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The watermelon is a symbol of the region of Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. More than 50% of the watermelons in Ukraine are produced in Kherson Oblast and are shipped upriver to Kyiv.
History
editWatermelons were thought to have been introduced by Crimean Tatars – a Turkic ethnic group and an indigenous peoples of Crimea – before the 18th century. During World War II, residents of the Kherson region would make molasses or jam from boiled-down watermelons, when there were restrictions on sugar usage. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, a yearly tradition was televised, with a barge, full of watermelons, leaving Kherson for Kyiv along the Dnieper river.[1]
Russian invasion
editDuring the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent Russian occupation, farmers in the region, who usually produced watermelons, were unable to do so. The watermelon became a symbol of Kherson.[2][3][4][5] At the Ukrainian stand at COP27, a watermelon was displayed with a Ukrainian flag.[6] The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, joked upon arriving in newly liberated Kherson in November 2022 that he travelled there because he "wanted a watermelon".[1][7] Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian national postal services company, released watermelon-themed stamps commemorating the liberation of Kherson.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Why did Zelensky want a watermelon in Kherson?". BBC News. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ "Ukraine-Russia war latest: Wagner chief claims Russia used 'lethal force' against mercenaries; dam 'catastrophe' leaves town 'underwater'". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ admin (2022-11-12). "How did the watermelon become a symbol of Kherson's liberation from Russian occupation?". We Are Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ "Making sense of Ukrainian war memes: From watermelons to Saint Javelin". The Kyiv Independent. 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ Review, The Odessa (2017-08-23). "A Trip to Kherson: Watermelons, Amazons, and a Dead Sea". Odessa Review. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ "The pavilion and the watermelon: How Ukraine made its COP27 climate conference display an anti-war message". The Globe and Mail. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ "Ukraine round-up: Zelensky's Kherson warning, war letters and watermelon". BBC News. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ Danylov, Oleg (11 November 2022). "Ukrposhta announced the new release "Kherson is Ukraine!"". Mezha.