Patres botanici vivunt,
opera eornum immortalia sunt.
Botany’s fathers are not forgetten, their works are immortal 
«Herbarium is higher then any image and is necessary for every botanists».
Carl Linneus «Phylosophy of botany», 1751.

Bondarenko O.Yu., Vasylyeva T.V., Kovalenko S.G.

Herbarium of Novorossian (now Odessa National) university had founded at the same time, as University, in 1865 by first head of Botany department, famous botanist and microbiologist prof. L.S. Tzenkovsky. The beginning of collection connected with Rieshelie Lyceum, which bought the first herbarium, made by professor of natural history A.D. Nordmann. In 1865, this herbarium was given to Botanical Room of University. This time it had 13 thousand specimens.

The enlarging of collection were by University employers’ gathering materials and by buying or receiving as present private collections: L. Rabenchorst (1886), K. Benitz (1884-1889), Ed. Lindemann (1900) etc. Collections of Novorossian (then Odessa’) Society of nature investigators: G.A. Borovikov, N.M. Zelenetsky, V.I. Lypsky, P.S. Shesterikov and others appeared in herbarium too.

By Council of Ministers of Ukraine’ division from 22 September 2004 Herbarium was included to state register of objects, which are the National property of Ukraine. 

In collection, there are uncial specimens from herbarium collections of XVIII-XIX cent., name collections by famous systematics and florists. The typical trait is its embodiment of botanical and local lore culture by Odessa’ University Herbarium and preservation many historical materials.

Herbarium was preserved and filled up during First World War and reorganization of university. During Second World War (Great Patriotic war) part of Herbarium, which had materials about flora of Romania and adjoining territories was taken out to Bucharest. After the war, this part of herbarium returned to university.

Many herbarium specimens injured through the non-comfort conditions of preservation. Some cardboards had the signs of fire, wet, mechanical injuries.

In spite of this herbarium’ materials give us the authentic knowledges about locations of some species in that period. It is very important especially if those locations transformed or absolutely exchanged.

Herbarium consists from such parts: High plants (main fond) – 17000 herbarium specimens (h.s.), Water plants – 5736 h.s., Mushrooms – Rabenchorst exsiccates, Lichen – Rabenchorst exsiccates, Mosses – 1748 h.s. There are also name collections by J.K. Paczosky (8152 h.sh.), E. Lindemann (4000 h.sh.), P.S. Shesterikov (1492 h.sh.), High Women Pedagogical Courses (7540 h.sh.) and botanical garden’ herbarium.

The most valuable is grass book of XVIII cent., which has medical plants of Europe.

Last time in Herbarium worked botanists from Cholodnyi’ Institute of Botany NAS of Ukraine, Franko’ LNU, Institute of Carpathian’s Ecology NASU, National scientific-nature museum of NASU, Grishko’ National Botanical garden, A. Mickiewicz’ Poznan University etc.

On the base of herbarium, there were scientific investigations of post-graduate students and doctorants from scientific establishments of Ukraine and Poland.

Monographs of genus Ornithogalum, Euonymus, Rosa received necessary information and so Romanian colleges (Babes-Bolyai University Cluj Napoca ) – about spreading some species from genus Astragalus on the territory of North-Western Black Sea Shore.

The school and institute teachers have permanent consultations about creating and preservation of herbarium, work with collections.

The elucidative work connected with popularization of knowledges about creation of herbarium collections and possibility to “reconstruction” some places flora in historical aspect, definition of time and places of appearing, materials about places, were live alien species, rare and disappeared species in region. Besides, there is work for trench-trade and description Herbarium’ collectors and investigation their biographies, estimation of their scientific contribution in knowledge of flora of this region, state, other regions, floristic taxon.

Glorious names of herbarium collectors

Literature with mention about collections of Herbarium ONU (MSUD)

Participation of all persons in herbarium is without payment, in community.

Curators of Herbarium:

• Kovalenko Svitlana Georgijvna – assistant professor of Botany department, Ph.D., assistant professor – scientific curator of herbarium
• Bondarenko Olena Yurijvna - assistant professor of Botany department, Ph.D. - manager
• Vasylyeva Tetyana Volodymyrivna - assistant professor of Botany department, Ph.D., assistant professor
• Nazarchuk Yulia Sergijvna - assistant professor of Botany department, Ph.D.
• Nemertsalov Volodymyr Volodymyrovich - assistant professor of Botany department, Ph.D., assistant professor

Address: Shampansky prov. 2, biology faculty, lecture-room 102.
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