Volodymyr Symyrenko: reformation of the horticultural science and creation of the All-Union Research Institute of fruit and small fruit farming in Kyiv
Authors:   Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Grynyk I.V. , Volvach P.V. ,   Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Panasiuk B.Ya. ,   National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine
Published: December 2020

The paper is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. The main stages of the development of the horticultural science in the former USSR, in-cluding Ukraine are presented as well as the role of Volodymyr Symyrenko in this process. His father, the famous pomologist L.P. Symyrenko as early as at the beginning of the industrial horticulture formation stressed that just the scientific support of this branch is the main guarantee of its success. He stated that a profitable industrial orchard, despite the huge investments, can’t be successful without well-studied fruit crops cultivars adapted to the certain area. Only specialized research institutions could manage this task. The first in Russian Empire pomological collection and pomological nursery were created by L.P.Symyrenko in 1887 in the family estate ‘Platoniv farmstead’ near Horodyshche (now Cherkasy region). Thus the countdown of the Ukrainian horticultural science and industrial fruit growing should be conducted from this time. The scientist was the author of a number of outstanding scientific works, in particular "Crimean industrial horticulture" (1912), and the paper ‘Pomology’ is even now hand book for millions of scientists and manufacturers of horticultural products not only in Ukraine but also far beyond its borders. Professor Volodymyr Lvovych Symyrenko became a worthy successor of hisoutstanding father's cause. At the beginning of 1921, with the consent of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture of Ukraine, he organized the Mliiv Station of Fruit and Vegetable Growing on the material, technical and scientific basis of his father's pomological nursery, which under V.Symyrenko leadership soon became a leading scientific establishment. Thanks to it in Melitopol at first a strong point emerged on the basis of which a full-value research station was established in the late 1920s. Research stations were created in other regions not without the participation of Mliiv scientists and personally professor V. Symyrenko too. The scientific program of the Crimean Research Station was also compiled by Volodymyr Symyrenko. It should be noted that the process of establishing research institutions, especially branch institutes, in the country was intensified after the organization of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 1929 and the appointment as its president of the world-famous scientist M. Vavilov. V. Symyrenko's principled position concerning the location of the future All-Union Research Institute of Horticulture and Small Fruit Growing and Program of reforming the horticultural science proposed by him found support in the Academy of Agricultural sciences and among many authoritative scientists and manufacturers. His scientific paper on the reform of the horticultural science, published in April-May 1930 in the leading journal ‘Visnyk sadivnytstva, vynogradarstva ta gorodnytstva’ received great publicity. As early as on July 14 of the same year the resolution was passed on the establishment of the All-Union Research Institute of Fruit and Small Fruit Farming in Kyiv and appoint of V. Symyrenko its Acting Director was adopted at the meeting of the Presidium of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The creation of a powerful research Institute of Horticulture and the transformation of Ukraine into the horticultural capital of the country was a cherished dream of Professor V. Symyrenko. And even during the destined rather short three-year period of his leadership in the Institute, he managed to do quite a lot. Though he was repressed, the horticultural science and horticulture as a whole developed not only in Ukraine but also in other republics, according to Symyrenko’s program. A network of zonal research stations were formed in a fairly short period. The institute postgraduate courses created by V. Symyrenko managed to prepare many the young scientists. Currently, the Institute of Horticulture of NAAS of Ukraine, as the main fruit growing scientific institution, the puts into effect coordination and scientific and methodological guidance of the basic and applied researches in horticulture and ornamental plant growing in Ukraine. The scientists of seven research stations work together with the institute on ful-filling the scientific tasks, and the production testing of the developments is carried out in 13 farms experimental.