THE SUBTROPICAL SCIENTIFIC CENTRE OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IS THE OLDEST OUTPOST OF RUSSIAN SCIENCE ON THE BLACK SEA COAST OF THE CAUCASUS

The Centre traces its history back to the opening of the Sochi Agricultural and Horticultural Experimental Station in 1894. Tea, citrus fruits, noble laurel, persimmon, feijoa, and kiwi fruit began to be cultivated in Russia. The Sochi Experimental Station has given an impetus to the development of specialized scientific research along the entire Black Sea coast, and a number of independent scientific organizations have been formed on the basis of its divisions. Currently, the Centre is a large multidisciplinary scientific organization conducting fundamental, exploratory and applied scientific research in agriculture, Earth sciences, biological, social and humanitarian sciences, as well as interdisciplinary research, providing scientific and methodological foundations for sustainable socio-economic development for the regions in Southern Russia. The genetic resources of the Subtropical Scientific Centre include 2 800 cultivars, 7 collections of subtropical, southern fruit, nut crops and 13 flower crops. Currently, the Centre has three separate structural divisions: the Adygei Branch of the FRC SSC RAS; the Institute of Spatial Development of Regions; the Tuapse Scientific Station, as well as 19 scientific departments and laboratories. 10 scientific schools have been formed and are developing in the Centre. Within the framework of the national project "Science and Universities", three youth laboratories have been created at FRC SSC RAS. Bringing together the scientific, educational and expert community, the Subtropical Scientific Centre is one of the main discussion platforms in the region. An interregional scientific council is being formed on the basis of the Subtropical Scientific Centre to implement the tasks set. Over 130 years of existence of the oldest scientific organization on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, the theoretical and practical foundations within the subtropical crop production and floriculture system have been developed, and the current resort city image of Sochi has been formed.