Gorkunov Group to Grow 10 Million Flowers a Year in Altai With Help From Robots
The Gorkunov Group has opened a fully automated, end-to-end greenhouse complex in Barnaul, designed to grow chrysanthemums for cut flowers.
In 2025, approximately 2.2 billion flowers were sold in Russia, generating about 460 billion rubles (roughly $5.7 billion). Yet according to the National Association of Flower Growers, foreign producers received an estimated 80% of that revenue, while Russian growers captured just 20%. The challenge for domestic producers is to claim a larger share of their home market and keep more of the value generated there.
A Self-Contained Production Cycle
Growing flowers in Russia is a complex undertaking, largely because of the country’s climate. Most commercial projects therefore rely on greenhouse production, which requires substantial investment and significant operating effort. Digital technologies can help make the process more efficient.
On October 22, a new greenhouse complex for growing chrysanthemums for cut flowers officially opened in Barnaul. The Gorkunov Group invested 3.1 billion rubles (approximately $38 million) in the project, with construction and installation work taking three years. The facility covers 4.8 hectares and is designed to produce up to 10 million flowers annually, equivalent to more than 3% of Russia’s chrysanthemum market. The new facility is fully independent of external supplies and operates as a closed-loop production system. The company produces its own planting material in an in-house laboratory specializing in micropropagation.
“Using micropropagation in our own laboratory, we grow the number of chrysanthemum cuttings we need. This lowers production costs and, more importantly, means we do not have to rely on outside suppliers for planting material. If we had to buy it from the Netherlands, the current geopolitical situation would make it difficult to secure young plants on a regular basis,” said Andrey Vostryakov, head of the Altayskoye division of the Gorkunov Group.
Robots in the Greenhouse
One of the complex’s defining features is the extensive automation of its production processes. The full growing cycle takes 70 to 72 days. A robot moves the cuttings into a room where they are kept in zones with carefully controlled humidity. They are then prepared for planting, treated with a rooting stimulant, packaged, and transferred to a storage chamber. The growing medium, meanwhile, is mixed automatically and sent to a robotic production line, where it is formed into peat cubes. Robots then punch planting holes in the cubes and insert the cuttings. Once planted, the young plants are kept in a room where the climate is controlled automatically.
“Opening and closing the vents and curtains, watering the plants, supplying CO2 – the computer handles all of it,” Vostryakov said. Harvesting is digitalized as well. A specialized harvesting machine travels along rails between the rows of chrysanthemums, cutting the flowers as it goes. An underground conveyor then carries them to an automated vacuum-packaging area. Reduced air pressure and low temperatures put the chrysanthemums into a dormant state, allowing them to be stored for up to a month. In practice, the only tasks performed manually in the greenhouses are collecting the cut flowers and applying biological pest control: beneficial insects, known as natural enemies, that feed on crop pests.
Digital Advances in Flower Growing
Russia has been working to automate flower production for several years. Graduates of Novosibirsk State Technical University, for example, have developed a prototype automation platform for greenhouse operations. It is designed not only to manage irrigation, lighting, and ventilation but also to provide AI-powered recommendations for growing flowers.
Researchers at Tyumen State University have developed an intelligent system to monitor plant health in commercial greenhouses. The project aims to automate phytosanitary monitoring in large greenhouse complexes and create an intelligent system for biological plant protection. In other words, the researchers are developing a robot that can take over the repetitive task of inspecting plants across extensive greenhouse areas.
The Gorkunov Group is pursuing similar projects. Its greenhouse operation in Novosibirsk has automated the growing of potted roses, while its facility in the Yaroslavl region uses robotic systems to grow orchids.
Looking ahead, integrating machine vision, automated climate control, AI-based plant health monitoring, robotic crop care, and production data analytics on a shared platform could give flower growers access to smart-farming systems. Similar platforms are gradually taking shape in other parts of Russia’s agricultural sector.
At the same time, this shift is creating a new market for Russian developers of integrated hardware and software solutions, with demand for continuous upgrades and improvements.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture, 133 greenhouse operations currently grow flowers under protected cultivation, covering a total of 333 hectares. Another six complexes, with a combined area of 34.1 hectares, are under construction. A further 16 greenhouses, covering 113.6 hectares in total, are planned by 2030. All of these facilities are expected to use digital technologies. Experts estimate that this expansion could allow domestic growers to capture about half of Russia’s flower market by 2030.
