Watermelon (symbol of Kherson)

The watermelon is a symbol of the region of Kherson in Ukraine. More than 50% of the watermelons in Ukraine are produced in Kherson Oblast and are shipped upriver to Kyiv.

A soldier from the 128th Zakarpattia Mountain Assault Brigade in front of the watermelon monument near Osokorivka in October 2022

During 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.[1][2][3][4] At the Ukrainian stand at COP27, a watermelon was displayed with a Ukrainian flag.[5] 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".[6][7] Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian national postal services company, released watermelon-themed stamps commemorating the liberation of Kherson.[8]

History of watermelons in Kherson

Watermelons 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.[6]

References
  1. "Ukraine-Russia war latest: Wagner chief claims Russia used 'lethal force' against mercenaries; dam 'catastrophe' leaves town 'underwater'". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  2. 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.
  3. "Making sense of Ukrainian war memes: From watermelons to Saint Javelin". The Kyiv Independent. 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  4. Review, The Odessa (2017-08-23). "A Trip to Kherson: Watermelons, Amazons, and a Dead Sea". Odessa Review. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  5. "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.
  6. "Why did Zelensky want a watermelon in Kherson?". BBC News. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  7. "Ukraine round-up: Zelensky's Kherson warning, war letters and watermelon". BBC News. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  8. Danylov, Oleg (11 November 2022). "Ukrposhta announced the new release "Kherson is Ukraine!"". Mezha.
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