Botanical Garden of Tver State University
 Founded in 1875

Nature and people of diamond purity!

30.07.2021. Nature and people of diamond purity! Our country is immense and so beautiful and spacious that there are not enough words to describe it. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is an amazing land in Russia, unlike any other. With nature, which seems to break all the usual stereotypes, and even earthly physical laws, with people who so sincerely love their land and have become so attached to their land with their hearts that it causes not just respect, but admiration.

At the invitation of the rector of the North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosova, director of the Botanical Garden of Tver State University, Yuri Naumtsev, went to Yakutsk. This work trip was amazingly intense! Botanical Garden of the North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov celebrated its 20th anniversary. On this occasion, an All-Russian conference with international participation “The role of botanical gardens in the preservation and enrichment of natural and cultural flora! It is sincerely pleasant that, first of all, this Conference was attended by specialists from different organizations and corners of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the conversation and exchange of research results was very lively and relevant. One of the most remarkable examples of the new format of botanical conferences was the section of research work of schoolchildren from almost all of Yakutia, which was held on the basis of a remote platform and with the direct participation of children and in real time. Few of the Russian regions can boast of such a versatile, adjusted and conducted at such a high level of research work of schoolchildren in the field of environmental initiatives. This work is supervised by the best scientists of the Sakha Republic. Of course, within the framework of the Conference, there were also speeches by Russian scientists-researchers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kemerovo, Tver, and experts from Japan took part in the forum remotely. Director Yuri Naumtsev's presentation was dedicated to the experience of the Botanical Garden of Tver State University in managing a modern botanical garden and its position in modern society in order to achieve and maintain its sustainability. The conference program included scientific, practical and applied master classes, acquaintance with the work, collections and expositions of two botanical gardens in Yakutsk - the Botanical Garden of the North-Eastern Federal University. M.K. Ammosov and the Botanical Garden of the Institute for Biological Problems of Permafrost, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Within the framework of the Conference, its participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of the only Federal cryo-storage of seeds in our country.

North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosova organized scientific tours for the participants of the Conference to the unique natural communities of Yakutia, in which there was an opportunity to get acquainted with the unique flora of Yakutia, as well as with the geology of this amazing republic. One of these tours introduced the participants of the Conference to such a specific geological formation and landform as Alas. Alas (Yakut. Alaas) is a gently sloping and flat-bottomed oval hollow, typical for flat Yakutia, up to several kilometers in diameter and up to 30 m deep.It is formed by thawing of underground ice (thermokarst), shrinkage of soil and rocks, suffusion, karst, etc. The lowland of the alass is usually swampy or even has lakes, and the slopes are covered with meadow-steppe vegetation. Another tour was organized to the Lena Pillars National Park - a natural site included by UNESCO in the list of Natural Heritage of Humanity. The support of the administration of the Lena Pillars National Park made it possible to organize this trip despite the difficult situation that developed this summer in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), due to an exceptionally dry, rainless summer season and, as a result, large-scale forest fires. Lena Pillars is a unique geological formation on the banks of the Lena River in the Khangalassky ulus of Yakutia. These are rock formations, the height of which reaches 220 meters above the level of the river (absolute mark - up to 321 m), composed of Cambrian limestones. The beginning of the formation of rocks that formed this natural monument is usually dated to the Early Cambrian - 560-540 million years ago. The formation of the Lena Pillars as a form of relief dates back to a much later period - about 400 thousand years ago. The territory of the Siberian platform was subjected to gradual uplift, which resulted in the emergence of faults and the formation of deep river valleys. This led to the activation of karst processes, which, along with the continuing erosional weathering, gave rise to such bizarre and diverse forms of rocks composed of carbonate rocks. Scientists participating in this tour were fortunate enough to get acquainted with the plant communities that are found in the Lena Pillars, many plant species are listed in the Red Books of different levels. Nowhere in the world, except for the Lena Pillars, do such unique plants grow as, for example, Redowskia sophiifolia, which is a narrow-area endemic. Participants of these scientific nature tours had the opportunity to collect plant material - seeds and plant samples of the Yakut flora.

Since the director of the Botanical Garden of Tver State University arrived in Sakha (Yakutia) at the personal invitation of the rector of NEFU. M.K. Ammosov and director of the Botanical Garden of this university, his program of stay in Yakutia continued after the completion of the Conference. As part of the preparation of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Botanical Gardens of Tver State University and the North-Eastern Federal University named after V.I. M.K. Ammosov, a special program for the start of cooperation was developed. Yuri Naumtsev conducted a series of scientific and practical seminars for the employees of the Botanical Garden of the North-Eastern Federal University. Work went on to develop a new mission and development strategy for the Botanical Garden of NEFU, discussed bilateral and international initiatives. Visits to the unique natural objects of Yakutia were continued. Among them are the Buluus glacier on the territory of the Khangalassky ulus, the rocky massif Turuuk Khaya (haya) in the Lena river valley, the Kyurylyur (Yakut. Kurulur) canyon and waterfalls on the Menda river of the Khangalassky ulus of Yakutia, located on the right bank of the Lena in the taiga zone. In addition, expedition trips to the communities of riparian taiga forests along the banks of the Lena River were organized. The collection of plant material continued in natural communities. In total, more than 35 new species of plants of the Yakut flora, including endemic ones, were brought from the natural communities and collections of the Botanical Garden of NEFU to the Botanical Garden of Tver University. Seeds and samples of unique plants of Yakutia will undergo an introduction test in Tver conditions and, if successfully passed, will decorate the exposition of Siberian and Altai plants in the Garden of Soul park.

New alliances that are being born between the botanical gardens of our country once again confirm the uniqueness of communication in this particular community and the special level of personal responsibility of both gardens and each of their employees for the flora and natural communities of their native regions. Such meetings are not only an exchange of experience and mutual learning. This is a lively human communication, which gives hope that the bright and humane goal of which the gardens and the people working in them devote themselves will come true - We will be able to preserve the plants of our Motherland for the harmonious life of people and Nature.

We are sincerely grateful for the invitation and the organization of the trip of the rector of the Northeastern Federal University. M.K. Ammosov Nikolaev Anatoly Nikolaevich and director of the Botanical Garden of this university Natalia Ivanova. We are sincerely grateful to the entire team of the NEFU Botanical Garden. M.K. Ammosov for the cordial welcome, productive work and warm and helpful communication. Thank you for the opportunity of the trip to the team of the Botanical Garden of Tver State University and the Administration of Tver State University.

When good and kind people unite their efforts for important and humane goals, when their hearts beat as one, when their thoughts and thoughts are bright, everything works out. And when around these people the beautiful Nature of their Motherland - life becomes better and more joyful, life takes on a new meaning! Nature and people of diamond purity - this will remain Sakha (Yakutia) in the memory and heart! After all, now we understand that it is not gas, gold or diamonds that are the main wealth of this magical land - but Nature and people! May there always be a clear sky over the land of Sakha, and may the smoke never obscure it, may the unique traditions of unique peoples continue to live on. After all, every corner of our beautiful Russia deserves that Nature and people live in harmony!