When the Great World War of 1941-1945 came to an end, the Botanical garden which subsequently became the largest in Europe was opened. It happened on 14 April 1945, one month prior to the end of war, at the initiative of the world known scientist Nikolay Tsitsin whose name was entitled to the Botanical garden.
The garden is located in the northern part of Moscow. In the 16th century this area was known as a park zone, and an English park was laid out here with five artificial ponds on its territory. Thus, the district was gradually improved, turning from a dense treacherous grove into the ordered park for walks. Moscow grew, and gradually this green zone came out of the city boundaries.
To mention, another Botanical garden called Pharmaceutical kitchen garden was found long before the opening of the Tsitsin Botanical garden. It was established in 1706 by order of Peter I for cultivation of herbs. Later this garden was purchased by the Moscow State University and exists to the present day as the Botanical Garden under the Moscow State University.
For its considerably short history, the modern State Botanical Garden had time to grow, and now occupies the area of 331.5 hectares, what makes it the largest botanical garden of Europe. It contains the exhibition of over 16,000 species and types of plants, part of the flora of Russia, CIS, South and North Americas, Africa and Asia.
Also in the Botanical garden is used to carry out scientific research when the scientists study the bases of plants survival rate in an unnatural for them climate and select new species. Besides it, Tsitsin Botanical garden is a donor bank of plants for other botanical gardens of Russia and the CIS countries.
