Levko Platonovych Symyrenko: touches to the portrait.

Abstract

The article reveals the most important milestones in the life and work of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist-gardener and pomologist Levko Platonovych Symyrenko, based on archival sources and literature. The author made an attempt to supplement the historical portrait of the great Ukrainian gardener, thanks to which a new branch of agricultural production – industrial horticulture- appeared at the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries in the Russian Empire. It is emphasized that the scientific developments of the genius scientist turned out to be so deep that they withstood a comprehensive test of time and entered the golden treasury of modern industrial horticulture. The assessment of his contribution to the development of domestic horticultural science through Mliiv pomological nursery, founded by him, and the largest in Europe pomological collection of fruit, berry, nut and ornamental crops, which numbered three thousand varieties and forms; use not only scientific developments, but also direct participation in their implementation; providing horticultural farms with seedlings grown in a pomological nursery; substantiation of pomology as a science and the beginning of a new production and biological direction in it, theoretical and practical principles of industrial horticulture and the creation of the first industrial gardens in Ukraine; elaboration of industrial horticulture and orchard technology; breeding, popularization and distribution in Ukraine and the world of the famous apple variety Renet Symyrenko; representation of Ukraine and Russia at all-Russian and international gardening exhibitions; participation in international horticultural forums and receiving high awards; creation of a domestic scientific school of horticulture and nursery science. It is noted that the creative heritage of the scientist is more than 100 scientific works, among which are unique: «General Catalog of Fruit Trees», «Crimean Industrial Horticulture» and the three-volume «Pomology».