia. Since 2002, Alexey Falin has been creating a collection of the genus Salix L., including various cultural groups of willows obtained from the Botanical Garden of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg). Today it contains about 50 taxa that are promising for landscaping the cities of Karelia - this is the largest collection in the north-west of Russia.

The new exhibition is a decorative arboretum created from varieties of thuja occidentalis, junipers, spruces, Norway maple, spirea and barberries. Its main donors were the botanical gardens of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the cities of Sochi and Tver, and the Bruns-Pflanzhen nurseries (Germany). By the way, the transfer of plants through several climatic zones far to the north occurred quite easily. You involuntarily think about the role global warming, especially when a significant number of “alien” trees and shrubs produce viable seeds. IN last years For the first time, it was possible to obtain seedlings of red oak, widespread in the eastern United States, and horse chestnut, growing in Southeast Europe, India, East Asia and North America.

Now we can safely say: research on tree species has gone beyond the boundaries of our Botanical Garden. IN PhD thesis Arina Eglacheva presents the composition of the dendroflora of Karelia (402 species); species-rich reserves are identified that can be used for wider landscaping of urbanized areas of the region.

VITAMINS FOR NORTHERNERS

On the beautiful southern slope of the middle lakeside terrace, the first educational fruit garden was laid out in the early 1950s (largely through the efforts of the candidate of biological sciences Militsa Izergina). His pride is winter-hardy varieties of apple trees, grown thanks to careful care and fruitful research work. Small-fruited varieties, including creeping forms, created at the Biysk Experimental Breeding Station (Altai Territory) turned out to be especially productive. Local reproductive areas also contributed to the enrichment of fruit and berry crops. Back in 1945, in the city of Sortavala, on the initiative of Abraham Kokin, a fruit and berry nursery was created - a source of planting material. Big number seedlings were brought from the Sulazhgorsky fruit and berry nursery (city of Petrozavodsk), Valaam Island, from the Fruit Garden named after. M. V. Lumpieva (city of Olonets, Republic of Karelia).

Our employee Pavel Kurkhinen, in the process of variety testing, selected the most successful fruitful and winter-hardy scions for Karelia. Particular attention was paid to the study of the microelement composition of fruit crops (Pavel Krupyshev). This topic is now of interest for solving the extremely urgent task of creating a diet balanced in microelements in the conditions of Karelia. In the 1990s, based on this collection, Vladimir Kovyaka created a research and production nursery. Nowadays it contains over 200 varieties suitable for cultivation in the republic: traditional raspberries, garden strawberries, currants, gooseberries, sea buckthorn, apple trees and new varieties of edible honeysuckle, felt cherry, cherry plum, and actinidia. The nursery provides the Botanical Garden and the population of Karelia with varietal planting material of fruit and ornamental plants, which can be used thanks to container technologies throughout the entire growing season. Plants collected during expedition work and seedlings from other organizations also come here. But the main task of the fruit department (today it is headed by Tatyana Kirilkina, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences) is the preservation of genetic potential, identification, selection and replenishment of highly productive and winter-hardy crops.

FOR BEAUTY AND HEALTH

At first, the collection of floral and ornamental plants in our garden was small: 36 species and varieties (mainly gladioli, tulips, daffodils). Biologists selected them for resistance to low temperatures, pests and pathogens. At the same time, decorative forms that differ in color were especially carefully analyzed. As a result, a list of the most suitable varietal flower crops for landscaping appeared. Transferred in 1976 - 1980 city, they became a decoration of the streets and parks of Petrozavodsk.

The Department of Medicinal Plants, created on the initiative of the head of the Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Professor Alexey Shtanko in the 1980s, was formed on the basis of native and introduced species grown in small areas, taking into account their use in pharmacology. In 2004, the exhibition was expanded “for vital indications”: to students of the new department of pharmacognosy Faculty of Medicine Petrozavodsk State University required practice. Today it is an integral part of the garden's perennial herbaceous plants department.

Let us also note several original works by Tamara Smirnova, candidate of biological sciences. So, in 1996, under the canopy of pines near a small old pond, the Shadow Garden “settled”. It is based on the collection of Doctor of Biological Sciences Rimma Karpisonova from the Moscow Main Botanical Garden. N.V. Tsitsin RAS. Next to it we are forming a Solar Garden, which already numbers more than 400 taxa.

