Kiev Fomin Botanical Garden: wild and unstructured

In Ukraine's capital, on the edge of Kiev’s business and shopping heart, next to the Taras
Shevchenko University, lies the vast Fomin Botanical Gardens named after botanist Alexander Fomin. Because it’s on about 23 hectares of university land, it is also known as the University’s Botanical Garden.

Established in 1839, it was named after Fomin in 1935. It has a vast collection of local and exotic trees, tropical and subtropical plants, succulents, and aquatic plants, as well as coastal varieties. Most, if not all, sections and greenhouses are connected to ten research departments in the university, so it is a highly active research and seed garden. There’s even a stall owner selling packets of seeds.

Within the Botanical Garden is a museum, established in 1934, which is also a scientific and educational information centre, managed by the university’s Faculty of Biology.

It is exceptionally well visited by locals and tourists, and contains a large amount of benches. It is not a formal garden, but rather rambling and unstructured, with a scarcity of monuments, working fountains, and manicured garden beds. However, it is well shaded due to the magnificently tall trees and shrubbery.

The photographed sculpture is of Kyi, one of the city’s four legendary founders of a Slavic tribe (Kyi, and his younger brothers Shchek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid).

Opposite the entrance to the Botanical Garden on Shevchenka Boulevard is the imposing St. Volodymyr Cathedral, named after Prince Volodymyr the Great of Kiev. Built initially in neo-Byzantine style, and amended over time until it was completed in 1882, it has six-piered, three-apsed temples crowned by seven cupolas.

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