Sometimes the value of a brand is expressed not in words, but in actions. This winter, the flag of the floristry studio XOstudio FLOWERS from Chisinau reached an altitude of 2,925 metres – at the summit of Mount Musala, the highest point in Bulgaria and across the Balkan Peninsula.
It was raised by Andrei Elistratov and Anton Pekin – mountaineers from Moldova. This ascent continues the tradition of mountaineering treks organised by X-Style, a company specialising in sports equipment and the organisation of mountain trips and expeditions. For Andrei and Anton, this ascent is another point on the map of their shared journeys. Their first major expedition took place back in 2017, when they travelled to Nepal and reached Everest Base Camp. Since then, they have continued to explore the world, the mountains, and new horizons.
Mount Musala is located in Rila National Park – one of the most scenic mountain regions in Bulgaria. In winter, the sense of scale is especially striking: snow-covered plateaus, rugged terrain, and open horizons. The route is considered accessible, but only at first glance. The final section of the ascent requires focus, proper equipment – crampons and an ice axe – and confidence in your ability.
On the day of the ascent, the weather was clear, and from the ridge there were panoramic views over the Rila mountain range – one of those rare moments when the landscape seems endless.
For XOstudio FLOWERS, this is not the first «ascent». The studio’s flag has already travelled with Andrey Elistratov to the Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) in Nepal in April 2024, to the peak of La Om (2,238 m) in the Piatra Craiului range in Romania, and on Mount Pelaga (2,509 m) in Retezat National Park in May 2025.
This is not about altitude as an achievement in itself. What matters more are the ascents and the experience they bring – the kind that draws people back to the mountains. «I often say that some of the best investments are those in memories. The mountains give exactly that, and the XOstudio FLOWERS flag makes them part of our shared story,» says Andrei Elistratov.
There is also a simpler connection: attention to form, to detail, to how a whole comes together. In the mountains, it is the terrain and the line of the horizon; in floristry, it is composition and harmony of flower bouquets.
The XOstudio FLOWERS flag on the summit of Musala feels like a natural continuation of this story. Among snow, rock and wind, it does not appear as a random element, but rather as a sign that is part of a personal journey. This flag, in the colour of the edelweiss – a flower that has long been a symbol of purity – speaks for itself in this context.
What comes through clearly here is the attitude towards what you do, what you take with you on the journey, and what remains afterwards.
And perhaps that is why the XOstudio FLOWERS flag keeps appearing in places where one simple idea becomes especially clear: at any altitude, there is always space for beauty and spring.
