The Western Caucasus is one of the most species-rich plant regions in Russia. And, going on a trip to "Rosa Khutor",tourists can get acquainted with the unique flora of the mountainous Black Sea coast. The summer season has already begun, the snow on the slopes is giving way to colorful flower carpets, and very soon they will be able to be observed by lovers of hiking in the mountains.
The flora of the Sochi National Park, on the territory of which "Rosa Khutor" is located, has more than 1920 species of plants, and the total list of fauna of the Caucasian Black Sea Coast in the Sochi region is more than 2050 species.
The first to appear after winter on the slopes along the banks of the Mzymta River are white snowdrops and purple cyclamens. Then they give way to hellebores, violets and forget-me-nots, followed by wild strawberries. In the second half of June, when the snow recedes from the peaks of the Aibga ridge, the resort guests will be delighted by the Caucasian rhododendrons, which adorn the mountains with lush cream, white and pink flowers.
In honor of the beginning of the "flower" season, the resort "Rosa Khutor" has opened another, already the seventh annual art exhibition dedicated to the beauty of the local nature. It is located right in the center of the Rosa Dolina, on the Romanov Bridge in front of the Town Hall. The new exhibition presents the work of graphic artists and was created in collaboration with the Association of Botanical Art Artists (ABAA). Plants for illustrations were selected in accordance with scientific data and artistic perception of natural beauty in an effort to convey it to people by means of visual art.
"We have compiled an exposition of 130 works by 73 artists who were involved in the creation of an art atlas-determinant of the flora of the Sochi Black Sea coast. This project of the resort "Rosa Khutor" has become a real challenge for us.
The artists had to make a selection of local mountain flower plants, ensuring the maximum accuracy of the images in all details. At the same time, it was necessary to observe the stylistic framework, without losing the artistic sensibility and tender aesthetics characteristic of botanical illustrations. I think we have succeeded in this, and now, knowing that the work of the members of the Association will be available to visitors to the resort until the end of the season, we are very happy with such a success," said Anna Aleshina, President of ABAA.
The art atlas-determinant of the flora of the Mountain Black Sea coast became the second publication of this kind after a similar ornithological atlas, created by enthusiasts and also published thanks to the financial support of "Rosa Khutor".The floristic atlas will be distributed among city schools that send students to the resort to study environmental management in the tourism industry. As a gift, it will also be received by participants in ecological and educational practices that are held for young tourists in the Sochi mountains.
The initial data for the formation of the atlas and the exposition were drawn from scientific literature, since the authors sought to exclude errors in the identification of plant species and in the formation of their descriptions. Moreover, the largest specialist in the West Caucasian flora - Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov Alexander Zernov was involved in the scientific editing of the atlas.
"The flora of the Western Caucasus is remarkable for its unique diversity for Russia, and I have devoted more than 30 years of my professional activity to its study. Thanks to plants, we have a habitable planet, but today our knowledge about their diversity is still insufficient. The more we learn about them, the more we are able to appreciate them, and together with them - and our common home. In this connection, I welcome the efforts to draw the attention of tourists to the natural beauty, which often goes unnoticed," - Professor Zernov comments.
It is expected that during the summer season hundreds of thousands of guests from all over Russia will get acquainted with the fauna of the Western Caucasus, both thanks to the art exhibition and the developed map of hiking trails, open at the resort "Rosa Khutor".
"I am sure that our work, done together with the enthusiasts of botanical illustration, is extremely valuable. First of all,because it is the fruit of the creative genius of man, who puts his strength into glorifying the beauty of nature. For us, this is not so much a love of beauty as a guiding principle - without the surrounding mountains, safe and comfortable access to which we open for many travelers, there would not be our main business," - noted Dmitry Kolosov, Director for Sustainable Development of the resort "Rosa Khutor".
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