Volgograd City and Volga-Akhtubinaksay natural park

We started our day with a tour of Volgograd City. It is an impressive city with so much history. There are many monuments honoring those who lost their lives in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Here we have the monument of eternal flame to all the soldiers who gave their lives to protect the city.

We saw the famous Populus nigra the only tree left standing after the Battle of Stalingrad.

All the soldiers who received the medal of honor during The Battle of Stalingrad

The Volga River, the city of Volgograd sits on the east coast of the Volga River.

Jim with two of our hosts Leanna and Maria

In the natural park we were able to see Gagea granulosa and Tulipa biebersteiniana, in bloom.

Gagea granulosa

Tulipa biebersteiniana

This Tulipa is very special because this particular area is all clones of the same tulip spread by underground stolons that is why it is able to have its almost ground cover form. They refereed to this as their forest form, it also has a steep form which we will see later in our trip. I was so excited to see tulips in their native habitat and blooming.

Here it is forming a colony

We also saw Quercus robur, this natural area is the last place in the region these oaks grow. They are also mostly vegetative growth from the roots because age and disease has caused the older specimens to die out.

They also showed us a gall that forms on the leaf of the oak. It is formed from insects in the Hymenoptera family laying their eggs in the leaves. These galls were used for ink in very early Russia.

Here is our crew sitting down to collect some specimens of Tulipa

Maria, Alex, Alexander, Sasha, and Vladimir

Vladimir and Alexander in front of a large Populus nigra

We were able to see Popolus alba

We got to see the Akhtuba River which contributes to the Caspian Sea. It is much smaller then the Volga River which is near by but separate.

Our wild life for the day was a Tarantula we were able to coax out of his nest. I was totally shocked at how big it was!

I unfortunately didn't get a picture of it but I had some delicious Russian borscht for dinner!