One of the oldest botanical gardens in Russia, Botanical garden of St.Petersburg is situated on Aptekarsky Island on Petrogradskaya Side.

The history of the garden started in 1713, when Peter the Great ordered to found an Aptekarsky (herbal) garden for growing medicinal plants on one of Petersburg’s islands (called Aptekarsky after the Aptekarsky garden).

The history of development of Botanic garden is connected with many changes, reorganizations and restorations. During the 19th century it changed several directors, was restored and enlarged several times and got the name Imperial Botanical garden. At those times the gardeners and botanists of Russian Academy of Sciences took part in several expeditions to increase the number of exotic and specific collections.

In 20th century due to the 200th anniversary of Aptekarsky Garden the Imperial Botanical Garden was named after its founder Peter the great. During the WWII the garden was terribly damaged, hothouses were destroyed and almost all the collections of plants were annihilated. Only 250 plants were preserved in flats and houses of garden staff during the war. 

After the WWII the Botanical Garden of Peter the Great were restored, new bigger hothouses were mounted and the number of exhibits exceeded the pre-war collections. Nowadays you can see more than 7500 species of plants and trees in hothouses and Open Park.