Пусть тыква и сладкая, я всё равно чаще покупаю черешню летом.

In this sentence, пусть does not mean let in the literal sense of giving permission.

Here it introduces a concession, similar to:

• even if
• granted that
• though
• admittedly

So Пусть тыква и сладкая... means something like:

• Even if pumpkin is sweet...
• Granted, pumpkin is sweet, but...
• Though pumpkin is sweet...

This is a fairly natural Russian way to acknowledge one fact and then contrast it with what follows.

The и helps strengthen the concessive meaning. In this pattern, пусть ... и ..., Russian often means:

• granted that ...
• even though ...
• although ...

So:

• Пусть тыква сладкая = possible, but less idiomatic in this kind of contrast
• Пусть тыква и сладкая = more natural for even though pumpkin is sweet

You can think of пусть ... и ... as a set expression used to concede a point before saying something different in the main clause.

Because тыква is a feminine noun in Russian.

Russian adjectives must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

So:

• тыква = feminine singular nominative
• therefore сладкая = feminine singular nominative

Compare:

• сладкий чай = sweet tea masculine
• сладкое яблоко = sweet apple neuter
• сладкая тыква = sweet pumpkin feminine

Because it is the direct object of покупаю = I buy.

In Russian, the thing being bought takes the accusative case.

Dictionary form:

• черешня = nominative

Direct object form:

• покупаю черешню = I buy sweet cherries

Since черешня is feminine and ends in -я, its accusative singular becomes -ю:

• черешня → черешню

Чаще is the comparative form of часто:

• часто = often
• чаще = more often

So я всё равно чаще покупаю черешню летом means:

• I still buy sweet cherries more often in summer

The idea is comparative, even if the comparison is not stated very explicitly. It suggests something like:

• more often than pumpkin
• more often than other things
• more often in practice, despite pumpkin being sweet

Russian often leaves that comparison implicit if the context makes it clear enough.

Всё равно here means:

• all the same
• anyway
• still
• nevertheless

It shows that the speaker’s behavior does not change despite the fact just mentioned.

So the logic is:

• Pumpkin may be sweet
• but I still / nevertheless buy sweet cherries more often in summer

This phrase is extremely common in Russian.

Examples:

• Я устал, но всё равно пойду. = I’m tired, but I’ll go anyway.
• Он не согласен, но всё равно пришёл. = He didn’t agree, but he came anyway.

Because летом is an adverbial form meaning in summer or during the summer.

Russian often uses certain noun forms without a preposition to express time.
Here:

• лето = summer
• летом = in summer

Similar examples:

• зимой = in winter
• весной = in spring
• осенью = in autumn
• утром = in the morning
• днём = during the day
• вечером = in the evening

So покупаю черешню летом simply means I buy sweet cherries in summer.

This is a very common question for English speakers, because English usually just says cherry.

In Russian:

• черешня = sweet cherry
• вишня = sour cherry / tart cherry

So черешню here means the sweet kind typically eaten fresh.

That is why many translations specify sweet cherries, even though English often just says cherries.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, but this version sounds natural because it clearly sets up the contrast:

• Пусть тыква и сладкая, = concession first
• я всё равно чаще покупаю черешню летом. = main point second

This is similar to English:

• Though pumpkin is sweet, I still buy cherries more often in summer.

You could rearrange parts, but the emphasis would change. For example:

• Я всё равно чаще покупаю черешню летом, пусть тыква и сладкая.

This is understandable, but the original sounds smoother and more standard.

No. Russian has several ways to express concession.

Some common alternatives are:

• хотя = although
• несмотря на то что = despite the fact that
• пусть ... и ... = granted that / even though

For example:

• Хотя тыква сладкая, я всё равно чаще покупаю черешню летом.
• Пусть тыква и сладкая, я всё равно чаще покупаю черешню летом.

These are similar, but пусть ... и ... can sound a bit more like I admit that this is true, but my main point still stands.

It is grammatically correct, but semantically it can feel a little unusual because pumpkin and sweet cherries are not the most obvious things to compare.

A native speaker would understand it, but might wonder about the context:

• Are we talking about sweet foods?
• Seasonal produce?
• Personal shopping preferences?

So the sentence is fine for learning grammar, especially for:

• concessive пусть ... и ...
• всё равно
• accusative черешню
• time expression летом

But in everyday conversation, the exact comparison might feel a bit unexpected unless the context has already been established.