Richard Kondratovich (1932–2017) – a scientist and rhododendron breeder

Richard Yazepovich Kondratovich was born in southeastern Latvia in the Saules Kalnes hamlet bordering Belarus. His father was the senior forester Yazep Kondratovich, and his mother Antonina was engaged in raising children, taking care of a big household and working part‑time in a local orphanage. In the period from 1939 to 1950 Richard went to school. From 1950 to 1955, he studied at the P. Stuchka Latvian State University (LSU). After graduating from the university, Richard Kondratovich was appointed director of the Botanical Garden of Latvian State University. In 1957, Richard started his  scientific  work  on  representatives  of  the  genus Rhododendron.  In  1964,  he  defended  his  Ph.D. thesis  on  the  topic  «Introduction  of  rhododendrons  in  the  Latvian  SSR».  In  1981,  two  books  by R. Kondratovich dedicated to rhododendrons were published in Russian. They aroused great inter‑est in this plant and have not lost their significance until now. In 1983, R. Kondratovich defended his doctoral thesis on the topic «Rhododendrons in the Latvian SSR». R. Kondratovich left the position of Director of the Botanical Garden in 1965 and later switched to teaching. Since 1957, R. Kondratovich has  been  carrying  out  research  in  rhododendron  breeding,  which  expanded  significantly  after  the opening of the «Babite» Rhododendron Breeding and Experimental Nursery. It covered an area of 12.1  hectares  and  was  officially  opened  on  July  1,  1980.  In  2018,  there  were  already  117  registered author’s varieties and 76 biological taxa (species and their forms) in the Nursery. The fruitful work was interrupted in February 2017 by illness. Richard Kondratovich passed away on February 17, 2017.