“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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Flax. Smolensk region
Common flax (Linum usitatissimum) is a plant that grows up to about 120 cm tall. Its flowers form an "umbrella," and after blooming, seed capsules appear in their place. Flax is a valuable agricultural crop used in the textile, chemical, and even food industries. For example, strong linen threads are made from its stems and leaves, and its seeds are pressed to produce oil that is extremely beneficial for health and beauty. Additionally, flax is used to make medicines, nutrient substrates, and components of technical mixtures. In recent years, specially bred varieties of flax have become a popular choice for landscape designers.
Flax has been known since ancient times and has always been revered as a symbol of light, purity, and fidelity. High priests of Egypt could enter temples only in linen clothing, and pharaohs' mummies were wrapped in linen fabrics. Herodotus mentioned that among the gifts brought by one of the pharaohs to the temple of Athena in Rhodes, the most valuable gift was linen fabric.
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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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Woodland Sage. Republic of Adygea
Woodland sage (Latin: Salvia nemorosa) is a perennial plant from the genus Salvia, part of the Lamiaceae family. Other names for it include Moldavian sage, Yailin sage, and woodland salvia.
The plant is found in Europe, the western European part of Russia, and the foothills of Crimea and the Caucasus. It prefers steppes, meadows, and forest edges. Sage is a vibrant representative of the diverse flora of Adygea. The leaves and flowers of woodland sage are highly aromatic and can be added to various dishes as a seasoning or brewed into tea.
Additionally, sage is an excellent honey plant. Almost all types of sage contain essential oils.
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Sphagnum moss. Karelia
Karelia is one of the marshiest regions of Russia, with swamps covering almost a quarter of the republic's territory. This is a complex and rich ecosystem that is protected by the state.
Moss is found everywhere in Karelia. Sphagnum, or Sphagnum moss (from the Greek "sphagnos," meaning sponge), is a common inhabitant of swamps. In Russia, more than forty species of sphagnum grow.
Sphagnum moss has unique moisture-absorbing properties, capable of absorbing water up to 20 times its mass.
Bog moss has no roots; its cells grow upwards while the lower layers gradually die off. However, they do not rot. Decay is prevented by the phenol contained in sphagnum—an antiseptic that kills bacteria. From the dying parts of sphagnum, raised bog peat is formed. This is how, due to sphagnum and other aquatic plants, lakes become overgrown and swamps appear.
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Alpine aster. Chechen Republic
Alpine aster (Aster alpinus). Under natural conditions, this perennial plant can be found high in the mountains. In the republic, this variety of aster grows at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters. This flower embodies the proud spirit of the Chechen people and blooms brightly on mountain slopes in late autumn.
It is a light-loving, unpretentious plant accustomed to poor clay or sandy soils. Places of growth include steppes, rocky placers, cliffs, light-coniferous and mixed forests, edges, alpine meadows.
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Edelweiss. Republic of Dagestan
Edelweiss, or Leontopodium, is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, 12-25 cm high, of the aster family, widespread in the high mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. The scientific Latin name Leontopodium can be translated from Greek as "lion's paw", which is what the appearance of the inflorescence resembles. But the Russian word "edelweiss" is a transliteration from German and means "noble white".
In his monograph "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants of Dagestan" Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor Shamil Huseynov described in detail this amazing flower, which is a symbol of courage and bravery, as well as pure selfless love among highland peoples. Shamil Abdulkasumovich was awarded the title "Merited Worker of Higher School of the Republic of Dagestan" for his contribution to the study of plants of the region.
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.
