Ukraine

We invite you to walk along the paths of one of the pearls of Ukraine’s nature reserve – the Vorzel Reserve. This place is unique not only for its clean air and plant communities but also for its history. It has been a place where lived and worked famous patrons, figures of Ukrainian culture and science, and despite a month of occupation by Russian forces in 2022, active cultural life continues to thrive here to this day. Visitors will witness the beauty of the indigenous flora of Ukrainian Polissia and the Forest-Steppe, and will also have the opportunity to taste tea made from medicinal herbs collected within the reserve.

Syrets Arboretum of national importance is located in the northwestern part of Kyiv
and covers an area of 7.5 hectares. The Arboretum is a scientific-research nature
protection, cultural and educational institution of national significance and is part of the
Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine. Among the plantings of the Syrets Arboretum there
are such exotics as: Taxus cuspidata, planted in 1875, Thuja occidentalis, planted in
1895, and groups of plants planted in 1900: Picea pungens ‘Argentea’, Chamaecyparis
pisifera ‘Filifera’, Picea abies, Acer platanoides ‘Schwedleri’, Tilia euchlora,
Liriodendron tulipifera.
Currently, more than 900 taxons of plants grow in the arboretum, most of which are
introduced from North America, China, Japan, and the Far East.

Another popular model object in plant biotechnology is protoplasts, especially, of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L). Protoplasts are living plant cells that lack a cell wall, which maintains viability in an isotonic solution. Protoplasts are obtained by treating plant tissues (usually leaves) with enzymes from basidiomycete fungi, which dissolve the cell wall. Protoplasts are highly sensitive test systems; under normal conditions, they have an ideal spherical shape, but due to the influence of various factors, the spherical shape is lost, and such cells are considered dead. As is known, plant cells exhibit totipotency – the ability of one cell to regenerate an entire plant organism, making protoplasts a useful object for genetic transformation when other transformation methods are inefficient.

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a popular model object for cytogenetic studies in plant biotechnology, as it has 8 pairs (2n=16) of large chromosomes that are easily visualized using light microscopy methods. To observe onion chromosomes, temporary squash preparations of root tips fixed in a solution of 96% ethanol and glacial acetic acid (3:1) and stained with a 1% solution of acetoorcein should be prepared. This method allows for quantitative and qualitative assessment of the impact of various mutagenic factors or chemical substances on plants by monitoring changes in mitotic and phase indices, as well as the frequency of chromosomal aberrations during mitosis.

Confocal microscopy is an indispensable tool widely used in various fields of biology and biomedicine in state-of-the-art molecular and cellular research. Due to its high resolution, which is tens of times higher than that of light microscopy, this method allows for real-time imaging of cellular organelles and even molecular structures such as microtubule filaments. The high resolution is achieved by illuminating the sample with coherent laser light and blocking out-of-focus rays with a pinhole aperture. Additionally, by scanning the sample in the focal plane from multiple optical sections, it is possible to obtain three-dimensional images of objects. The application of various fluorescent dyes (fluorochromes) that bind to specific molecules enables the analysis of dynamic processes occurring within the cell.

The «Оlexandria» State Dendrological Park of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine is one of the oldest parks in Ukraine, which was established in 1788. The current area of the park is 400.67 hectares. Conifers were introduced into park landscapes from the beginning of the park foundation, and today we admire beautiful, century-old trees – “Family Tree of Counts Branicki” (4-trunk common pine), Weymouth and black pines (“Three Graces”). Common and Canadian spruces, Siberian, European and Japanese larches. Conifers are an ornament of any landscape. Modern collection of conifers of the dendropark “Alexandria” is one of the leading in Ukraine. In 2003, we in the Dendrological Park “Оlexandria” NAS of Ukraine was laid scientific-exposition site “Coniferetum”, where today grow more than 270 taxons of conifers.

Together with an experienced scientist-guide you will plunge into the mysterious world of evergreen plants.

17-18 May 2024 – The “Оlexandria” State Dendrological Park of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine invites you to the cycle of excursions “The World of Plants”. Conifers are the value and decoration of any park or garden. The overwhelming majority of conifers are evergreen plants and due to this fact a park or even a small garden is attractive throughout the year.

Excursions have the purpose to acquaint all interested with the open scientific exposition of the The Dendrological Park “Оlexandria” NAS of Ukraine – “Coniferetum” (area 0,44 ha), where more than 270 taxons of coniferous plants are collected.

During the excursion you will get acquainted with the history of introduction of coniferous plants to the “Оlexandria” dendropark, their shape and colour diversity, learn about the peculiarities of growing conifers in our climate and much more.

During the excursion there will be an opportunity to make a good photo session and take part in the quiz “What do you know about conifers?”.

As part of the 7th International Plant Day in Ukraine and the new field of work “Gardenotherapy”, the employees of the botanical garden have created a cozy corner for rest, relaxation and psychological relief for the general public of visitors. The exposition consists of species and varieties of coniferous, medicinal, spicy-aromatic plants, which differ in habit, texture, colors and aromas. Visitors will also be able to learn interesting facts and various properties of the presented plants from the information boards.

