EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE APIARY OF UMAN SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE (END OF THE 19th – BEGINNING OF THE 20th CENTURY)
Authors:   Uman National University of Horticulture: Uman', UA, Kostiuk Maiia 
Published: November 2023

The article deals with the educational, scientific and practical activity of the apiary of Uman School of Agriculture and Horticulture at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, based on references and publications. A number of source materials, containing information on the research topic, were used and analyzed as a part of study, namely: archival documents, periodicals, reports of the Department of Agriculture, rules and programs of courses on agriculture and its individual branches. The methodology is based on the use of general scientific and special historical research methods, such as the problem and chronological method, the comparative-historical method, the searching method, the descriptive method etc. Uman secondary school of agriculture and horticulture, a separate unit of which was an apiary with an exemplary organized economy, which had its own museum, a workshop for making beehives and a library, played a main role in the development of rational beekeeping on a scientific basis. The educational, scientific and practical activity of the school apiary was associated with the names of such teachers and outstanding scientists as V. P. Maksymchyk – the organizer of the apiary, H. S. Derevianko – an animal husbandry teacher, I. I. Korablov – a well-known scientist-beekeeper, professor, teacher of beekeeping and sericulture, head of the educational and research apiary and sericulture station etc. It was found that together with the significant practical training in the educational process, the school apiary also paid great attention to scientific research. It developed and collected statistical data on the beekeeping development not only in Uman district, but also throughout the Kyiv province, based on which a map on the state of beekeeping in Uman district was compiled. It was a significant contribution to the beekeeping statistics. I. I. Korablov carried out his own scientific research on urgent issues of theoretical and practical beekeeping, in particular on the hive system influence on the temperature inside the beehive and on honey collection, the efficiency of natural swarming of bees, the dependence of bribe on favorable weather conditions, the area, the number and variety of honeybees cultures, the effect of stimulating feeding on the growth of the bee colony etc. He is the author of the “Ukrainian” beehive with a narrow-high revolving frame of standard dimensions, which beekeepers still use today. In order to spread rational knowledge of beekeeping among the population and teach innovative methods of bee care, permanent agricultural courses on beekeeping for folk teachers and adult peasants were held on the basis of the apiary, which contributed to active educational work, the development of agrarian economy and increasing the culture of the rural population. Achievements of the apiary of Uman School of Horticulture and Agriculture were demonstrated at the All-Russian and regional agricultural exhibitions. They were also recognized with gold and silver medals and other awards.