Bookvica

[THE FANTASTIC BOTANICAL GARDEN PROJECT IN THE CITY OF NIZHNY NOVGOROD] Eskiznyy proyekt Botanicheskogo sada Gor’kovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [i.e. Draft Design of the Botanical Garden of the Gorky State University]

Item #1332

[Gor’kiy]: Gor’k. krayev. izd-vo, 1936. 74, [2], 1 plan: ill., plans. 16,8x26 cm. In original publisher’s illustrated wrappers. Fine condition.

Extremely rare. 1 of 650 copies. First edition. Wrapper design by the Soviet artist YU. Porfir’ev. With 1 folded map and 24 black and white illustrations, including 14 photographs by M. Zvantsev, S. Stankov, D. Averkiev.

Unrealized project of the botanical garden of the Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod. The botanical garden of the Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod was conceived as a major structure that was supposed to occupy 250 hectares and fulfill 3 types of goals: research tasks, learning objectives, and mass educational goals. The project dated 1936 was to include a two-story building, more than 15 departments and sections, houses for garden employees, fountains, etc.; however, due to the outbreak of WWII, the initial plan was never realized, and the size of the botanical garden was reduced from 250 to 35.2 hectares, a large laboratory building was replaced by a wooden office building, and the emphasis was placed on the cultivation of medicinal plants and educational and scientific activities.

This edition, printed in 1936, offers a rare illustrative insight into the fantastic botanical garden project that never came to fruition. The publication consists of 5 sections and features texts focusing upon different aspects of the conceived construction: “Tasks, Goals and Structure of the Botanical Garden Organized in Gorky” (Professor S. Stankov); “Geobotanical Sketch of the Site Designated for the Layout of the Botanical Garden in the City of Gorky” (D. S. Averkiev); “Explanatory Note to the Draft Design of the Botanical Garden” (Professor E. Shervinsky); “Brief Explanatory Note to the Draft Design of the Botanical Laboratory” (Professor E. Shervinsky); and “Appendixes”. The last chapter includes official orders on the construction of the botanical garden. Importantly, the edition is supplemented with 1 folded plan of the draft design of the garden and 24 black and white illustrations showing different areas of the garden and laboratory, vegetation on the territory of the garden, as well as projects, plans, and sketches of the conceived construction.

Overall, an interesting visual insight into the unrealized project of the major botanical garden of the Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod.

No copies found in
Worldcat.

Price: $950.00