European diplomats had the
opportunity to get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the Korgalzhyn Nature
Reserve. As part of an environmental campaign, they planted pine trees and watched
pink flamingos and Shrenk tulips. This species, which is under state
protection, is considered to be the progenitor of modern tulip varieties. It
also grows in the Naurzum Reserve in the Kostanai region. Kazakhstan is home to
35 species of tulips, 18 of which are listed in the country’s Red Book of
Endangered Species. Thus, the Kaufmann, Regel, and Greig tulips are widespread
in southern Kazakhstan. The latter rightfully holds the title of the king of
tulips. It is known that tulips appeared on the territory of modern Kazakhstan
over 10 million years ago. There are more than 3,000 varieties of cultivated
tulips worldwide, and the majority of them are descendants of Kazakhstan’s tulip
species. The country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko shared a video featuring
the foreign diplomats on his social media account, captioning it ‘Kazakhstan -
the homeland of tulips.’
