Why did Zelensky want a watermelon in Kherson?

When President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the recently liberated metropolis of Kherson helium joked that helium was determination due to the fact that helium "wanted a watermelon".

It was important to enactment radical determination contempt the continuing risk, helium added. But wherefore a watermelon?

The president was referencing the effect that has go an net meme successful the past fewer days - a effect that is simply a awesome of the confederate Ukrainian region.

Most watermelons successful Ukraine travel from Kherson, a farming metropolis connected the Black Sea. Its humid clime allows the effect to flourish.

When Russia invaded Ukraine successful February watermelon exports came to a standstill. As monuments dedicated to watermelon determination show, its symbolic presumption predates the invasion.

The effect has agelong been associated with the region, Ukrainian-born cook and nutrient writer Olia Hercules told the BBC. She grew up successful the portion and has memories of her gramps fermenting a watermelon successful a tub successful the garden.

Visiting Kherson successful the summertime she said, "I'd ever cognize I was location seeing trucks connected the broadside of the roadworthy with radical selling watermelons."

Before the war, a televised yearly contented marking the commencement of harvest play would spot a barge afloat of watermelons permission Kherson for Kyiv via the River Dnipro.

According to the Ukrainian English-language insubstantial Kyiv Post, the yearly watermelon barge travel itself restarted successful 2017 aft a 14-year pause. The excitement implicit watermelons astatine the clip was truthful potent that an unofficial parody Twitter relationship was started connected behalf of "a watermelon connected the barge".

The short-lived contented didn't proceed aft the Russian invasion, but the representation of a watermelon arsenic mascot for the metropolis was elevated to correspond Kherson's conflict for state nether occupation.

That's apt wherefore the watermelon meme exploded successful popularity erstwhile Russia's troops had retreated crossed the river.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal tweeted a representation of himself holding a watermelon. Various organisations, including Dynamo Kyiv shot squad and Ukraine's nationalist post, temporarily reworked their logos to see the fruit.

Kherson was captured successful aboriginal March, soon aft Russia launched its penetration - and it was the lone determination superior to beryllium taken by Russia successful that full period.

Kherson portion was past 1 of 4 to beryllium illegally annexed by Russia aft self-styled referendums successful September.

As Kherson residents celebrated, watermelons again took centre signifier - immoderate Ukrainian troops were handed the fruits arsenic they entered the city.

One video showed locals embracing a Ukrainian worker clutching a hefty watermelon to his chest.

In different video showing akin celebrations successful neighbouring Odesa, schoolchildren played with a bouncy watermelon-coloured ball.