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 On
the 10th of June, 1811, with the active participation of scientist-botanist,
inspector in silkworm breeding on the South of Russia, M.Biberstein,
"The edict of the founding of Imperial botanical garden at
the public cost in the Crimea" was signed in Petersburg. At
that same year near village Nikita (now - settlement Botanitcheskoye)
1012,5 acres of land was bought from landowner Smirnov. M.Biberstein
offered his assistant, 30-years old K.K.Steven, the post of the
manager of the garden. In September 1812 the first plantings were
made. So, the beginning of the modern State Nikita botanical gardens
had been marked. During 14 years of of tireless activity K.K.Steven,
nicknamed afterwards "Nestor of Russian botanists", had
gathered more than 450 species, hybrids and kinds of plants, practically
from all the countries of the world.
In the Lower Park of the garden grows Californian oak (it cannot
be met anywhere else in our country), and in the Seaside Park there
are the most heat-loving trees and shrubs: myrtle, pheyhoa, orchidaceous
tree, hamerops (palmetto). In Nikitsky garden there are also Allepian
pine-tree, Numidian (Algerian) silver-tree, grass-leaved Californian
oak and Arizonian cypress, Virginian juniper and the only specimen
of "iron tree" (Persian parottiya) in Nikitsky garden.
The tree reaches the height of 6 metres, has the crown of broad-oval
leaves, which take pink-orange coloration in autumn.
The excursion about Nikita gardens begins in the Upper Park, where
along the slilfully put into shape alleys, one can meet the plantations,
the species of which were delivered from all the continents of the
Earth: bamboo from Nothern China, evergreen stone oak, powerful
trees of silver fir, platan, gigantic sequoiadendron (Wellingtonia).
In this part of the garden 500-years old berry-like yew grows, reminding
of the former local relic forests.
The Lower Park is the most old part of the garden, it was founded
in the first half of the 19th century. Here, the olive-tree grove,
laid more than 160 years ago, attracts visitors' attention. There
are other heat-loving plants: fig-tree, medlar, persimmon. The old
trees of microcarpous (small-fruited) strawberry-tree (red strawberry-tree),
entered in the International Red book, are the most intresting ones.
The next, the Seaside Park, is the best protected by neighbouring
mountain crests, the climat is milder here, and that is why the
most heat-loving evergreens are presented in this part of the garden:
various palm-trees, cedar and osmantuses, mastic pistachio-tree,
numerous brightly blooming subtropical shrubs.
On the both sides of the Seaside Park two more interesting objects
of Nikitsky garden are situated. Eastwards - there is reserve "Cape
Martyan", where rare trees, shrubs and grasses grow in virgin
conditions - 500 species - and this wealth is situated on 120 hectares
of the dryland reserve. This reserve is the natural laboratory for
the scientists, working in the garden, that is why, it is closed
for mass excursions.
Westwards to the Seaside Park, nearer to Yalta, another park is
situated on Cape Ay-Todor, where aboriginal species - downy oak,
tall juniper - grow together with relic coniferous exotic plants:
numerous species of pine-tree from different countries of the world,
metasequoia with gentle, falling for the winter, pine-needles. Here
one can also admire the plantings of Pitzund pine-tree, natural
plantations of which on the Southern Coast, were preserved only
at Cape Aya in the west and in Novy Svet in the east. An old grove
of Wellingtonia, plantings of cypress, gutta-percha-tree and other
exotic plants astonish visitors.
Nikitsky garden is the place, which one would
like to visit more than once. And each time one will be able to
discover new and new details. It is like a museum, where great masters'
works are preserved. Here, the nature has played the part of such
a master. And a man made this beauty accessible for everyone, gave
it the worthy framework, planted a tree, from which the spring honey
fragrance suddenly wafts in your face in november, built bridges
over brooks and ponds, and fascinating observation grounds.
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