Kazakhstan’s Oldest Botanical Garden Receives Long-Awaited Protected Status

Three years ago, Orda.kz reported on the struggle to save Petropavlovsk’s Northern Botanical Garden, which had survived for years without state funding. Officials attempted to sell it to private owners and replace it with a shopping and entertainment complex and water park, but the project failed. In 2018, the garden lost its status as an independent legal entity and became part of a music school. Its staff spent years fighting to restore its independence — and have finally succeeded.

Earlier this year, the botanical garden regained its status as a legal entity. Now, a dendrological park has been established on its grounds and designated a specially protected natural area of local significance.

For years, the garden was formally managed as a division of a music school. This placed its unique botanical collection, historic greenhouses and natural grounds under the authority of an educational institution.

The territory itself also lacked legal protection, meaning that new buildings could theoretically have been constructed there at any time.

Today, the main and truly historic step has been taken. A dendrological park—a specially protected natural area of local significance—has been established on the grounds of the Botanical Garden,North Kazakhstan Region Deputy Akim Zhusup Zhumagulov said.

According to Zhumagulov, the decision gives the territory legal protection from development and creates a basis for separate state funding. It will also allow the garden to restore its scientific work, expand its collections and preserve its unique natural heritage.

A problem that remained unresolved for almost two decades has finally begun to move forward. However, considerable work remains, including major repairs to greenhouses and utility systems, a complete inventory of the plant collection, the creation of a modern research center, the recruitment of botanists and the development of a management system suited to the garden’s new status.

Our task is not simply to preserve the Botanical Garden. Our goal is much broader: to restore the status it deserves and turn it into a full-fledged scientific, educational and tourist center for Northern Kazakhstan—one that can become a source of pride for the region and the entire country,Zhumagulov said.

Botanical Garden Director Arthur Ryazapov said he had spent 15 years continuing the work of his father, who fought to preserve Kazakhstan’s oldest collection of tropical and subtropical plants.

All of this was nearly lost in 2018 during the second wave of privatization. We lost our status as a legal entity, while a sports facility was being built nearby that would have blocked sunlight from reaching the garden. I stopped construction three times and fought to protect the trees, for which I received a severe disciplinary reprimand,Ryazapov said.

He believes Orda.kz’s reporting helped draw attention to the garden, while the situation began to change substantially after Zhumagulov became involved.

I am very glad that 15 years of struggle were not in vain. Our garden will be preserved, and I hope that even 100 years from now, any visitor from Kazakhstan or abroad will be able to come here and enjoy it. We still have five or six years of serious work ahead to resolve all the legal issues and develop the dendrological park, but the most important step has already been taken,Ryazapov said.

Original author: Danil Utyupin

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