O. Yu. Elina

The existing tradition sees the historical roots of Russian agronomy in the farming of field crops, the principal branch of Russian agriculture. This article argues that ornamental horticulture on the gentry lands provided another source of Russian agronomy. The practice of agronomical experimentation was born in the spaces of the Russian country estate, such as the Czar’s «paradises» of the 17 th century and the nobility’s gardens of the 18 th century. Experiments with ornamental plants became part of the culture of the nobility. Motives behind experimentation were far from pragmatic: they combined aesthetic, leisure, educational, and scientific interests. Czar Peter I, Academy of Sciences director E.R. Dashkova, minister of people’s enlightenment A.K. Razumovsky, and the grandson of Catherine II, Count A.A. Bobrinsky all shared an interest in experimental gardening. Starting with the acclimatization of overseas plants in the Kremlin palace gardens and the collection of «exotics» in the aristocrats’ palace parks, the nobility proceeded later to experimenting with economically important crops on their manors' fields. The owners of the estates acted as agronomy’s patrons by hiring professional scientists and by practicing themselves, as amateurs. For example, naturalist and agronomist A.T. Bolotov, state chancellor N.P. Rumiantsev, Decembrist M.N. Muraviov, Slavophile A.I. Koshelev, and poet A.A. Fet all conducted field experiments. By the end of the 19 th century, agronomic enthusiasm led to the establishment of agricultural and field experiment stations on the estates. These institutions conducted research in selection, agrochemistry, and other advanced areas of agronomy. The patrons of the experimental institutions included chemistry professor D.I. Mendeleev, minister of agriculture A.N. Ermolov, retired military commander P.A. von Bil’derling, and landowner and patron of the arts P.I. Kharitonenko, who all shared a common status as landowners. The scientific hobbies of the landed gentry thus contributed to the formation of the specific culture of the Russian country estate.