The Warmth of Human Hands: Who Turns the Academy’s Botanical Garden into a Blooming Oasis

Administrator 9 September 2026 16:00

They say that a botanical garden is, first and foremost, plants: rare collections, ancient trees, seasonal flowering. But behind every blooming orchid, every perfectly trimmed lawn, and every engaging excursion are people.

Here, it’s not just a staff of employees, but a truly cohesive team in which there are no random people. Those who come here are people for whom plants are not just a “green fund,” but living beings that require attention, patience, and sincere love. Everyone is in their place: from the agronomist who knows the history of every rare sapling, to the maintenance worker whose hands remember the warmth of every bed.

This place is sustained by the enthusiasm of those who are willing to arrive before the workday begins to check the temperature in the greenhouses, and to stay late if a capricious exotic flower decides to open its buds at that very moment. There are no indifferent people in the team, and it is this shared passion that turns the natural space into a true oasis where every visitor feels like a welcome guest.

Today we decided to peek behind the scenes of this “green magic” and tell you about the people who make our botanical garden a little more beautiful every day.

Photo: Tatiana Shvedovskaya – the senior employee – has worked as an agronomist for more than 43 years. When asked what brought her to this amazing place, Tatiana Vladimirovna answered without hesitation:

– In the 1980s, there was still the concept of all-Union distribution. Our ninth group of agronomy faculty members dispersed to various places – Russia

– For me, of course, it's the summer when the garden is full of colors, aromas, and sounds. Spring and autumn are also wonderful, and in winter we don't feel bored; we maintain sanitary order in the dendropark. All year round, work under the open sky keeps going. And my whole life flows in motion.

Olga Surnovich started working as an agronomist 13 years ago after graduating from the Agro-Environmental Faculty of BGSHA. Since childhood she liked garden and vegetable work, flower beds, which determined her choice.

– Is there a corner in the botanical garden or a plant that you regard with particular tenderness?

– A difficult question… For me, all plants are special, each loved in its own way.

– Surely over all this time you have accumulated personal experience and secrets for plant care that you use at home?

– Of course, there are such secrets. After all, we experiment

– All the plants are absolutely beloved! I treat them like children, with care and tenderness. In a large family you can't love and single out just one child, and it's the same here.

– Are there plants in the greenhouse whose properties can truly surprise an ordinary person?

– Many plants can surprise. For example, here's the quaker fern, which looks like a pine but is actually a flowering plant, and its wood is even used for yacht trim, furniture making, and more. We grow pineapples here, and the monster plant bears its beautiful fruit. By the way, it's currently fruiting. And look at the shy mimosa—just touch it and it immediately folds its leaves!

– Are there professional plant‑care secrets that the botanical garden staff use at home, but ordinary hobby gardeners are largely unaware of?

– In fact, there are many such secrets, but I have few plants at home. I have an entire greenhouse at work! Each plant has its own advice. When people ask about a particular flower, we of course share little secrets about rooting and care. And we explain that home conditions often don't match the “subtropical and tropical” conditions of the greenhouse.

– Has anyone among the visitors tried to secretly “pluck” a twig of a unique citrus or rare flower to grow it at home?

– Of course, there have been. And it's sad and unpleasant, because you can ask. And with a cutting or twig in hand, we never refuse. Especially those who can share something from their own home collection

Come here any time of year – in winter for the cozy warmth of the greenhouse, in spring and summer for the riot of colors and scents, and in autumn for golden quiet inspiration. And, as you walk past the lush flowerbeds or ancient trees, don’t forget to mentally say 'thank you' to those thanks to whom this green world was created and continues to bloom and develop!

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