Goal. To study the first work in Ukraine in the field of landscape construction of the outstanding landscape architect, Doctor of Biological Sciences Leonid Rubtsov Rubtsov in Mezhyhirya in 1946-1947.

Methods. Historical-scientific, problem-chronological.

Mezhyhirya, located in the suburbs of Kyiv, was a closed territory from the 30s of the XX century until 2014. The best specialists used to be invited to build and equip government summer houses there. A prominent dendrologist and a landscape architect, a park scientist L.I. Rubtsov was among them.

We conveyed the analysis of literary and Internet resources, archival materials, photographs, as well as a full-scale survey of plantations of the territory of the former summer house of M.S. Khrushchev on the place of the destroyed monastery in Mezhyhirya.

A number of rare plants, as well as 10 varieties of lilac, have been found on the territory of Mezhyhirya. These and many other varieties of lilac were used in the 1950s by L.I. Rubtsov when creating the famous lilac garden in the Botanical Garden in Kyiv.

In 1946 a staff of the Botanical Garden in Kyiv with the guidance of M.S. Khrushchev purchased a considerable amount of planting material in Germany. Those plants were planted in the seedbeds of the Botanical Gardens, and later became the basis for the creation of now well-known expositions and sites: arboretum with the famous lilac garden, rose garden, azalea collection and many others.

The analysis of Mezhyhirya plantations gave grounds to suggest that a certain number of plants brought by a staff of the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian SSR from Germany in 1946 were planted in the countryside of M.S. Khrushchev (taking into account the guidance of M.S. Khrushchev in the acquisition of planting material and personal relations with M.M. Gryshko, then the director of the Botanical Garden) under the project and the direction of the landscape architect Leonid Rubtsov.

Conclusions. The plantations preserved on the territory of the former government summer houses have considerable scientific value as a dendrological collection and an example of landscape composition of the late 1940s. The findings reveal another page in the work of the renowned dendrologist and the landscape architect L.I. Rubtsov.

