Cherry blossoms are out early this spring in western Ukraine and the capital Kyiv. They are among the first flowering trees to bloom, along with magnolias, to be followed by lilac trees and chestnuts.
Bright pink, white and purple, these blossoms are a beautiful sight, but also a symbol of impermanence. In Japan, where cherry blossoms, or sakura, are ubiquitous, they are associated with mortality and graceful acceptance of one’s destiny.
Thousands of short haiku poems have been written about the transient beauty of the cherry blossoms, like this one by the 18-century poet Kobayashi Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue.
“Without regret / they fall and scatter… / cherry blossoms.”
So looking at the tree blossoms bloom and fall can be both a pleasure and a meditation that helps one deal with stress and the current election anxiety. The sources of this stress will also fall and scatter, after all.
Zakarpattia blossoms
Uzhhorod and Mukachevo, cities in Zakarpattia Oblast, have been in a friendly rivalry over which of the two deserves the title of the “cherry blossom capital” of the region.
Uzhhorod, the administrative center of Zakarpattia with 150,000 residents and the most western city in Ukraine, 810 kilometers west of Kyiv, once boasted the longest avenue of cherry trees in the country.
But then Mukachevo, a city of 86,000 residents 770 kilometers from Kyiv, in 2013 planted 252 cherry trees along a 1.3-kilometer stretch of a suburban street. Ironically, the street is named Uzhhorod Street.
Still, the cherry blossoms in Uzhhorod remain arguably more beautiful and accessible, as they are situated in the city center, some along Kyivska Embarkment on the river Uzh.
The oldest and most densely planted area of sakura trees is the government quarter of Uzhhorod, around Rakotsi and Dovzhenka streets. The trees there were planted by the authorities when Zakarpattia was part of Czechoslovakia in 1919–39.
But again Mukachevo claims it has the oldest cherry groves in the region, planted in 1926, and still blooming on Filatova Street near the city center. Mukachevo also has “wild sakura,” which starts blooming in winter and then again in spring on Fedotova Square in the city’s downtown.
Usually, cherry blossoms start blooming in Zakarpattia in the latter half of April. They reach their peak bloom in a week, and then by the end of the next week the petals have fallen off completely.
Since this year Zakarpattia cherry blossoms started blooming on April 10, it would be best to plan a trip there on the weekend of April 19–20. For the occasion Uzhhorod holds its Sakura Festival with music and dance shows, fairs and wine tastings.
Those who stay in Kyiv can also enjoy the cherry blossoms in the Kyoto Park, located between Chernihivska and Lisova metro stations. There are also sakura trees in the Gryshko National Botanical Garden, where the entrance fee is Hr 50.
Magnolias in Kyiv
There are also magnolia trees at the Gryshko Botanical Garden in Kyiv. They are an ancient genus with large and tough petals, but still as beautiful as the more delicate cherry blossoms.
Magnolias bloom roughly at the same time as sakura, with white flowers coming out first, and the brighter pink and red magnolias blooming afterwards. There are 10 magnolia species in the Gryshko garden, planted in 1966.
There is another grove of magnolias planted in 1976 at the Fomin Botanical Garden. It is located in the city center near the Universytet metro station and the entrance there is free.
For those who decide to travel to Uzhhorod for the cherry blossoms, there is also an opportunity to experience the sweet smell of magnolias at the city’s botanical garden, as well as on Narodna Square, and on Duknovycha and Heroyiv Nebesnoyi Sotni streets.
Dykanka lilac trees
Called “the biggest bouquet in the world” by the locals, five acres of lilac grow in Dykanka, a village 330 kilometers east of Kyiv in Poltava Oblast.
The Lilac Grove was already there at the beginning of the 19th century, when Nikolai Gogol wrote his famous short story collection “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka,” immortalizing the vibrant Ukrainian village.
The story of the grove is as macabre as Gogol’s works. Legend has it that the local proprietor planted the lilacs to treat his daughter for tuberculosis, as suggested by the doctor. When the lilacs flourished, so did the young woman. But as the sea of lilac withered, the daughter died.
In Kyiv, the six-acre Garden of Lilacs is the trademark of the Gryshko Botanical garden. It is located on the slopes beside the Dnipro river and has 21 species of lilac, ranging from white, to pink, to dark violet.
From the vantage point in the garden, one can see a great panorama of multi-colored lilacs, the Dnipro, and the Vydubychi Monastery. It’s best to enjoy the view in the first weeks of May when lilac usually blooms in Ukraine.
Chestnuts in Kyiv
The last to bloom in May are the chestnuts trees — the longtime symbol and trademark of Kyiv. Especially for this reason, the day of the city is celebrated on the last Sunday of May when the white and pink ‘candles’ of chestnut blossoms are in full bloom.
Chestnuts were planted in huge numbers in Kyiv in the 19th century. Reportedly, the Governor-general of the city introduced the trees to Kyiv’s streets to impress Nikolai I, the Emperor of Russia.
There are about a million chestnut trees in Kyiv — one almost on every street and in every park. The oldest chestnut tree in Kyiv is believed to be the one that grows in the Kytaivska retreat near Troitska Church in the suburbs of the city.
Kyiv’s main Khreshchatyk Street is also lined with chestnut trees, which bloom every May. However, this blooming season may be the last for the chestnuts on Khreshchatyk, as next year city authorities plan to remove them because the health of the trees is being damaged by air pollution, warming of the climate, pests and salt scattered on the road during winter.
So enjoy them while they last.
