Arboretum in Sochi

Arboretum in Sochi is a real green oasis, a true pearl of the Russian subtropics, which contains over 1800 rare and exotic plants brought here from different parts of our planet. In addition, the arboretum is home to a large number of rare birds and animals. Such a unique collection of flora and fauna, harmoniously coexisting, has brought this park world fame.

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Video: Sochi Arboretum

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Highlights

Being one of the most beautiful places in Sochi, the Arboretum, which is a monument of garden and park art, is among the most visited in the resort city, spread on the Black Sea coast. Whether you are a tourist or a businessman who came to meet with partners, a major researcher or an ordinary resident of the neighborhood, who decided to visit relatives at the weekend – almost everyone finds time in his schedule to visit this place. And even if you are not interested in botany and zoology in your everyday life, you will definitely like it in the arboretum. There is no need to doubt it, because Sochi Arboretum is more than just a zone of wildlife. On its territory you can walk, relax and take pictures, enjoying the beauty, and even organize light picnics with family and friends.

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The Sochi Arboretum has themed gardens, which allows visitors to better recognize the presented plants and understand what families they belong to. And also this unique place on the map of southern Russia is famous for its impressive views of mountain ranges and the sea. The amazing panorama opens up from the top of Lysaya Gora, on the slope of which the park is actually located. There is a ropeway leading to the mountain, and it is a pleasure to take a ride on it! Taking into account that Sochi is located in the subtropical belt, the arboretum is open for visiting throughout the year, and each season is beautiful in its own way. But to get into its atmosphere, epithets alone, even the most accurate ones, will not be enough – you have to come here and see everything with your own eyes.

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History of the Arboretum in Sochi

The history of the arboretum in Sochi, this green treasure trove of southern Russia, dates back to 1889. Its founder is a lawyer by training, a graduate of Moscow University, Sergei Nikolaevich Khudekov, who deserves to dwell on his life path in detail.

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He was a famous personality, but not in his university specialty. Khudekov became famous among his contemporaries as a journalist and a theatergoer, what is called, with a dramaturgical bias. Sergey Nikolaevich began his literary activity in 1860, while still in the army, from the ranks of which he was demobilized nine years later with the rank of major. He was also known as the author of the four-volume book “History of Dance”, a number of novels and plays, several ballet librettos, including the one written for the ballet “La Bayadere”. It was he who from August 1, 1871 became publisher of the “Petersburg newspaper”, which he acquired from the previous owner Ilya Alexandrovich Arsenyev. Under Khudekov, the publication began to be published every day, and the circulation increased fivefold.

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Being an extraordinary man – as they say, a talented man is talented in everything – Sergei Nikolaevich channeled his irrepressible energy into his hobby of gardening. In the mid-80s of the century before last, he joined the Imperial Society of Gardeners, entering in 1889 in its governing structures. Two years later he bought an estate in the village of Yerlino, Ryazan province, on the territory of which he laid out a huge green park – an arboretum. At the All-Russian exhibition of wildlife, which was held in Nizhny Novgorod in 1896, Khudekov collected a large harvest of awards: he was awarded four gold and one bronze medal. The labors of the outstanding journalist-gardener did not go unnoticed and at a similar world exhibition in 1900 the estate in Erlino was again awarded a prestigious medal. Unfortunately, the park and buildings of Khudekov’s Ryazan estate have not survived in their original form, and nowadays work is underway to restore them. But there is already a museum named after him there.

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In addition to his main activity, Sergei Nikolayevich was also fond of collecting. In particular, on the history of ballet: his collection of artifacts in the scale of Moscow was the second largest, second only to the collection of the theater museum A. A. Bakhrushin. He also created a gallery of fine arts, which contains paintings by Russian artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This treasury of art was considered one of the best in the country. It presented paintings of such outstanding painters as N. S. Shustov, K. E. Makovsky, I. K. Aivazovsky, K. P. Brullov, N. K. Roerich and some others. At the same time – it is amazing how everything had enough time – this all-round talented man, a real nugget, was engaged in active social and political activity not only in St. Petersburg, but also in the hinterland, in Ryazanshchina.

