The first festival has already proven to be a great success, but the region’s ICTs have far-reaching plans.
“Have you ever witnessed this amazing and wonderful spectacle, when gentle pink clouds appear over cities, forests and rocks? This delicate flower is the pride of the region, and its blooming is an occasion for creativity. The inhabitants of Russia were able to admire this miracle of nature. It is enough to recall the tours of flowering places and hundreds of photographs posted on social networks and “flying” across the country, with the help of various events, we drew the attention of guests and residents of the region to the richness and beauty of nature, to its strength and fragility at the same time. The event will not be a one-time event, there are already plans for the future,” noted Olga Gurevich, director of Primorye TIC.
Photo by: ICT Primorye
It is not easy to pronounce the word “rhododendron” the first time. Many people call it wild rosemary. But wild rosemary is completely different, nothing like our rhododendron. Yes, and in Russia there are wild rosemary festivals. But the “Rhododendron Festival” is now held only in Primorye. By the way, the blooming rhododendron has been the natural symbol of Vladivostok for 30 years.
Starting at the end of April, almost the entire region, with its wonderful natural landscapes, became a festival venue for two weeks.
The youth troops of VVSU and FEFU were the first to arrive at the places of bloom. After all, Vladivostok is the capital of youth and this is a must. There are five tours to choose from: from rafting to conquering mountain slopes, from leisurely hikes to SUP hikes. And everywhere there are fascinating landscapes, unusual angles, pink haze and a real “full”. Many of the guys were on such routes for the first time and everything was new for them. And to enhance the impressions of these trips, all participants were given gingerbread cookies with the image of a blooming symbol and wrappers from the coffee machine. It was a pink omelet with filling and sauce. Why pink? Yes, because the main condition for participating in the festival was that the dish/drink/dessert should be like a flower.
Photo by: ICT Primorye
“There is silence, tranquility, indescribable beauty everywhere, which you definitely need to see, and the flowers are extraordinarily beautiful,” “it’s just bomb, chic, I’ve never seen anything like it,” “we were able to go where none of us would have gone alone,” “I will tell my friends about this and advise them to go on such small trips,” “it’s great that our region has such beauty,” VVGU students interrupted each other, sharing their impressions.
“The children were thrilled by the beauty they saw. They liked everything: the organization, the information provided, the routes, the atmosphere. Some are already ready to use this little experience gained during the trip in their studies and diplomas. Such “live” projects, where there is a resource, are also interesting for teachers,” added Natalya Ovcharenko, head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality at the Faculty of Economics of the Far Eastern Federal University.
Tours to blooming rhododendrons at special prices from the companies “Vostok Intour”, “ForiTour Primorye”, “Vostok Intour”, “VGUES-TRAVEL” and the travel team “Movement” were sold out. There are 14 routes to choose from, all of them different. Tourists who came from Moscow to Vladivostok during the May holidays said with joy that they were very lucky to be able to buy such a tour – they literally managed to “skip the last wagon”. They were also glad that the chosen one corresponded to their advanced age and lack of physical fitness, but at the same time gave them the opportunity to see the beauty of the Primorye spring.
Photo by: ICT Primorye
It is impossible not to mention the opening of the photo gallery (note: there are a huge number of rhododendron species in nature, only six of them grow in Primorye, and some places still have to be reached by oneself) and the gastronomic page. In their works, the photographers captured all the beauty of the rhododendron, from panoramic photos to close-ups. And although there are still many grey colours in nature at that time, the pink tones already give a feeling of warmth, of the full arrival of spring. The pastry chefs were also surprised. Their desserts combined the tenderness and grace that a blooming rhododendron gives. Each restaurant offer is an original work. For example, a dessert with mint sponge cake and berry yoghurt, a creamy barberry mousse filled with mint jelly or a simple but very delicious dessert “Awakening”.
The festival programme was complemented by a rhododendron rave, a lecture on this spring flowering miracle with stories about botanical symbolism and scientific tales, the 20th All-Russian scientific and practical conference for children “Rhododendron Day” in the Botanical Garden of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences with various master classes, quizzes, excursions and quests.
New plans are in the pipeline. For example, creating a map with flowering sites, indicating the complexity of the route and the presence of tourist infrastructure, offering the best places for photography and using weather forecasts, and more actively engaging the catering sector and souvenir producers.
