Not far from the administrative center of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, the city of Khorog, at an altitude of 2,320 meters above sea level on an ancient river terrace where the Gunt and Shakhdara rivers meet, lies the lush «Roof of the World»—the Pamir Botanical Garden named after A.V. Gursky. It is the second-highest botanical garden in the world, surpassed only by the garden in Nepal.
Founded in 1940, the garden’s terrain is complex, shaped by its mountainous surroundings. The climate is harsh, with sharp continental shifts. Annual rainfall varies between 200 to 300 millimeters depending on meteorological conditions and altitude. The average yearly temperature is 8.7°C, with January averaging −7.9°C and June reaching a warm 24°C. The frost-free season lasts more than 130 days, though spring and autumn mornings often bring frosts, contrasting with the heat of the day. The garden’s different sections experience significantly diverse microclimates, making it a fascinating natural laboratory.
The idea to establish a botanical garden in the highlands first emerged among Soviet scientists in the 1920s. During this period, the Academy of Sciences of the USSR initiated a comprehensive study of the Pamir region. Among the first enthusiastic researchers was the renowned botanist Pavel Alexandrovich Baranov, accompanied by Iraliya Alexeevna Raykova, who would later make invaluable contributions to Soviet botany and biology. Their work was grounded in the expeditions of N.I. Vavilov, who explored the Pamir and Afghanistan in 1916 and 1924.
Before the revolution, this location was the residence of the Ismaili pir, Saidmahmudsho, the spiritual leader of the local community. It was he who initially worked to improve the land, channel water to the area, and plant trees, laying the groundwork for what would become the botanical garden.
The garden’s first permanent team of botanical researchers was led by Pavel Valerianovich Gursky, who is regarded as the true founder of the Pamir Botanical Garden, officially opened on May 13, 1940. Gursky continued as its director until 1966, and the garden still proudly bears his name today.
The significance of the research conducted here cannot be overstated, especially in the creation of nurseries for new species, not only of trees and shrubs but also essential crops like wheat, buckwheat, potatoes, beets, and radishes. These crops, once foreign to the region, have become well-adapted to the challenges of mountain agriculture. For millennia, the people of the Pamir struggled with food scarcity, but this botanical endeavor has successfully addressed many of these issues and continues to do so today.
The garden’s landscape includes all the land categories found in the Western Pamirs—rocky outcrops, steep cliffs, sandy stretches, gravel beds, scree slopes, debris cones, and mountain slopes. The plant collection features approximately 4,000 species and varieties, showcased in botanical collections and the native flora of the garden’s protected area. Among these, about 3,000 species, forms, and varieties of trees and herbaceous plants thrive in this unique environment.
Additionally, the garden hosts the «Nature of the Pamirs» museum, which contains over 800 exhibits illustrating the natural conditions of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region and its main floral and faunal representatives. The museum also presents materials on the region’s geography, geology, and soil, offering panoramic displays of the typical landscapes of both Western and Eastern Pamirs.
This remarkable garden stands as a testament to human perseverance in understanding and preserving the unique biodiversity of one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. It continues to attract botanists, researchers, and tourists alike, who come to marvel at the rich plant life and the spectacular views it offers of the Pamir landscape.
