The concept of a city garden originated in the 19th century and has since become an integral part of harmonious urban living. Inspired by traditions from England and Europe, this idea significantly influenced art, architecture, and fashion. Throughout Kyiv’s history, various gardens—monastic, parks, and squares—served as places of restoration, inspiration, and connection to nature, supporting the cultivation of valuable plants and cultural greenery. Over time, this tradition expanded to include notable sites such as the Krister Garden, Fomina Botanical Garden, Hryshko Botanical Garden, Merchant’s Gathering Garden, Meringa Estate, Sirets Dendropark, Volodymyrska Hill, Tsarsky Garden, Shevchenko Park, Zolotoverhyi Square, Rose Valley, Anosiv Garden, and Tershenko Estate Greenhouse. These spaces became gifts to the city, fostering its integration with the natural environment and inspiring generations.
A garden is a microcosm, a human-made landscape shaped by individual imagination but continuously enhanced by nature’s physical processes, bringing it to life. Observing this miniature universe reveals a unique ecosystem: bees, butterflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies—create a lively, self-sufficient environment. Every plant, tree, vegetable—pumpkins, zucchinis, cabbage, carrots, eggplants, and fruits—forms a lush, vibrant jungle that nurtures new life each year.
The exhibition features paper appliqué art created with gouache, forming multilayered compositions. These works captivate with vivid colors and textured depth, revealing small scenes of nature—bees landing on flowers, pollen gatherers, tiny water circles, and insects flying from flower to flower— evoking theatrical moments that unfold before the viewer’s eyes.
Additionally, textile prints in various techniques highlight stylized botanical motifs, used in furniture and fashion embroidery. This approach echoes the decorative use of plant imagery from the 18th century, which is experiencing a modern return. The exhibition also showcases upcycled pieces—repurpose
KRISTER
GARDENS
Wilhelm Krister created a luxurious garden in Kyiv, called the ‘Garden of Paradise,’ with exotic plants. Today, the park of the same name is located there, with remnants of ancient trees and ponds. After Wilhelm Krister's death in 1890, his sons continued his work and opened a gardening shop on Khreshchatyk, in the very heart of the capital. Over time, Krister's nursery supplied fruit and ornamental plant seedlings not only to private gardeners, but also to parks in Kyiv and Europe! In addition to dozens of varieties of apples, pears, cherries, peaches, and apricots, the famous gardener managed to plant a large vineyard on the outskirts of Kyiv, as well as grow melons and watermelons there. All this love for nature and his work inspired him to create fabrics and wallpaper with plant ornaments and patterns.
TRAUTFETTER
GARDEN
Rudolf Trautfechter, head of the botany department at Kyiv University, oversaw the planting of a garden on vacant land and hills near the university in 1839. From 1908 to 1913, a zoo was located on the territory of the botanical garden. It was later named after Alexander Fomin, director of the garden from 1914 to 1935. In the mid-19th century, a greenhouse complex was built for collections of tropical and subtropical plants. And in 1977, a greenhouse was built - a climatron - one of the largest in the world at that time. This unique place is a real paradise garden in the very centre of the city, which transports you to heavenly corners and inspires you every day. A series of fabric and wallpaper patterns dedicated to this garden
GRISHKO
BOTANICAL GARDEN
The idea of creating a botanical garden originated in the autumn of 1918. Its scientific foundations were developed by the world-renowned florist, traveller, and expert on botanical gardens around the world, one of the first presidents of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Volodymyr Lypsky. It was he who substantiated the idea of such a botanical garden, outlined its structure and areas of activity. The Greenhouse Complex features exhibitions and collections of exotic tropical and subtropical plants: azaleas and camellias, an orchidarium, tropical and subtropical fruit crops, cacti and other succulents. One of the decorative collection and exhibition areas of the botanical garden, its unique feature, is the Lilac Garden (Syringarium).
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MERING
GARDEN
The name comes from the estate of F. F. Merin, a professor of medicine at Kyiv University, which in the second half of the 19th century was located between what are now Khreshchatyk, Gorodetsky, Lutheran and Bankova streets. Merin's garden quickly became one of the most popular places for walks among Kyiv residents. with greenhouses, vegetable gardens, vineyards, and a pond with a bathing house, which turned into a skating rink in winter.
The former Mering estate was transformed into an architecturally remarkable residential area, which was unofficially named ‘Kyiv Paris’ by Kyiv residents [19], becoming a popular place among the creative bohemian crowd. Prints dedicated to the historic
Mering garden
