The largest botanical garden in Ukraine named after Mykoly Hryshka in Kyiv found himself on the verge of disaster as a result of attacks by the criminal army of the Russian Federation on energy facilities.
Points of attention
- The largest botanical garden in Ukraine, named after Mykoly Hryshka in Kyiv, is in danger of disappearing due to attacks by the Russian army on energy facilities.
- 13,000 rare plant species, including tropical plants, are at risk of death due to power outages and lack of heating caused by the attacks.
- The botanical garden also faces damage from shelling, which threatens the unique plant collections and infrastructure.
- Efforts are being made to address the crisis, including the installation of heat pumps and the need to replace old buildings with better thermal insulation to protect the plants.
- The priority is to ensure the survival of the garden and its 4,000 tropical and subtropical plants through the approaching winter amidst the harsh conditions of war.
What is known about the threat to the existence of the largest botanical garden in Ukraine due to the attacks of the Russian army on energy
It is noted that about 13,000 rare species of trees, flowers and other plants were threatened with death in winter due to strikes by the criminal army of the Russian Federation on energy facilities in Ukraine.
According to Zhanna Yaroslavska, an employee of the botanical garden, a wood-burning stove is used to maintain the required temperature during a power outage in the botanic garden.
In winter, we do it around the clock. Our plants need a constant temperature. They don't like either the cold or the heat, Yaroslavska explains.
How plants in a botanical garden experience the harsh conditions of war and shelling by the Russian army
According to her, the minimum temperature for a collection of bromeliads from America should be 10 °C.
In the worst case, we will lose most of our collection, — warns Roman Ivannikov, head of the department of tropical and subtropical plants.
In particular, unique specimens of orchids grow in the greenhouse of the botanical garden. Last year, three heat pumps were installed here to maintain the temperature at 20-22 °C.
However, the botanical garden does not have backup power in case of long-term power outages.
The Botanical Garden was also damaged as a result of shelling by the Russian occupiers. From time to time, falling debris breaks the glass in the greenhouses. The blast waves also dislodged a piece of the wall and knocked over red-listed plants.
According to Yaroslavska, old buildings should be replaced with new ones that will retain heat better.
Currently, the goal is to ensure that the garden and its 4,000 tropical and subtropical plants survive the coming winter.
