Donetsk People's Republic: rose

Rose (Latin: Rósa) is a collective name of many species and varieties of representatives of the genus Rosa, which grow in the wild and is cultivated by man.

This flower has a special significance for Donbass. Roses have been traditionally planted on the streets of Donetsk since the 60s of the XX century. According to the idea of the first secretary of the regional committee of the Communist Party at the time, Vladimir Degtyaryov, it was necessary to plant one rose for each inhabitant. Thanks to this decision, people started to call Donetsk the city of a million roses. In fact, even more roses are planted there every year - up to two million roses. No wonder that in the 70s, UNESCO recognized Donetsk as the greenest of all industrial cities in the world.

That's why the centerpiece of the DPR's floral composition is a topiary of three intertwined roses, which almost exactly replicates the wrought iron sculpture located in the central part of the city.

Donetsk Botanical Garden, one of the largest in Europe, boasts several unique varieties of roses. Wild rose, or Donetsk rosehip, blooms earlier than other plants in the rose garden and is characterized by large fruits, slightly resembling acorns. In nature it is found only in the Donbass steppes near Starobeshevo and Torez. It is prohibited to pluck the plant: it is protected by law and is included in the European Red List.

Another interesting species is the peace rose, which fascinates with its large flowers of sunny yellow to cream color, and its petals are slightly colored in crimson-pink at the edges. During the Great Patriotic War, this rose was saved from invaders. Cuttings were taken out to different countries, where they also took root. By the way, these roses were presented to the heads of delegations of the founding countries at the first meeting of the UN General Assembly.

In addition, impressive meter-long roses of silver-pink color “Major Gagarin” grow in the Donetsk Botanical Garden. The variety received its name on September 3, 1961. When Yuri Gagarin visited the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in the suburbs of Yalta, the cosmonaut was presented with a rose of a new variety, which did not yet have a name. Gagarin gave his consent to the breeder Vera Klimenko to name the beautiful flower in his honor.