Baum's grove

Baum Grove is one of the state nature monuments. According to the specific decree No. 1074 of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, since 2006 it has been included in the list of specially protected natural areas of national significance. It is located in the Turksib district of the city of Almaty, covering an area of 130 ha. Currently, under the law on specially protected natural areas, the grove is subordinated to the Ak-Sai branch of the Ile Alatau National Natural Park. The grove was planted in 1868 as “Vernyy Bagi”. Later, under the direct leadership of the chief gardener of the city of Verny, E. O. Baum (1850–1921), the garden area was expanded and landscaping work was carried out again. Therefore, the garden was named after the gardener, bearing the name Baum. Various fruit trees and shrubs of broadleaf and needleleaf species were brought from Moscow, Penza, Yalta, and Tashkent and planted. Initially, the grove contained 74 apple trees, 49 pear trees, 17 coniferous trees, 44 broadleaf trees, and 52 varieties of different shrubs. In 1894 Baum prepared a program for the greening of Baum Grove and submitted it to the city Duma. This program was fully implemented in 1899, turning the grove into a green belt area of Almaty. As of this date, about 250,000 various trees grow in Baum Grove. In 2009–2011, a program for the restoration and preservation of the state natural monument “Swamp Forest of the Republic of Kazakhstan” was finalized and approved. The role of Baum Grove in purifying the air of Almaty and its importance as a recreational area for city residents are significant.