Thursday, June 23
Svetlana and Vladimir picked us up today as we began our
journey to the south. We stopped on the way at the All-Russian Research
Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR) and its associated botanical
garden. Dr. Andrey Tsitsilin, the director of the garden gave us a tour. The
garden is open for organized tours for groups and is divided into the geographical
areas of Russia and Western Europe. Andrey was very knowledgeable about what
each plant was used for medicinally. Across the road from the garden are
laboratories that study plant compounds and a factory that makes drugs from
these compounds.
Gentiana lutea, a Red Book plant from Europe, is found in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The root is used for tonics and contains one of the most bitter compounds known.
Fagopyrum esculentum, also knows as buckwheat, which Svetlana cooked for us last week. The leaves can be used to treat circulatory problems.
Glaucium flavum, from the Caucasus, is in the Red Book of Russia.. It can be used to treat coughs.
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum has anti-cancer properties.
The garden was celebrating its 65th jubilee and
the institute was celebrating its 85th. A conference was being held
at the Institute, with participants from around Russia, as well as Vietnam,
North Korea and China. We sat in on an awards ceremony for scientists. Representatives
from different countries also presented gifts to the institute. Dr. Lei Shi, of
the Beijing Botanical Garden and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of
Botany, presented on their work with aromatic plant research and production in
China.
After lunch, Andrey and Shi Lei joined us as we continued to
the south. We began to see more large agricultural fields along the way. Common
roadside plants included Epilobium
angustifolium and Echium vulgare.
We arrived in Zadonsk this evening, where we will spend the
next several days.
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