Levko Platonovych Symyrenko, a Ukrainian horticulturist and pomologist, was born on February 18, 1855. His scientific work and legacy played a significant role in the development of horticulture, including in Crimea.

Born into the family of renowned industrialist, sugar manufacturer, and horticulturist Platon Symyrenko, Levko showed an early interest in horticulture. After graduating from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at St. Volodymyr University in Kyiv, he fully dedicated himself to the study and advancement of fruit growing.

At his family estate in Mliiv, Cherkasy region, Levko Symyrenko quickly established a collection orchard and a pomological nursery, which became the finest in the Russian Empire and one of the richest in Europe. He paid special attention to developing new apple varieties, the most famous of which was “Renet Symyrenko.” Thanks to its excellent taste and long shelf life, this variety quickly gained popularity and became widely cultivated not only in Ukraine but also beyond its borders.

From 1888, Symyrenko frequently visited Crimea, where he documented and provided a pomological classification of Crimean industrial orchards. He conducted research on the acclimatization and selection of fruit crops, studying their resistance to diseases and pests. In 1912, he published a major scientific work, titled “Crimean Industrial Horticulture,” which laid the foundation for the development of commercial fruit growing on the peninsula.

In 1917, the pomological nursery in Mliiv, along with its extensive collection of fruit crops, was nationalized. However, Levko Symyrenko was appointed as its director and scientific supervisor. Tragically, on January 6, 1920, he was killed—most researchers believe he was assassinated by an agent of the VChK, the predecessor of the NKVD.

However, his legacy endures. A monument to Levko Symyrenko stands in Mliiv, where the Memorial Museum of the Symyrenko Family also operates. Streets in many cities have been named in his honor, including a lane in Simferopol.