Viola Wittrockiana. Saint Petersburg

Viola Wittrockiana, a plant from the Violet family, was imported from Japan and Central China and blooms from April to October. Its common name is pansy, violet or Anyuta's eyes in Russian.

Viola is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, including in Russia and Saint Petersburg. It is an undemanding and fairly cold-hardy plant that can withstand temperatures down to -1 °C, making it the first to be planted in Saint Petersburg. It delights with its first flowers as early as April. Due to its resilience to the challenging climate conditions of Saint Petersburg, viola has no competitors.

In spring flower arrangements, viola takes the lead role. For Victory Day, the city decorates flowerbeds in commemorative places: around memorials, on squares, in city gardens, and parks.

In the spring of 2024, more than half a million viola plants will adorn Saint Petersburg.

It is believed that the fashion for Anyuta's eyes in Russia emerged thanks to Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina," in which the main character decorated her outfits and hairstyles with these flowers.

In the Christian world, pansies are the flower of the Holy Trinity. In the dark spot at the center of the flower, Christians saw a triangle symbolizing the all-seeing eye of God the Father, and the rays extending from the triangle represented the radiance emanating from it.

Pansies are a symbol of nature coming back to life; they are among the first flowers to bloom in meadows in spring after the snow melts.

For people in love, pansies are a symbol of fidelity.

According to ancient Greek and Roman mythology, curious mortals who spied on bathing goddesses of love were turned into pansies. They symbolized curiosity, wonder, and faithfulness in love.

In Saint Petersburg, viola is grown in greenhouses by both state garden and park enterprises, established by the city for maintaining green spaces, and private enterprises.