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Well, now let’s focus on the history of the arboretum in Sochi. Khudekov laid out his park on 15 hectares. As a model were taken terraced gardens, executed in the best French and Italian traditions. He worked in cooperation with his friend Karl Avgustinovich Lamgau, a famous gardener and landscape architect. They were actively assisted by Sergei Anatolievich Kostarev, who was Khudekov’s nephew. Initially, more than two hundred species of subtropical plants were planted on this huge area, thanks to which the Sochi Arboretum could compete with other parks and botanical gardens in the country in terms of beauty and richness. By 1917, the family of plants represented here had more than doubled, reaching 550 species. Subtropical vegetation was imported to the arboretum from other regions of the Caucasus, the Crimean Peninsula, and gardens in Germany. Many specimens were taken from the garden in the city of Gagry, which belonged to Prince Oldenburgsky.

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A true decoration of the natural park was the villa “Hope”, built in 1899. The estate was named in honor of Nadezhda Alekseevna Khudekova, the wife of Sergei Nikolaevich (maiden name Strakhova). Plum and peach orchards were laid out next to the building. Over time, this unique oasis was decorated with pretty pavilions, sculptures, fountains and vases made by the masters of the St. Petersburg firm of F. K. San-Galli. In 1921, the Soviet authorities “got their hands” on the park and nationalized it in favor of the state. Ten years later it was officially given its current name: Arboretum. In 1933-1934 in Sochi laid Stalin Avenue (today – Kurortny) and as construction progressed Khudekovsky Park was forced to split into two parts. The division into Upper and Lower Parks is still in place today.

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Since 1944, it was transferred to the departmental subordination of the Forest Research and Experimental Station, later transformed into the Research Institute of Mountain Forestry and Forest Ecology. The 60-70s of the last century was a period of rapid development of the Sochi Arboretum. It was enriched with new plantings, additional landscape gardens and fresh examples of park sculptures. The famous ropeway, which we recalled at the very beginning, was laid in 1977. The length of this “highway” leading from Kurortny Prospekt to the “top” of Bald Mountain is 908 meters. And already in our time, namely in 2012, the unique brainchild of Sergei Khudekov became part of the Sochi National Park.

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Sochi Arboretum today

If we compare what the arboretum was at the time of its foundation and what it has become now, it is obvious that over the past 128 years it has been transformed beyond recognition. First, almost tripled its area – from 15 to 49 hectares. The collection of plants has been enriched considerably. There are 1860 pine trees alone – this large collection covers 76 species. The largest collection of palms in our country is also located in the Sochi Arboretum and is represented by 24 species. There are 80 species of oaks, as well as cypresses and other rare plants of the subtropical belt. Separate corners of the park are grouped by region: one contains plants of the Caucasus, another – the Mediterranean, the third – Japan, and also .

Currently, the arboretum in Sochi is the largest and best-maintained park located on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. It is also the most landscaped. Its wide green strip seems to cut the city across. The Arboretum is one of the resort’s business cards, introducing tourists to rare representatives of flora and at the same time creating a unique atmosphere of rest. Many of the small architectural forms presented here, namely 17 objects, are included in the federal list of monuments of architecture and urban planning. All this natural-architectural idyll is perfectly complemented by numerous ponds located on the territory of the arboretum, pearl shimmering waters which not only delight the eye, but also, if you watch them for a long time, soothe.

