Feb 05, 2011: The keepers of the Leningrad Botanical Garden did not abandon the plants even during the war blockade of 1941. People were starving and ate any organic matter they could find, direct bombings killed 80 % of the collection… But the botanists patiently guarded what left, and after the war they restored and expanded the collection. And they are still doing it now, in spite of the fact that poor financing turns almost every winter into a hard battle. Recently they managed to get understanding from the St. Petersburg government that the unique collection needs it`s greenhouses to be repaired, but Matvienko expressed doubts about the sum they need — 300 mln RUR — and thus there will be some review process… Let`s wish the scientists success in this hard struggle…

Photo by Andrei Katrovskiy

St. Petersburg Botanical Garden

genus Rhododendron