“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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Narrow-leaf fireweed (Ivan-chai). Tyumen region
Narrow-leaf fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium (L.) Scop.) known in Russia as Ivan-chai (lit. Ivan-tea) is a perennial herbaceous plant, the type species of the genus Chamaenerion, belonging to the family Onagraceae. It is often considered part of the genus Epilobium. Commonly known as "Koporye tea" and "field tea," in Russia, it has been used to produce tea as a substitute for expensive Chinese tea since the XVIII century.
Fireweed is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the forest zone of Siberia, where it is one of the main honey plants. In the Tyumen region, it grows in the Tobolsk district and the Antipino area. Look for Ivan-chai on forest edges, ravine slopes, and riverbanks. This plant can quickly cover large areas in clearings and burnt-out areas due to its rapid vegetative reproduction, which helps restore soil fertility. Due to its ability to grow in fire-damaged areas, it is also called fire herb, garevik, pozharnik in Russia.
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Tulip. Republic of Kalmykia
In spring, the harsh Kalmyk steppe is transformed, becoming covered with a colorful carpet of tulips. During this period, the Tulip Blossom Festival takes place here - it is a vibrant folklore and ethnographic festival that introduces the natural wealth, traditional culture and cuisine of the region.
Many people consider Holland to be the birthplace of tulips. But in fact, it was from the Kalmyk steppes that merchants traveling along the Great Silk Road brought tulip bulbs in the XVII century. The name “tulip” comes from the Persian word “toliban”, which denotes an oriental headdress - a turban, in shape resembling a tulip.
Steppe tulips of Kalmykia are wild. The flowering period usually falls in April-May. The tulip is a delicate flower and chooses its own time for blooming. The miracle of the steppes blooms for almost a week. And under favorable climate conditions it can bloom longer.
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European olive. Republic of Crimea
The olive tree has been considered a symbol of peace since the time of the Great Flood. Noah released a dove several times to find out if the Ark would soon reach land. One day, the dove returned with an olive branch in its beak. Noah understood that God had turned His anger to mercy and forgiven humanity. According to legend, the olive tree was the first plant to grow on earth when the flood receded.
In Crimea, the olive tree appeared along with the first Greek colonists in the 2nd millennium BC. Today, the peninsula is home to a centuries-old olive tree recognized as the oldest tree in the region, and hundred- and two-hundred-year-old olive groves are scattered along the southern coast of Crimea. The first Russian olive oil in Crimea was produced in 1826 by order of the imperial court.
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Adams' rhododendron. Irkutsk region
Adams' rhododendron is a small evergreen shrub with a pleasant scent. The flowers are small and pale pink. It is endemic to Eastern Siberia and is listed in the Red Book of the Irkutsk region. The plant is named after the naturalist and botanist Johann Friedrich (Mikhail Ivanovich) Adams, who first described it in his report following an expedition to Eastern Siberia. It does not grow in artificially created environments and is found only in nature.
For the indigenous peoples of Siberia, sagan dailya — as they call Adams' rhododendron - has always been considered a miraculous plant. They prepare a tizan (herbal drink) from it, which was used in magical rituals and ceremonies at the imperial courts of the Qing dynasty in China. In Buddhist mythology, rhododendron is one of the seven plants surrounding the god of medicine and health. Siberian shamans brewed an aromatic drink from it to communicate with the gods. The plant is shrouded in legends.
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Zhiguli thyme. Samara region
The flora of the Zhiguli Mountains includes 28 endemic species. Of particular interest are the narrowly localized endemics, one of which is Zhiguli thyme (Thymus zheguliensis). Zhiguli thyme (wild thyme) belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It is a very rare species and is considered endangered.
Zhiguli thyme grows as a small subshrub, forming loose tufts. Its stems are covered with short, down-pressed hairs. The leaves are rounded and have well-defined long petioles. The flower corolla is bright lilac. It blooms in July-August and bears fruit in September. Reproduction is both vegetative and by seeds. It grows in rocky steppe communities.
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Red-stemmed buckwheat. Penza region
In its development, the Penza region relies on the medical industry and creation of products for health: pharmaceutical goods, biologically active additives, natural cosmetics. At the RUSSIA EXPO, the region is presenting Bashkir red-stemmed buckwheat. The variety was obtained by breeders by selection from various hybrids and is included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements.
Although the birthplace of red-stemmed buckwheat is the Urals region, it is successfully cultivated in the Middle Volga region, which includes the Penza region. Here this unpretentious plant has been cultivated since 2012 and is used as a medicinal raw material. At the moment, red-stemmed buckwheat is cultivated on an industrial scale on 7 hectares of fields located near the villages of Kulyasovo and Mamadysh in the Kameshkirsky district.
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.