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The Upper part of the park is mountainous, and the Lower part is flat. On the territory of the latter, there is even a whole aquarium, which is inhabited by “natives” of the Red Sea. If we talk about the arboretum as a whole, it remains an important experimental base of the Research Institute of Mountain Forestry and Forest Ecology. Exotic plants, which make up unique collections of botanical gardens in the Carpathian region, Romania, Czech Republic, Central Asia and many other countries and regions, were tested on the basis of this research institution. Over a thousand samples of seeds of rare plants are sent from here to different parts of the world every year. Sochi is not left out: exotic plants from the nursery of the arboretum are regularly received for landscaping of the city itself.

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The beauty of the arboretum begins to admire the central entrance, which forms a beautiful rotunda. In the Upper Park tourists usually stop at the bust of the founder of all this beauty – Sergey Nikolaevich Khudekov, trying to penetrate the personality of this amazing man, whose deep talent and his versatile interests do not cease to amaze even today. The southern gate of the arboretum is located in the Lower Park, near the marine aquarium, and overlooks the Sukhumi highway, to the Black Sea coast.

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Separately it should be said about the cable car, which runs above the park at a height of 135 meters. Running on it carriage holds 25 people, the cost of travel from Kurortny Prospekt to the top of Bald Mountain, that is, on the slope of the Upper Park, is 250 rubles. From here you can see a magnificent panorama of the Sochi Arboretum and its main attractions. Their inspection usually begins as you descend down from the observation deck of the upper station of the cable car. From the central entrance of the arboretum runs an electric car. It provides easy access to the north side of the Upper Park for an additional fee.

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Attractions

Palm trees and cycads, lotus and magnolias, bamboo and cypresses, roses and agaves, large-leaved garden hydrangea and Himalayan cedar, eucalyptus and Caucasian fir, Algerian cork oak and Japanese kalina – and this is by no means a complete list of what makes up the golden fund of the Arboretum in Sochi today. Especially among the greenery of the park stands out pomegranate, its fruits look like New Year decorations. Tourists are happy to visit and a luxurious alley of palm trees, which is called the “Alley of Mayors”. The tropical trees growing here were planted between 1973 and 1992 by the heads of Sochi’s sister cities and heads of foreign missions in Russia.

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Of equal interest is the rose garden of the Sochi Arboretum, which contains bush, park and tea-hybrid roses – a total of 70 species. The rose garden is decorated with wooden figures of fairy-tale characters, which make every traveler smile, reminding of the distant land of childhood. Especially green oasis, which is sometimes called a city in the city, charms in the summer, intoxicating fragrance of flowers, the fragrance of which you want to inhale full breast.

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As already mentioned, the flora collection is grouped by thematic departments and geography. In addition to Caucasian, Chinese, Mediterranean, Australian, Japanese and American plants are represented samples of the flora of the Far East, New Zealand, the Himalayan region, the European continent, Mexico.

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It is very interesting to visit and in the center of the new exposition complex, which is called “Garden of Continuous Blooming” (by the way, the rose garden is a part of it). Another exotic visit to the park is such an unusual plant as the beautifully tychinnik. Its evergreen shrubs are represented here by ten species. They are easily recognizable due to their unusual buds of iridescent colors that open in the form of sparkling fireworks. Pretty shrubs usually bloom at the end of May and are considered the harbingers of summer.

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The park architecture of the arboretum in Sochi deserves special attention. In addition to the already mentioned rotunda with its snow-white staircases, Villa “Hope” and the monument to Sergei Nikolaevich Khudekov, visitors’ attention is attracted by the central fountain “Cupids”, fountain “Fairy Tale”, Moorish Arbor, ensemble “Morning” and the Viewground. The dominant feature of the entire garden and park composition of the arboretum is the fountain “Cupids” by sculptor P. Capellaro. Next to it there are two sculptures: “Running Roman Woman” and “Roman with a Sword”. To the Villa “Hope” from this fountain is a beautiful staircase, framed by a string of antique flower vases. At the end of the staircase is a terrace with the architectural ensemble “Morning.”

