The most popular botanical garden on Instagram
12 January 2018
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Sasha Raspopina
Moscow State University’s botanical garden, called Aptekarskiy Ogorod (which means “apothecary garden” in Russian) runs an Instagram account with the most followers among botanical gardens in the world.
Founded in 1706 by Peter the Great, it is also the oldest botanical garden in Russia, and was initially meant to grow medicinal plants. Since the 19th century the garden has belonged to Moscow State University’s Biology Department, and the garden is now open to the general public. The Instagram account @hortus_ru is dedicated to pictures of the temporary exhibitions (for example of tiny Bonsai trees), permanent collection items like cacti and succulents and the garden’s cat, called Chief Flower Cat.