1. Breiak, O. (2014, 9). Budivli Mezhyhirya [Buildings of Mezhyhirya]. Pamiatky Ukrainy. 22–23. [in Ukrainian].
2. (1971) Derev`ya i kustarniki. Golosemenny`e: Spravochnik [Trees and shrubs. Gymnosperms: Directory] / Otv. Red L.I. Rubczov. K.: Nauk.Dumka. 156 p. [in Russian].
3. (1974) Derev`ya i kustarniki Pokry`tosemenny`e.: Spravochnik [Trees and shrubs. Angiosperms: Directory] / Otv. Red L.I. Rubczov. K.: Nauk.Dumka. 590 p. [in Russian].
4. (2012) Leonid Ivanovych Rubtsov (1902–1980): biobibliohrafiia [Leonid Ivanovych Rubtsov (1902–1980): biobibliography] / Uklad.: O.L. Rubtsova, N.V. Chuvikina, L.O. Isakova; vidp. redaktor M.I. Shumyk. Kyiv: Moliar S.V.. 32 p. [in Ukrainian].
5. Leonid Ivanovich Rubczov. Dokumenti pro zhittya i` diyalnist. [Leonid Ivanovich Rubtsov. Documents about life and creation] Fondi muzeyu istoriyi NBS imeni M.M. Grishka NAN Ukrayini. [Funds to the Museum of History of the M.M. Grishko NBS NAS of Ukraine] S. 1. [in Ukrainian].  
6. Leonid Ivanovich Rubtsov. Osobova sprava. [L.I.Rubtsov. Personal file]. Fondyi muzeya istorii NBS imeni N.N. Grishko NAN Ukrainyi. [Funds of the Museum of History of the M.M. Grishko NBS NAS of Ukraine] 100 s. [in Ukrainian].
7. (2014, 9) Ivakin V., Koziuba V. Pam’iatky Mezhyhirya u svitli arkheolohichnykh doslidzhen. [Landmarks of Mezhyhirya in the Light of Archaeological Research]. Pamiatky Ukrainy [Attractions of Ukraine]. P. 18–21. [in Ukrainian].
8. (2018) Kashevarova N.H. Z istorii radianskoho povsiakdennia druhoi polovyny 1930-kh rokiv: mezhyhirski dachi partiinykh funktsioneriv za nimetskymy danymy 1943 r. [From the history of the Soviet quotidian life of the second half of the 1930s: summer houses of party functionaries in Mezhyhirya according to German data of 1943]. NAN Ukrainy Institut istorii Ukrainy. [NAS of Ukraine. Institute of History of Ukraine]. K. 36 p. URL : http://resource.history.org.ua/item/0014189 (data zvernennia [Date of application]: 14.02.2020). [in Ukrainian]
9. Kuzneczov S.I. (2012) Sovremennye biologicheskie problemy landshaftnogo stroitelstva v svete nauchny`kh vzglyadov professora L.I. Rubczova. [Modern biological problems of landscape construction in the light of the scientific views of Professor L.I. Rubtsov] Mezhdunarodny`e chteniya, posvyashhenny`e 110-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya doktora biologicheskikh nauk, professora Leonida Ivanovicha Rubczova: materialy` nauchnoj konferenczii, 15–18 maya 2012 goda. [International readings dedicated to the 110th birthday of the Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Leonid Ivanovich Rubtsov: proceedings of a scientific conference, May 15–18, 2012]. K.: Molyar S.V.. P. 38–43. [in Russian].
10. Meshkova V.I. (2002. № 2) Tvorcheskaya deyatel`nost` L.I. Rubczova v sadovo-parkovom iskusstve (na primere ekspoziczij Naczionalnogo botanicheskogo sada imeni N.N. Grishko NAN Ukrainy. [Creative activity of L.I. Rubtsov in landscape gardening art (on the example of expositions of the M.M. Grishko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine] I`ntrodukczi`ya roslin. [Plant sntroduction]. P. 108–110. [in Russian].
11. (2002) Profesor Lykhvar Danylo Fedorovych (1902–1986) Bibliohr. pokazhchyk nauk. Prats [Professor Lykhvar Danylo Fedorovych (1902–1986) Bibliograghic index of sciences], UAAN. TsNSHB; Uklad.: V.A. Verhunov, A.S. Shchyhol; Nauk. red. V.A. Verhunov. K.: Ahrarna nauka. P. 170–179. [in Ukrainian]
12. Richnij zvit pro zakordonni` vi`dryadzhennya spi`vrobi`tniki`v botani`chnogo sadu (vi`dryadzhennya do Ni`mechchini), 1947 r. [Reports on the business trips of employees of the Central Republican Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR]. Arhіv NBS іmenі M.M. Grishka NAN Ukraїni. CRBS AS of USSR [Archive M.M. Grishko NBC NAS of Ukraine.]. Op. 1. Spr. 32. 72 ark. [in Russian].
13. Rubtsov L.I., Zhogoleva V.G., Lyapunova N.A. (1961) Sad sireni (syringarij) Central'nogo respublikanskogo botanicheskogo sada AN USSR [Lilac garden (syringary) of the Central Republican Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR]. Kiev : Izd-vo AN USSR. 76 p. [in Russian].
14. Rubtsova E.L. (2016. № 3) Vklad doktora biologicheskih nauk, professora L.I. Rubcova v proektirovanie parkov Ukrainy [The contribution of the Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor L.I. Rubtsov to the design of Ukrainian parks]. Іntrodukcіya roslin [Plant Introduction]. P. 41–49. [in Russian].
15. Rubtsova E.L., Romanets E.I. (2016. № 1) Vklad doktora biologicheskih nauk, professora L.I. Rubcova v sozdanie botanicheskih sadov [The contribution of the Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor L.I. Rubtsov to the design of Ukrainian parks]. Іntrodukcіya roslin [Plant Introduction]. P. 64–74. [in Russian].
16. Rubtsova E.L., Chuvikina N.V. (2018, 13) VIRovskij period nauchnoj deyatel'nosti Leonida Ivanovicha Rubcova: sredi korifeev i budushchih druzej [The period of scientific activity of Leonid Ivanovich Rubtsov at N.I. Vavilov institute of plant industry (VIR): among luminaries and future friends]. Hortus Botanicus. P. 4–16.11. [in Russian].
17. Rubtsova O.L., Chuvikina N.V. Doktor biolohichnykh nauk, profesor Leonid Ivanovych Rubtsov – znavets kvitnykovo-dekoratyvnykh roslyn. Introduktsiia Roslyn [Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Leonid Ivanovich Rubtsov – connoisseur of flowering and ornamental plants]. Introduktsiia Roslyn [Plant Introduction]. 2019. № 3. P. 97–102. [in Ukrainian].
18. Soltani G.A. Istoriya sozdaniya dendroparka «Yuzhny`e kul`tury`" (persony` i soby`tiya. [History of the arboretum «Yuzhnye Cultury» (persons and events)] Hortus Botanicus, 2014. Т.9. P. 22–34. [in Russian].
19. Chuvikina N.V., Klimenko S.V. Voni buduvali Sad: Biografi`chnij dovidnik. [They built the Garden: A Biographical Guide.] K.: Czukor Ukrayini, 2009. 172 p. [in Ukrainian].