Hidden botanical treasures in war-torn Kyiv need global support
· News-MedicalOne of the world's most significant collections of plant specimens is under threat from the ongoing war in Ukraine, prompting an international call for urgent digitization and global collaboration to preserve an irreplaceable scientific resource.
Researchers from Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America have highlighted the importance of the National Herbarium of Ukraine in Kyiv (KW), home to more than 2.3 million plant and fungal specimens.
The collection ranks among the largest herbaria in Europe and contains priceless specimens gathered by some of the world's most renowned botanical explorers over the past 250 years.
A new paper published in the journal Taxon outlines both the scientific significance of the collection and the risks it faces as Russia's invasion continues.
Among the co-authors is Dr. Jürgen Kellermann, Senior Botanist at the State Herbarium of South Australia and Visiting Research Fellow at Adelaide University.
Since 2020, Dr. Kellermann has collaborated extensively with the paper’s lead author, Professor Sergei Mosyakin, Kyiv’s Director of the Kholodny Institute of Botany (part of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) and Research Curator of the National Herbarium.
The herbarium houses collections dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including specimens gathered across Australia, New Zealand, North America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Many of them are type specimens – the original reference samples used to describe plant species for the first time.
It is particularly important for Australian botany, as it contains the original material used by Nicolai Turczaninow in 1847–1863 to describe 43 genera and approximately 400 species of Australian plants.
The KW herbarium contains numerous specimens collected by early explorers, including James Drummond (1786–1863), Allan Cunningham (1791–1839), John Gilbert (∼1810–1845), Johann August Ludwig Preiss (1811–1883), Franz Wilhelm Sieber (1789–1844), and many others.
“Historical KW specimens are especially important for the flora of the global biodiversity hotspot of Western Australia, but also for other regions of the country,” Dr Kellermann said.
The collection narrowly avoided serious damage when missile strikes hit central Kyiv in October 2022, causing destruction or damage to nearby scientific and cultural institutions. While the herbarium itself survived, researchers warn that ongoing attacks, power disruptions and other wartime impacts continue to pose significant risks.
The paper argues that large-scale digitisation offers the best protection for these invaluable collections. Creating high-resolution digital records would allow researchers worldwide to access the specimens while ensuring the information they contain survives even if the physical collections are damaged.
Prof Mosyakin said international cooperation was essential.
"Digitization is about more than creating images. It allows scientists around the world to study these collections, discover previously overlooked specimens and build new research partnerships. By working together, we can help safeguard this remarkable scientific heritage for future generations,” Prof Mosyakin said.
The paper highlights several research opportunities that could emerge from greater international collaboration, including studies of early Australian and New Zealand plant collections, historic specimens gathered by pioneering botanists, and modern genetic analyzes of preserved plant material.
Dr. Kellermann said the Kyiv collection had already contributed to important research on Australian plants.
"Some specimens held in Kyiv provide unique insights into Australia's botanical history and contain information that is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere," he said.
"Protecting and sharing these collections benefits not only Ukraine, but the global scientific community."
‘Hidden herbarium treasures in a wartime Kyiv: An appeal for international collaboration, digital preservation, and support’ is published in Taxon. DOI: 10.1002/tax.70158
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