Vladimir Putin at a meeting with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. On the table is a basket of flowers, matching the walls of the hall. December 2023. Photo: Iranian Presidency/Global Look Press
Hundreds (if not thousands) of official events take place every day around the world. Presidents, prime ministers and ministers meet. At such meetings, it is customary to give flowers, decorate the tables with them, or both.
But do these bouquets mean something special? After all, once upon a time in the East, where women were often forbidden to communicate with men, a real language of flowers arose. It mattered how many flowers were in the bouquet, whether the thorns had been removed, what time the flowers were given and in which hand the giver held them. Over time, floriography, the so-called language of flowers, migrated to Europe. Lilac meant first love, violet was associated with fidelity, yellow flowers with parting…
But are these suggestions applicable in politics? Komsomolskaya Pravda turned to experts in official protocol for an answer.
Compact and round
“A bouquet as a gift can express kindness and hospitality,” Ekaterina Bogacheva, an expert from the National Association of Experts on Business Ethics, Etiquette and Protocol, told KP. – When Mrs. Merkel, as Chancellor of Germany, came to Sochi in 2018, our president greeted her with a small bouquet of flowers. Another thing is that this was treated differently by both sides. In Europe, it was considered… a manifestation of sexism. But in our culture, greeting a lady with flowers is good manners. And since we are the hosts, we met the Chancellor as is customary among us.
Western media tried to interpret the bouquet given to Merkel as an attempt… to humiliate Frau. Photo: Kremlin Pool/Global Look Press
Our interlocutor explained: it doesn’t matter what bouquets are given to the first persons. They should not be too big: this is inconvenient for both the protocol photographer and the person to whom the flowers were given. They try to make compact and round bouquets so that they look harmonious.
– There is a certain language of flowers, and it is necessarily taken into account: these are precisely the national characteristics of a particular culture. For example, in some eastern countries, white bouquets express mourning. There are countries where yellow flowers are given exclusively to people leaving, for example, the hospital. And burgundy flowers are not appropriate in business etiquette, because they are considered an expression of passion, the expert noted.
The head of the National Association of Business Ethics, Etiquette and Protocol Experts, Albina Kholgova, told Komsomolskaya Pravda that sometimes it is possible to know in advance what kind of flowers a guest likes and present them to him. For example, Patriarch Kirill loves white roses; anyone who knows this will not come with any other flowers.
Patriarch Kirill likes white roses more than other flowers. Photo: Mikhail Klimentiev/RIA Novosti
– What about red roses? Our president, for example, received a huge bouquet of scarlet roses at the Tashkent airfield in May this year. Is it generally acceptable to give bouquets to men?
“This is appropriate in a business environment,” Ekaterina Bogacheva replies. – This is how hospitality is expressed. As for the red color, perhaps they thought it would look as formal as possible. Or they thought that such a bouquet would look better on camera.
By the way, attitudes towards bouquets change over time. Vladimir Shevchenko, head of the protocol service under Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin until 2008, told KP that he had previously been reluctant to give flowers to men.
– It seems strange when a leader comes and is given a bouquet. This is not very compatible. But when he comes with his wife, of course, they give him flowers, – admitted the veteran of Kremlin etiquette.
Where are the carnations?
– At all meetings between Vladimir Vladimirovich and senior officials of other countries, there are flowers on the tables. When he was talking to the President of Iran in the Kremlin, they were pink, white and green (if you look at the photo, it matches the color of the room), with Xi Jinping – light yellow with a lot of green. Does this mean anything?
– Decorating formal events with flowers is a common practice. This allows at least to take beautiful photos, says Ekaterina Bogacheva. – But now there is no special language of flowers, as at balls in the 18th century. It is not customary to decorate flower arrangements and add some additional meanings to them. But the protocols of the two parties coincide precisely in the presence of allergies to flowers among the members of the delegation. The main condition for meetings is that everyone feels comfortable. And the compositions should not be too large (so as not to obstruct the view) and smell strong. Ideally, you should choose flowers without any smell.
– Is there a fashion for flowers? Carnations were very popular in Soviet times. They are much less popular now.
– It’s just that the country’s economy was functioning in other areas. The flower business was not very developed, so everyone remembered the red carnations. They were the largest.
Garlands for the delegation
Asia remains an exceptional region for the use of flowers at official events.
– Especially in South-East Asian countries, such as Thailand or India. For them, flowers are a big part of their culture. It is considered polite for the official delegation to be greeted on the plane by girls dressed in national costumes and garlands of flowers. And these garlands are then placed on the guests,” said Ekaterina Bogacheva.
When Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Sri Lanka in January 2020, girls dressed in national costumes decorated their necks with a garland of tropical flowers. Photo: Vitaly BELOUSOV/TASS
Vladimir Shevchenko, 85, who began his career in Soviet diplomatic circles, admitted that even Soviet party bosses did not object to wearing flower garlands around their necks when flying to India.
– That’s how they do it. “It came from religious rituals,” he said.
BY THE WAY
What else do presidents receive as gifts?
Flowers are among the top 5 most appropriate gifts for meetings of any level. So, if they give something, they get it first. But there are other things that people at the top like to exchange. Successful gifts for all times include:
Chart.
Porcelain
Covered
Books in good binding.
Bad gifts include:
Things that a person does not like. Therefore, gifts to first persons should be agreed upon in advance.
Perfumery
Cloth
From a protocol point of view, sharp objects are also not desirable. But, as they say, there are rules and there is life.
– Our president gave Kim Jong-un an admiral’s dagger. Sometimes we know that someone wants to receive a gift that is not on the list of “safe” gifts. And this does not mean that it should not be given under any circumstances. We all know that Kim Jong-un heads the DPRK army, he is an officer, so the gift of the admiral’s dagger was appropriate,” Albina Kholgova explained.
