Tucked away behind a cluster of buildings at the corner of busy Prospekt Mira and Grokholsky Pereulok is Moscow's very own garden of Eden. Founded in 1706 by Peter the Great as a place to grow medicinal herbs for study by medical students, today the Moscow State University Apothecary's Garden is the perfect place to forget the stresses of the city. The garden's compact, 1,000-square-meter territory features more than 2,000 varieties of trees and shrubs, including Russia's oldest willow and a tree planted by Peter the Great himself. The garden also features an orangerie with a collection of tropical and subtropical plants, several fish ponds and a childrens' playground. The garden's employees, many of whom are professional botanists, lead educational excursions around the property for the general public on the weekends. There are also occasional evening excursions. The schedule can be found on the garden's web site. From July 10 until September 15, the garden will host pieces from the International Festival of Sand Sculpture. Interestingly, for a place with so much history, tickets to the Apothecary's Garden are sold through touch-screen machines that work much like the average mobile phone pay terminal. But tickets are available for the decidedly old-fashioned prices of 50 rubles for adults, 10 rubles for children.
Moscow State University Apothecary's Garden
26 Prospekt Mira
Tel. 680-5880; 680-6765
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., last entrance at 6:30 p.m.
www.hortus.ru
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our
Privacy Policy.