WHERE WHAT COME FROM

There are two main sources of replenishment of our collections - expeditionary collections in nature and exchange, the activation of which is helped by the delectus (list) published annually since the 1960s. Our seed laboratory is aimed at obtaining high quality locally reproduced material. Experience has shown that it produces the most stable and viable seedlings for further cultivation in the garden. Every year, up to 50 - 60 species are sown in nurseries.

When collecting seeds, we focus on plants of the local flora that are most interesting to our colleagues. In recent years, we have maintained relations with 150 organizations of the relevant profile for the exchange of material. Every year, the seed bank, supervised by Tatyana Timokhina, receives over 500 samples from 25 - 50 gardens in Russia and foreign countries. Our list usually includes 150 - 200 plant species, mainly local flora, collected in the protected area of ​​the Botanical Garden.

"GAME" IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE

Botanical gardens are one of the most ancient and integrated scientific communities in the world. Their activities are now coordinated by the International Council for the Conservation of Botanical Gardens, the Consortium of Botanical Gardens in Europe, and a similar body operates within our country. Having barely survived the crisis of the early 1990s, our team, headed since 1993 by Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexei Prokhorov, rebuilt the development strategy of its brainchild in accordance with the principles of the listed authoritative organizations. It is based on three priority areas: creating a new look for the garden that is attractive to visitors; study and conservation of the diversity of native flora; development and implementation of new information technologies.

Since 1997, our activities have been supported by grants from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Russian Humanitarian scientific foundation, Russian Foundation basic research, the International Council of Botanical Gardens for Plant Conservation, the American charitable MacArthur Foundation, the Open Society Institute and the Russian Universities program.

The Congress of the Association of Eurasian Botanical Gardens, held in 1994 in the Subtropical Botanical Garden of Kuban (Sochi), was key in the search for new areas of work. Then the experts turned Special attention to the problem (by the way, also relevant for us) of registration and inventory of collections, the lack of appropriate software. After the successful implementation of Karelian programmers, in particular Mikhail Nesterenko and Vasily Andryusenko, the Botanical Garden of Petrozavodsk University became the center of development information systems aimed at studying and preserving natural resources, uniting many colleagues from Russia and other countries.

For almost 14 years, we have been developing organizational, scientific and methodological support for the formation and analysis of a national collection of genetic resources of vascular plants ex situ (note: in botanical gardens and dendrological parks of Russia alone, more than 25 thousand of their species and over 29 thousand varieties are currently cultivated and cultural varieties). The desire to make this information accessible led to the creation search engine"Botanical collections of Russia and neighboring states", which allows you to obtain information on the Internet about the localization of each taxon and its representativeness. Currently, it includes data on 100 meetings (77 Russian and 23 foreign). And recently another resource appeared - the information and analytical system "Botanical Collections of Russia". From now on, each garden has the opportunity to make a comparative analysis of its funds, evaluate their species diversity, uniqueness, and, based on the knowledge gained, “adjust” its policy. Modern technology allows you to compare collections in similar climatic conditions and compile lists of potential introduced species.

The local system for registering the collection fund "Calypso", developed at Petrozavodsk University, and adapted to work in the network of botanical institutions in Russia, has received wide recognition. Supporting world standards, it provides an inventory of genetic resources and the creation of automated banks of passport and assessment data of the relevant funds. Thus, Russian gardens have a real opportunity to fully integrate research within the framework of the established information space. It is no coincidence that in March 1997 Petrozavodsk hosted a School-Seminar on Computer Technologies of the International Council of Botanical Gardens for Plant Conservation, in the summer of the same year a meeting “Problems of Greening Northern Cities” was held, and in 2001 a conference dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the garden was held. Strategy of Russian botanical gardens in beginning of III millennium", and in September 2008 - the XII Delegate Congress of the Russian Botanical Society (established in 1916 in Petrograd), convened every five years. Carrying out such significant events for the development of botanical science in Petrozavodsk (and we acted as the host ) - recognition of our work.

Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexey PROKHOROV, Director of the Botanical Garden of Petrozavodsk State University, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Botanical Gardens of Russia; Candidate of Biological Sciences Elena PLATONOVA, Deputy Director of the same garden; Candidate of Biological Sciences Antonina LANTRATOVA, Associate Professor of the Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Petrozavodsk State University