“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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Artysh (Siberian juniper). Republic of Tuva
Artysh (Tuvan Siberian juniper or Juniperus sibirica) is a genus of evergreen coniferous plants in the Cupressaceae family of the order Pinales.
In the local language, it is called artysh, shaman herb, arsa, archa, shug-pa. Despite its name, its habitat is extensive. In the north, it grows in the Arctic zone, in the temperate zone, and in regions with a warm climate— in mountains at altitudes up to 4200 meters above sea level.
This is a very hardy plant capable of withstanding low and high temperatures. Moreover, its appearance changes little depending on the habitat and climatic zone. It is considered one of the most frost-resistant coniferous species. Among the shrubs of the undergrowth, juniper is the most long-lived. Plants aged 300–400 years are not uncommon.
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Pansies. Bryansk region
If the beginning of spring was warm and sunny, then as early as in April pansies (called in Russian "Anyuta's eyes") begin to bloom on the meadows and forest edges of the Bryansk region. This is the folk name of the flowers, which botanists call Víola wittrockiána. In the language of flowers, the three colors of the petals have their own meaning: white is a symbol of hope, yellow is for surprise, and purple is for sadness.
Pansies are a long-known, but still popular hybrid of large-flowered European violets.
It is believed that the fashion for pansies in Russia appeared thanks to the work of L. Tolstoy's “Anna Karenina”, in which the main heroine decorated her outfits and hairstyles with these flowers.
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Buckwheat. Altai region
The Altai region is a region of thousands of lakes and untouched natural corners, rich in historical and cultural heritage, with a favorable ecology and famous branded products. One of these products is buckwheat (Latin: Fagopyrum esculentum), a species of herbaceous plants of the buckwheat genus (Fagopyrum) in the family Polygonaceae. It is both a cereal and a honey plant.
The Altai region grows a quarter of the world's buckwheat crop. The Altai region can rightfully be called the buckwheat capital, producing up to 70% of all Russian buckwheat.
Historically, buckwheat grew in Northern India, the Himalayas, Southern Siberia, and the Altai region. Russian archaeologists continue to find fossilized buckwheat grains in burial mounds of the Altai people and in excavated Ural camps of Asian nomads dating back to centuries before our era.
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Snowdrop anemone. Orel region
Anemone sylvestris, or snowdrop windflower (also known in Russian as forest anemone), is a delicate flower of the buttercup family. Its name, "anemos," translates from Greek as "wind." The flower received its airy name due to its weightless petals that flutter at the slightest breeze. In Central Russia, the Orel region boasts large quantities of this Red Book plant, as anemones grow best at the intersection of forest-steppe and steppe zones.
There is a paradox in the "botanists' jokes" series: the forest anemone does not grow in forests, and its relative, the oak anemone, does not grow in oak groves. Forest anemone prefers bright and fairly dry places, it is often found in pine forests and sparse oak groves, as well as at forest edges. However, its delicate flowers are especially stunning among the shimmering feather grasses on steppe slopes. In religious-themed paintings, scarlet anemones are often depicted because, according to legend, red buds grew from Christ's blood after the crucifixion.
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Siberian pine. Tomsk region
The cone, which became the center of the region's composition at the RUSSIA EXPO, symbolizes the heart of the green, rich in forest resources region.
The Siberian pine, or Siberian cedar as it is called in Russia (Latin: Pínus sibírica), was chosen as the center of the composition for a reason. The pine forest occupies one fifth of the forest fund of the region. Siberian pine is one of the most beautiful and majestic trees of Siberia. Siberian pine lives up to 300-500 years, but only at the age of 30-60 years it begins to bear nuts. That is why it is often said that it is a tree for grandchildren. Only the grandchildren of the person who planted it can enjoy its nuts.
Since ancient times, people have considered the Siberian pine to be an animated being. There is a legend about a tired hunter who once camped under an ancient cedar tree in a remote taiga. The cedar was very old, all covered with twisted, crooked branches, and the ground under its crown was covered with a thick layer of fallen needles.
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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.