Behind the former family nest of the Khudekovs is a walkway, in turn framed by a wall, the sculptural decoration of which is simply luxurious. Here we see palm trees in tubs stylized as towers. The villa itself is equipped with an observation tower and a balcony-staircase. The museum of the arboretum’s founder is now working in the building of the manor. On the open veranda of the villa in the summer are organized exhibitions of paintings.

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Very beautiful growing in Sochi arboretum Kashmir cypress. Its lush green hair frames the fountain “Fairy Tale” by sculptor V. F. Bogatyrev, and all this idyll really looks like a real magic! The more so because the architectural composition of the fountain is based on the images of the heroes of the immortal “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by Alexander Pushkin. In the heart of the composition you can see the “Swan Princess” 4 meters high, cast from white stone. And the Moorish Arbor, equipped with tall columns and a spherical dome, as if takes visitors to the Arabian East. The entrance to it is “guarded” by bronze lions.

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In the lower zone of the central part of the natural park there is a whole cascade of ponds with a thematic mosaic “Mother and Child”. On the left side of the fountain “Cupids” there are two unlike each other pools: the winding “Sink” and attracting attention with giant water lilies “Bather”. It is pleasant to be here in the summer heat, because these artificial pools saturate the air with much-needed moisture.

There is a suspension bridge in the arboretum, it is arched, and leads to attractions such as the Glade of Gnomes and tile Dolmen. The latter is a relatively recent addition to the Upper Park, since 2012. And here you can see white vultures in the distance. I wonder where they are? Turns out they’ve climbed the parapet of the Puerari Gazebo.

On the palm alley there are not only palm trees of various species, but also other plants. True, many tourists, not particularly oriented in biology, confused that the information signs with the indication of species are not everywhere, but the overall impression is still positive – after all, in front of the eyes appears such beauty! At some distance from the alley there are two groves – eucalyptus and sequoia, as well as a greenhouse, two aviaries – with parrots and ostriches, a grotto, a drinking water cistern and other interesting places. The aviaries with ostriches and parrots, as well as the third one with peacocks, are especially popular with children. As you can see, the evergreen natural oasis is harmoniously complemented by representatives of fauna. On the territory of the park there is also a “Butterfly Garden”, ponds with pelicans and swans.

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Opening hours

The Arboretum in Sochi is open for visiting at any time of the year, as most of the flora available here are evergreen subtropics. Ticket offices of the natural park open at 9:00 and work until 18:00. There are no breaks or weekends.

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The greenhouse exhibition hall opens its doors at 10:00 am and welcomes visitors until 17:00 with a lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00. Two weekends are set, Monday and Friday.

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The flower pavilion, located between the rotunda at the main entrance and the service entrance, can be visited any day, it is open without breaks and weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. The Southern Crops Dendrology Park opens an hour earlier and is also open until 6pm.

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How to get there

The closest districts of Sochi to the arboretum are Adler, Matsesta and Khosta. From here to the park can be reached both by shuttle bus and by cab (stop “Circus”). For many people it comes as a surprise that a trip by bus is more expensive than by marshrutka (it would seem that it should be the other way around), so when making your choice in favor of one or another means of transportation, do not forget about this point. Also it should be remembered that drivers of both buses and marshrutkas do not always brake at stops without the demand of passengers. This means that it is better to be reinsured and ask the driver in advance to stop where you need. Another inconvenience is overcrowding of minibuses in the evening. On the plus side, we note that all stops in Big Sochi have maps of public transportation routes, which are easy to navigate, and you will have no problem choosing a suitable route for yourself.

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It is somewhat difficult to get to the natural park for those who stay in Loo or Lazarevsky. However, there is a chance to use the high-speed electric train “Lastochka”, which runs on the route Tuapse – Olympic Park. This electric train is really very fast, but it does not run as often as you would like, so before boarding and disembarking be sure to clarify when the next train will be.

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You can walk to the Sochi Arboretum, if you go from the train station. The route is just over 3 kilometers long and will take 30-40 minutes.

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