Gilibert Park is named after a French scientist whose life was inextricably linked with Hrodna.

Jean Emmanuelle Gilibert is a French botanist, physician and biologist. In the 1770s, Gilibert arrived in Hrodna at the invitation of the Hrodna headman Antoni Tyzenhaus. In 1776, Gilibert signed a ten-year contract with Tyzenhaus, according to which he obliged to establish a veterinary and medical school, organize a botanical garden, continue his doctoral practice and write scientific works.

Thanks to the efforts of Jean Emmanuel Gilibert, the first higher educational institution, the Medical Academy, was opened in Hrodna. Unfortunately, it existed only until 1781. Together with his students, Gilibert collected a herbarium, and research on local plants resulted in scientific work. A pharmacy successfully operated at the academy opened by him, a vegetable garden with medicinal plants was set up near it.

The garden founded by Gilibert took root well. Until 1777 more than 1200 exotic plants for Belarus were successfully grown here. A year later, there were already 2000 such plants. The plants have not survived to this day. However, there is a picturesque city park on the site of the once richest botanical garden. Now the park has sidewalks, children's attractions and a colorful musical fountain. In Soviet times, the park was called Old. In independent Belarus, the Old Park in Hrodna was renamed into Gilibert Park, and a sculpture of Jean Emmanuel Gilibert was installed at the entrance.

Publication date: 11.06.2020.

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