“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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Asian globe flower. Republic of Khakassia
Zharok (Trollius asiaticus) - this is the name the locals in Khakassia give to this flower - burns with a magical orange flame in the fields and meadows almost all summer, reminding us of the ancient legends that the Khakassian land is so rich in.
Majestic mountains, steppes, dense taiga, healing lakes, the mighty Yenisei. The land of five elements, a crossroads of civilizations -Khakassia is famous not only for its unique natural diversity but also for its archaeological heritage. Burial mounds, graves, ancient settlements, towns, fortresses, rock carvings, stone statues - here, almost every meter of land is scattered with archaeological monuments. And all this natural and historical wealth, of course, is reflected in many beautiful legends. One of them is associated with zharok, which has become the hallmark of the region.
In nature, zharok grows in damp meadows, forest glades, forests, ascending into high mountains up to the alpine belt, and in the north, it penetrates the tundra. Since the XVIII century, the Asian globe flower has also settled in European gardens - its seeds were sent to the famous naturalist Carl Linnaeus by the scientist and traveler Erik Laxman, who lived and worked in Siberia at the time.
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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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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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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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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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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.
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.