“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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Kurai or Ural rippensame. Republic of Bashkortostan
Kurai is a fairly common plant in the coniferous and deciduous forests of the Urals, belonging to the umbellifer family, with a hollow stem. The kurai flower is considered a symbol of Bashkiria and can be seen on the flag and coat of arms.
Why is the kurai flower a symbol of Bashkortostan?
According to legends, the united Bashkir people emerged from seven main clans. The kurai flower is a symbol of friendship, and its seven petals represent the seven different ethnic groups that formed the Bashkir people as an ethnic group.
The union of the clans consisted of the largest tribes: Burzyans (бөрйән), Usergans (үсергән), Tangauers (түңгәүер), Kypsaks (ҡыпсаҡ), Katays (ҡатай), Mins (мең), and Tabyns (табын). Although, in reality, there were many more (about 45).
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Apple tree. Tambov region
During the nationwide voting for the selection of plants as green symbols of the country, as part of the environmental campaign "Alley of Russia," over 8,000 people voted for the symbolic tree of the Tambov region. The apple tree received the most votes.
This is not surprising. The history of the Tambov region's symbol is closely linked with the activities of the great scientist, breeder, and biologist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin.
The first images of Michurin's apples can be found in the pages with sketches of fruits from the scientist's diary. In 1921, Michurin's apples and pears were exhibited in Tambov, and soon they became known in Moscow. Nikolai Gorbunov, the secretary of the Sovnarkom, heard about the self-taught Michurin from someone and told Lenin about him. Throughout his life, Ivan Vladimirovich bred more than 300 varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries, blackberries, currants, roses, and other plants, and published about 150 scientific works.
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Taraxacum leucoglossum dandelion. Murmansk region
At first glance, what could be more ordinary than a dandelion? However, the Taraxacum leucoglossum dandelion (or white-tongued dandelion) is a unique plant. It can only be found in the Murmansk region, on the shores of Turiy Cape in the White Sea, and nowhere else on Earth!
Unlike the common dandelions, its flowers are snow-white rather than yellow, and its leaves are whole and somewhat thick rather than dissected and thin. Incidentally, what we call a dandelion flower is actually a flower head, an inflorescence composed of small ray flowers. The leucoglossum dandelion blooms in June, and by the end of the month, its "parachutes" — greenish-grey seeds with a long white tuft — are dispersed by the wind. This dandelion settles on the slopes of coastal cliffs, in crevices, on narrow ledges, and on steep escarpments a short distance from the water.
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Feather grass. Orenburg region
The blooming of feather grass is an event of unique beauty in the Orenburg region, one that leaves a lasting impression. Feather grass is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous herbaceous plants from the family Poaceae, or true grasses. It is one of the most common plants in the steppes.
In Latin and Greek, feather grass is known as Stipa, a name closely related to the Russian word for "steppe." Feather grass thrives in dry soil, growing in steppe meadows, open hills, rocks, and stony outcrops. There are about 80 species of feather grass in Russia, and around 300 species worldwide.
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LILY OF THE VALLEY. UDMURT REPUBLIC
The symbol of musical Udmurtia is the lily of the valley (also called May bells). This flower's theme is closely associated with the great native of Udmurtia, the world's most performed composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Lily of the valley was his favorite flower, perhaps because it bloomed around his birthday, May 7th, in the forest clearings around his hometown of Votkinsk.
The lily of the valley has become the true soul and brand of Udmurtia, the musical symbol of the region. The image of this flower is often found on postcards and festival emblems associated with the name of composer P.I. Tchaikovsky. Many events celebrating the composer take place during the flowering period of the lily of the valley.
The flowers of the lily of the valley are also needed in the perfume industry, where an essential oil with a pleasant aroma is extracted from them.
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Reindeer lichen. Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area
Reindeer lichen (also known as reindeer moss), a modest-looking yet completely unique organism in its properties, forms the foundation of the vegetation cover in the Far North, including the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. It belongs to a peculiar group of plants: a symbiotic organism composed of fungi and algae (cyanobacteria).
This plant is remarkably resilient to extreme conditions, low temperatures, as well as high doses of ultraviolet and penetrating radiation. It easily endures long periods without moisture.
Reindeer lichen is a staple in the diet of the reindeer. The animals can detect the scent of reindeer lichen through the snow and dig it out with their hooves. Reindeer lichen grows very slowly, requiring many years to restore pastures. For instance, the average growth rate of fruticose lichens in the Arctic tundra subzone is 1-2 mm, while in the forest-tundra zone it reaches up to 3-4 mm per year.
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.
