Description of the attraction
City garden named after T. Shevchenko is one of the oldest parks in Kharkov, which is located in the city center. The park is a favorite resting place for both Kharkiv residents and city guests. It was opened in 1804-1805.
Initially, the garden was a wild oak forest, which was a kind of cover for the fortress. On the initiative of V. Karazin, a park was laid out in the place of the forest. The landscape solution of the park was interesting - its upper terrace is a landscape park in the English style, and the lower terrace is the Botanical Garden. It is noteworthy that the Botanical Garden was founded at the same time as the University, and you can still relax in the park in the shade of centuries-old oak trees. In the 30s of the XX century, the garden was reconstructed - new seedlings were planted, alleys were arranged, a fountain was built. In 1935, a monument to T. G. Shevchenko, and at the same time it was decided to rename the park in his honor.
During the Second World War, the garden underwent significant changes, and not for the better. So, during the occupation of Kharkov, part of the park was given over to the burials of the highest military ranks of Germany. More than 60% of the pre-war plantations were destroyed.
The restoration of the garden became possible only in 1945-46. The garden was expanded and replenished by the efforts of renowned dendrologists and architects, thanks to whom plants from all over the world were acclimatized. Now in the garden there are more than three hundred different types of plants, in total there are about nine hundred species of plants. At the same time, a kind of fountain-staircase was built, along which water flowed down. And in 1967 a light and music fountain was installed in the center of the park.