From May 16th to May 18th, 2024, at the Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the IV Conference for Young Scientists “Plant Biology and Biotechnology” will be held. Scientists, students, postgraduates, doctoral students from scientific and educational institutions are invited to participate. After the conference, a collection of abstracts of the conference participants will be published on the website http://ifbg.org.ua/.

An exciting journey through the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden, where cacti and other succulents grow. Visitors will learn about succulents and their adaptive properties, interesting facts related to the discovery of these plants in nature, and their significance for people in the past and present. The collection of cacti and other succulent plants at the Botanical Garden is leading in Ukraine and comprises over 2500 species.

An interesting and informative tour along the scientific section of the Botanical Garden. You will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the collection of woody and herbaceous plants and visit the ornamental fruit garden, where forgotten old varieties of Ukrainian-bred apple trees grow.

We invite you to take part in a scientific workshop dedicated to the development of a protocol for the introduction of valuable woody plants into in vitro conditions.

During the event, you will have the opportunity to:

– Deepen your knowledge of forest biotechnology and how woody plants can be preserved, multiplied and modified in vitro.

– Get acquainted with the technology of obtaining high-quality plants from a tissue fragment under aseptic conditions.

– Participants will learn how to prepare a nutrient medium tailored to the individual characteristics of the plant.

During the workshop, you will also be able to:

– Get acquainted with the structure and areas of activity of the laboratory and examine the in vitro repository of valuable woody plants.

The first area encountered by visitors at the entrance to the Botanical Garden was designed as an exposition of woody plants, with a parterre flowerbed in the center. Over the decade of its existence, the plants in the area have changed in size, with some proving to be less resistant than others. The main goal of caring for the area is to preserve the ideas laid out during its design, create resilient plant groups, and maintain and replenish the collection of plants.

Gymnosperms do not form a specialized organ called a “flower”; their naked seeds lie openly on the seed scale. Therefore, it is terminologically incorrect to consider the time of pollination and fertilization of plants in this group as “flowering.” We will see the prototypes of flowers and fruits in various groups of gymnosperms where their diversity is greatest, in the collection of Rubtsov’s Dendrarium.

The lilac collection of the botanical garden is one of the largest in the world and the most famous collection of living plants in Ukraine. According to the Latin name of the genus Syringa, the place where this collection is located is called the Syringarium. Here you can see almost all described species of lilacs in the world flora and more than 150 varieties of common lilac. The location of the Lilac Garden on terraces descending to the Dnipro River with a view of the domes of the Vydubychi Monastery has created an image that has become a hallmark of Kyiv.

The fascinating journey into the world of tropical and subtropical plants originating from various continents will take place. Unforgettable impressions await you after being acquainted with a 200-year-old Livistona palm, elephant palm, and giant date palms. During the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to see beneficial plants such as noble laurel, European olive, carob tree, feijoa, and many others.

The participants, under the guidance of Andrii Churilov, Associate Professor of the
Department of Botany, Dendrology and Forest Breeding at the National University of Life and
Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, will study the specificity of the forest ecosystem of the
Dzvinkivsky Forest Reserve, a nationally important forest reserve in Ukraine. The research will be
aimed at studying the diversity of flora, their structure and physiology in their natural environment. A
herbarium of indicator plants will also be created to help determine the characteristics and condition of
the ecosystem.

Introduction to the Magnolia Garden of the M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden. The Magnolia Garden was created according to the project of Leonid Rubtsov; it is one of the monospecific gardens of Rubtsov’s Dendrarium, located in a historical area and harmoniously integrated into the relief of the high right bank of the Dnipro River. Magnolias are an ancient group of angiosperms; their flower structure and pollination method are primitive compared to other plant groups.

The oak tree grows in Boyarka forestry and is actually one of the oldest trees on the territory of
the Boyarka Forest Research Station forest fund. Its grandeur is impressive, as its girth at breast height
reaches 4.87 meters. Scientists estimate the age of this natural phenomenon at over 450 years. The area
where this majestic tree grows is also unique. It is a part of the Khodosiv archaeological complex
“Round settlement” – one of the historical and cultural sites on the territory of the forest fund of the
Boyarka Forest Research Station.

The vegetation period is the best time to perform monitoring of the Ukrainian flora.
Today we will tell you about a rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, Jovibarba globifera
(L.) J. Parn. The population of Jovibarba globifera (L.) J. Parn. is a type of small populations that often
consist of often consist of several loci. Its area in the forest fund of Boyarka Forest Research Station is
about 2.0 hectares, which, next to the with the population in Desniansko-Starogutskyi NNP, is one of
the largest known in Ukraine.

For Ukrainians, viburnum is not only a symbol of beauty and happiness, but also of respect. This location symbolizes Ukraine’s love for its brave sons and daughters. As part of the event, viburnum bushes were planted by veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war in memory of the fallen heroes. The “Viburnum Grove” is surrounded by collections of plants of the natural flora of Ukraine