“Sinop” Park was founded in the winter of 1872-1873 and initially covered an area of five desyatins (about 5.5 hectares). It was established by Colonel Apollon Vvedenskiy, who had recently arrived in the Caucasus. He was passionate about botany and agriculture and was a member of the Imperial Russian Society for Acclimatization of Animals and Plants. In November 1873, Vvedenskiy planted the first plants, and by 1877, the park already had two greenhouses, a hothouse, and residential buildings. In the same year, the war with Turkey began, during which Vvedenskiy’s park suffered greatly, as his house served as the headquarters of the Turkish troops’ commander, and soldiers and their horses were housed in the greenhouses, hothouse, and decorative garden. When the Turks retreated, both the garden and Vvedenskiy’s house were completely burned down. Upon returning to Sukhumi, Vvedenskiy enthusiastically set about restoring his beloved estate. By 1878, he not only rebuilt everything but also expanded the park’s area to nine desyatins (9.81 hectares). By this time, the garden already contained about 16 thousand plants brought from all over the world. In 1891, Vvedenskiy sold his garden to Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. The name “Sinop” appeared under the new owner, who wished to immortalize the victory in the battle of the same name (Apollon Vvedenskiy called his estate “Subtropical Flora”). During Soviet times, Sukhumi Park became one of the best parks on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, and in 1933, a sanatorium for senior members of the Communist Party was built here.
“Sinop” Park
