Kalina krasnaya is a Russian expression which describes the Viburnum opulus (Russian: Калина, Kalina Krasnaya or Кали́на обыкнове́нная, Kalina obyknovennaya).
The term kalina describes the berry and krasnaya the color red. Viburnum opulus (kalina) is an important element of the Russian folk culture.[1] [2] Kalina derived in Russian language from kalit or raskalyat', which means "to make red-hot". In Old Russian language the word for beautiful and red were completely identical. In the modern Russian language, the terms for red and beautiful are still strongly connected linguistically. Krasnaya (Russian: кра́сная) means red and is connected in modern Russian language to beautiful (Russian: красиво).[3] [4]
The expression kalina krasnaya which means red viburnum is a symbol for love, beauty, youth, luck and passion and feelings people seek to feel. It represents one side of the Mother Rusĭ. A kalina berry can also symbolize a transition to the opposite, emotions and emotional worlds that feel painful for people, like sadness and grief (Горькая Калина, gor'kaya kalina).[5] In Russian folklore, Kalina Krasnaya is the subject of many songs and poems.[6]