Where history left its mark

   Research of activities and art of scientists who worked selflessly during the historical development of Uman National University of Horticulture are of particular importance for learning, education and training of present and future generations.

   Among the names of outstanding scientists, renowned both in Ukraine and abroad, who worked at our university – scientist-gardener, Academician Vasyl Pashkevych, chief gardener of  “Queen’s garden” and teacher of horticulture in Uman Specialized School of Agriculture and Horticulture in 1885-1892 .

   The materials of the International Horticultural Exhibition, which was held in St. Petersburg in 1894, help us to discover that Vasyl Pashkevych as a horticulture specialist at the Department of Agriculture was invited to assist Head of the Ministerial Department,  Professor O. Rudzkyy in the organization of exhibition. In the catalog was noted: “In the organization of  department also took an active part the representatives of Uman Specialized School of Agriculture Yu. Lantskyy and N. Lapin”. Yu. Lantskyy graduated in 1881, and  N. Lapin graduated in 1886 –  pedagogues, scholars who have made a significant contribution to the horticultural business.

   Uman Specialized School of Agriculture was presented in the exposition near the Imperial St. Petersburg Botanical Garden, Moscow Agricultural Institute and Imperial Nikitsky Garden. It should be noted that the representatives of the Imperial Nikitsky Garden  were:

• director P. Ancyferov, former inspector of Uman Specialized School of Agriculture and Horticulture;
• botanist-gardener V. Skorobyshevskyy – former teacher of horticulture at the Specialized School and a chief gardener of  “Queen’s garden”  before appointment on this post of  V. Pashkevych;
• F. Kalayda – a chief gardener and subsequently director of  Nikitsky Botanical Garden (graduate of Specialized School of 1885);
• chief winemaker S. Ohremenko (graduate of Specialized School of 1881), founder of the National School of  Viticulture.

   On the exhibition Pashkevych presented hektographic papers, made during his tenure as a teacher of Horticulture at Uman Specialized School of Agriculture and Horticulture:

• The theory of horticulture;
• Plant pathology;
• Floriculture;
• Culture of molded fruit trees.

   As a separate exhibit Pashkevych presented a research of students on the cultivation of vegetable crops collected in 28 copybooks. Pupils of  third grade in summer on alloted land plots conducted researches on vegetable cultivation: “Every pupil kept watch over their garden beds and was writing on his topic. Every disciple in presence of  lecturer presented to all other pupils his composition, which was subjected to the general discussion, and then some of  the listeners, at the direction of teacher, must repeat the information of the comrade”.

   The best student’s works  were published in the special publications, namely:

• Barashko S. Culture of  leeks. Newspaper of  Russian agriculture. №№ 17, 18 for 1890 (Semen Barashko – graduate of 1891).
• Korol’ko M. Russian or horse beans. Agriculture. №№21, 23-25 for 1890 (Mykola Korol’ko – graduate of 1892).
• Honcharuk T. Onion plants (except onions). Russian horticulture. №№ 19, 20 for 1889 (Tymophiy Honcharuk – graduate of 1891, afterwards Tymophiy Honcharuk-Bida – director of  Uman Specialized School of Agriculture and Horticulture in 1911-1914).
• Siderskyy K. Artichoke. Russian horticulture. №24 for 1889 (Kazymyr Siderskyy – graduate of 1891).
• Khackevych S. Seaweed. Russian horticulture. №№4, 6 for 1889 (Information about the student is not found).

   Equally interesting is the fact that the exhibition included works of  V.Pashkevych, written during his stay in Uman:

• About the preparation of fruit wines. (Reprint of article from the Newspaper of  Horticulture for 1886).
• Berry wines. (Reprint of article from the Newspaper of  Horticulture for 1887).
• Strawberries (by Charles Baltet). Edition of the newspaper “Gardening” for 1888.
• Pineapple Culture. St. Petersburg., 1889. Ownership of the author.
• Plum (by Charles Baltet). Edition of the newspaper “Gardening” for 1890.
• Raspberries (by Charles Baltet). Edition of the newspaper “Gardening” for 1890.
• Peach (by Charles Baltet). Edition of the newspaper “Gardening” for 1892.

   Also the exhibition included works of  V. Pashkevych, which was published in 1894:

• The culture of medicinal plants. Ed. A. Devrien, 1894.
• Hazelnuts and its culture. Edition of the newspaper “Gardening”, 1894.
• Uman Queen’s Garden. Reprint of the article from the Imperial Newspaper. Russian Society of Horticulture. – St. Petersburg., 1894.
• About derivation of formed decorative plants in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Reprint of the article from the Imperial Newspaper. Russian Society of Horticulture. – St. Petersburg., 1894.

   Besides, V. Pashkevych presented a collection of fruit, collected in participants of Voronezh Agricultural Exhibition and apples, dried on the dryer of  Rider.

   The exhibition displayed watercolor images of fruits, made by chief gardener of  “Queen’s garden” Yu. Lantskyy. The author represented 63 varieties of apples, 44 varieties of pears,  21 variety of plums, 14 varieties of cherries, 5 varieties of peaches, 2 varieties of strawberries, 5 varieties of gooseberries. Unfortunately, the fate of exhibits is unknown.

   Certainly, the specialized school was the best institution that prepared highly trained professionals of the agricultural branch for Tsarist Russia. Representatives of scientists cohort who worked at the specialized school, made a significant contribution to the development of horticultural branch. Modern representatives of Uman National University of  Horticulture are worthily continuing a good work of predecessors by numerous scientific papers, conduction of international conferences, organization of exhibitions and participation in them and in seminars on the problems of agricultural science and education.

Iryna Honcharenko,  Deputy Head of

Research Library of  Uman National University of Horticulture