“FUTURE IN FLOWERS” FESTIVAL
The festival began on 21 May and ended on 8 July, on the last day of the RUSSIA EXPO. This large-scale flower marathon captured the whole VDNKh area, and unique art objects made of flowers were introduced in several locations simultaneously. Guests could witness more than 100 million flowers, flower exhibits from all 89 regions of the country, and designer flower compositions from institutions and state corporations. Future in Flowers workshop held floristry classes, lectures from well-known plant breeders, and fun trivia games. Visitors were shown the best achievements of national plant breeders: about 400 types of peonies, 140 types of lilacs, 120 types of irises, 250 types of roses, 30 types of dahlias, as well as other flowers and plants of Russia.
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Schisandra. Amur region
Chinese magnolia vine or five-flavor berry (lat. Schisándra chinénsis) is a species of flowering plants of the genus Schisandra in the family Schisandraceae.
It is a unique plant of the Far East, a woody deciduous creeping liana 10-15 m long and up to 1.5-2 cm in diameter, in northern areas — up to 2-4 m long, spirally winding supports clockwise.
Europeans learned about Chinese magnolia vine in the early XIX century, about the same time Russian scientists became interested in it. In 1895, botanist and connoisseur of Far Eastern plants Vladimir Komarov published the stories of hunters that, going to the taiga for a long time, they do not take large stocks of food, and instead restore their strength with dried Schisandra berries. Thanks to this, they can chase sables for days without food and rest, keeping vigor of mind and sharpness of eye. Fishermen, leaving for a voyage, stocked up on the juice of the fruit of this liana, as it relieves seasickness.
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Cloudberry. Nenets Autonomous Area
A unique berry called cloudberry grows in the Nenets Autonomous Area. The residents of this polar region consider cloudberries a symbol of the Nenets area, along with reindeer.
Cloudberry (scientific name Rubus chamaemorus L.) is a perennial low herbaceous plant of the Rubus genus, part of the Rosaceae family. This arcto-alpine species grows only in tundras and marshes.
The plant blooms from June to July, and the berries ripen 40–45 days later. The fruit is a semi-spherical aggregate of drupes, fused together, with a distinctive smell and taste. Unripe berries are yellow-red, somewhat firm and "squeaky," while ripe berries are orange, resembling pure, bright amber.
In ancient times, cloudberries were called "swamp amber", "eyes of the swamp", "swamp watchman", and in the north, "royal berry". Folk names for cloudberries include "northern orange", "arctic raspberry", and "moss currant". For the Nenets, cloudberries symbolize femininity. Ornaments depicting cloudberries are placed on baby cradles as a protective charm. There is also a dance ensemble named "Moroshki" in Naryan-Mar, established in 1985.
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Kaluga rose. Kaluga region
Floriculture is one of the growth points for the Kaluga region. A quarter of all greenhouse flowers in the country are grown here. Special attention is paid to roses: there are more than 60 varieties of them in local farms. And recently the region has got its own special flower - a white rose, which received its name in honor of the regional capital.
The Kaluga rose is a peony-like variety from the Netherlands, which is grown by the breeders of the largest Kaluga flower production company. It all started three years ago with a single flower. Thanks to the experience and talent of local specialists, they managed to breed it. Now it is the top variety for the company and the whole region.
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Sweet alyssum. Republic of Ingushetia
Sweet alyssum is a perennial herbaceous strong branching plant with a very large number of small flowers. In Ingushetia it is found on rocks and limestone slopes. It is an excellent honey plant, during the flowering period it spreads a wonderful honey smell, attracting pollinators.
Alyssum is not only good looking, but also has medicinal properties. The leaves, stems and flowers have medicinal value. Raw material is harvested during flowering in April-June. They are dried in the shade under a canopy, in attics or in well-ventilated rooms.
The healing properties of rock alyssum are used in folk medicine, mainly as a laxative and diuretic. In the Caucasus, alyssum is used for kidney and lung diseases, for hernias (especially inguinal), colds, to remove kidney stones and to reduce swelling.
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Lungwort. Mordovia
Blooming lungwort is a wonderful ornament of our spring forests. It has been growing in the forests of Russia since ancient times, and it also grows in the Republic of Mordovia. An ancient Slavic legend says: if you drink nectar from twenty pink and twenty violet flowers of lungwort, your heart will become healthy and kind, and your thoughts will become pure.
This valuable medicinal and ornamental plant is affectionately called medunchik, apiary grass, honey grass, medunka, because the spring flowers of this plant are rich in nectar, which attracts a lot of bees.
The scientific name of the genus (Pulmonaria) comes from the Latin word pulmo — "lung". This is because in the past lungwort was widely used in the treatment of lung diseases. Lungwort is also one of the Russian names for this plant.
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Wheat. Stavropol region
The Stavropol region is the breadbasket of Russia. More than 40% of the region's area is fertile black soil. Many crops are grown here, the most important of which is wheat, the golden queen of the fields.
Wheat, as the world's leading grain crop, is an integral part of the history of the region's development, and its golden ears decorate the coat of arms of the Stavropol region and symbolize prosperity. From year to year the region is among the country's leaders in terms of grain yields.
Folk festivals and main events of the region are connected with wheat: the tradition to celebrate the Harvest Day appeared here as early as in the 20s of the last century. In 2024, the Stavropol region will host the All-Russian Field Day - the largest exposition of achievements of the national agro-industrial complex.
Along with the RUSSIA EXPO, the flower festival is also coming to an end.
The "Future in Flowers" festival continues at the RUSSIA EXPO, where unique flowerbeds from all regions of our country can be seen at the "Space" pavilion until July 8.
The RUSSIA EXPO concludes on July 8, and with it, the flower festival will also come to an end.
