Dear Readers:
In spite of man’s efforts to destroy both himself and the planet as a whole, Nature continues to persist and even thrive. Especially in those places where man is not.
Today I have this story from the Ukrainian newspaper STRANA, announcing the arrival of spring in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The Russian word for this flower is Белоцветник весенний (“Belotsvetnik Vesennii”, from Russian “bel” – “white”, “tsvet” – “flower”, “vesna” – “spring”.
Called Spring Snowflake in English, or sometimes Snowbell. Or, Leucojum Vernum, in its official, Latin, form. Also sometimes known as St. Agnes Flower, the latter being the patron saint of virgins.
The official Chernybol organization published the photo, on their Facebook page, of a clump of these flowers flourishing amidst the trees.
This plant thrives in temperate zones of the Northern hemisphere. Its flower is known for its bell-shaped white petals with green spots on the tips. The petals open up to the sunlight and emit a fragrant aroma which attracts bees and other pollinating insects. In this manner, the flower plays an important role in the life cycle and eco-systems of forests, bogs, and riverbanks. The flowers are not only a beautiful ornamentation of the forests, but also a reminder of the eternal rebirth of Nature. The curators of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone plead with human hikers not to pluck the flowers, especially in early spring, as this causes harm not just to the plants, but to the entire forest.
Awful Avalanche 
You probably know this already but your readers might not. There’s a youth subculture based on a 1979 Soviet sci-fi film called ‘Stalker’ which concerned a ‘Forbidden Zone’ where stuff happened that I won’t reveal so as not to spoil it.
Here’s the film:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3hBLv-HLEc]
So basically Chernobyl became ‘The Zone’ and kids would sneak in as a challenge and bring back artifacts or make videos to prove they were there. I don’t think that’s happening anymore for obvious reasons. There was also a video game based on Chernobyl that I think went by the name ‘Stalker’ as well, although I’ve never played it.
A little know fact about the film is that almost everyone involved in the production died of cancer because the location they used was an abandoned industrial site heavily contaminated with toxic waste.
Another disturbing fact about Chernobyl is the massive vehicle graveyard, which if you look at the photos (search ‘Chernobyl vehicle graveyard’ for images) you’ll notice most of the vehicles have been stripped for parts! It makes you wonder how many of those parts are still around, or have been melted down into rebar used in new construction. I’m guessing steel mills in Russia probably run a Geiger counter on any scrap they buy before adding it to a melt. You’d hope so, as anything pilfered from that graveyard would be highly radioactive.
It’s something I’ve often wondered about the former USSR. How much of it is heavily contaminated from industrial waste and radioactive materials? More than they’re willing to admit, I’m sure.
LikeLike
It’s not just Russia: Kazakhstan imports (or used to) large amounts of iron scrap from China, and a good amount of it would arrive “hot”. I think the scrap was melted down for building material.
LikeLike
There are patches of these flowers scattered throughout our neighborhood (central Maryland, US). They are the first to bloom, sometimes poking through the snow as early as the first week of January, and lasting until early March.
LikeLike
A pleasant post the Good Friday before Easter [Latin]
I think Easter [Byzantium] falls on cinco de mayo this year…
LikeLike
Oh good, then I can drink a margarita on Easter!
LikeLike
Yeah, he didn’t cite Easter specifically in the wording of this post, but with the “rebirth” theme, I see what he did there!
LikeLike
Speaking of which, being an atheist and not too familiar with Biblical chronology, but isn’t today the day when Jesus is actually crucified? Or was that yesterday?
LikeLike
Good Friday starts at sundown on Thursday.
Jesus was likely crucified “Thursday” evening, the beginning of “Friday”, otherwise being dead and interred for three days would have Him rise from the dead on Monday.
LikeLike
That makes sense, thanks!
LikeLike
Happy Easter Yalensis and AA readers. I am a gardener and Easter in the southern hemisphere is a wonderful time to be out gardening- the weather is divine and all the birds are chirpy. I have planted out the bulbs to await, with anticipation, their emergence in spring. We call the darling flowers that are featured in this post “snowdrops” and they are the first flower I ever remember as a wee tot. That photograph of their forest floor flourish is beautiful. Reminds me of Wordsworth.
LikeLike
Not the Wallace flora/fauna/botanist type but, I know [I think] these flowers as lilies of the valley..or do I have the wrong plant?
LikeLike
I believe they are strongly associated with Easter, Christian virtue and purity but as I recall, poisonous?
LikeLike
I have a buddy who is very cynical about flowers and laughs at those who romanticize them.
He jokes, that people who post photos of flowers, are basically posting “bee porn”. Especially the ones with a close-up of the stamens and whatever those other flower private-parts are called!
LikeLike
“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30 RSV).
LikeLike
Thanks, AustralianLady! I admire people like you who have a green thumb and can make things grow. Wordsworth, yes! I should have headed this post with a quote from him, he was a wonderful nature poet.
LikeLike
Agnes Dei: Lamb of God.
LikeLike
Agnes: From the Proto-Indo-European *h₁yaǵ-, meaning ‘to sacrifice; to worship,’ from which is also the Vedic term yajña.
Semantically transferred to mean “lamb”, which indicates the unfortunate role of that sweet animal in these types of events.
LikeLike
In the semantics of Christianity, the event is the cruxifiction, the lamb is the Christ.
LikeLike
Cruxi-fiction?
Pardon my spelling mistake. And from……a believer!
LikeLike
Yikes! Do you want me to correct that typo, or just leave it?
Anyhow, Happy Western Easter to you, Australian Lady, and I have this nice clip for you, a passage from Handel’s marvelous work:
LikeLiked by 1 person