In Kyiv, some young people picked water lilies on Lake Telbin

On Lake Telbin in Kyiv’s Dnipro District, two young men waded into the water to pick a bouquet of water lilies. Their actions were captured on video. The blooming “Island of the Nymphs” on the lake was originally created thanks to an initiative by Kyiv residents themselves.

The footage shows the two young men picking flowers growing in the water in broad daylight. When they noticed that passersby were filming their actions, the offenders not only failed to stop but also began making obscene gestures toward the witnesses.

“Telbinsky-style romance: two ‘charming’ gentlemen decided that the lilies by the lake were growing just for their bouquets. We won’t make any claims, but it looked as though they were picking the flowers for each other. A beautiful couple—it’s a shame they lacked manners and common sense,” the authors of the post captioned the video.

Social Media Reaction

The young men’s actions sparked a wave of outrage among local residents. In the comments under the post, Kyiv residents point out that the lilies are practically the only thing that beautifies the lake and brings joy to locals, and that the picked flowers wilt in literally a matter of minutes.

Residents are also calling for law enforcement to get involved, as fines are imposed for destroying or damaging greenery and aquatic plants, and some are suggesting organizing volunteer patrols around Lake Telbin to protect nature from vandals.

 

Local residents are even suggesting setting up shifts during the lily-blooming season

What is known about the blooming nymphaeum island on Lake Telbin

As previously reported by “Glavkom,” the blooming island of nymphaeas on Lake Telbin came about thanks to an initiative by Kyiv residents themselves. Several years ago, local resident Vitaliy Yutaev planted the first clumps for his family, after which they later purchased and transplanted seven more multicolored water lilies. The plants took root beautifully and created a magnificent floral display.

Water lilies play an extremely important role in the ecosystem of bodies of water: they provide shade, serve as a refuge for fish, and naturally purify the water. Water lilies bloom until October, but each individual flower lives for only about four days, which is why their wanton destruction causes particular harm to the local environment.

A video documenting this was posted in the local Facebook group “Bereznyaki and Rusanivka.”

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