It is small wonder the birch tree is often used as an emblem for Russia, having played a huge practical, spiritual and symbolic role in the culture of the people. The birch would have been an ever-present resource for the early Eastern Slavs, as its distribution on the fringes of the vast, coniferous boreal forest would juxtapose it directly with settled areas.

Tall, flexible and slender, birch trees are associated with the feminine aspect across many cultures, Russian included. In fact birch garlands were worn by girls during the ancient late festival of Rusal’naia, as well as being used to decorate the home. Spring/Summer festivals across many cultures denote growth and fertility. These practices did not entirely disappear from christianised Russia, appearing under the auspices of Troitsa (interestingly, the Soviets changed Troitsa into the ‘festival of the birch trees’ – full circle?).

The birch also had an intensely practical value, providing fuel for cooking and warming the household during winter. It is still an important heat source for many outside the major cities, as I observed for myself on a winter visit to Belozersk, where large stockpiles of firewood huddled up against many of the houses

The birch is also extensively used in folk arts and crafts. Boxes are carved from the wood, in intricate designs. More characteristic however are boxes made from the thin, flexible bark, embossed with folk patterns. The bark can also become a canvas for small painted landscapes, more often than not a little wooden cottage in a forest clearing, blanketed in snow

Birch extracts are traditionally used in hair preparations, and an essential oil distilled from the leaf buds of white birch is the successor of this practice, used internationally in hair care. Another birch product beneficial in skin conditions is the dark, viscous ‘birch tar’, a deeply smoky smelling brew, very reminiscent of a barbecue in the Russian countryside. An oil made from this is used in the process of making Russian leather, imparting its intense characteristic odour.

On a fresher note, spring is the time when birch sap is tapped from the trees as it rises. This enjoyed as a tonic, made into soft drinks and even added to vodka, to minimize the risk of hangover! In a mix of health and pleasure, bundles of leafy birch twigs are steeped in water, before being used to ‘beat’ the sweat out of visitors to the banya (Russian sauna).

The birch is not a long-lived tree, but it grows tall quickly and brings grace and movement to the forest Symbolising youth, beauty and health, it has long featured in Russian painting, arts, and crafts, and I think maybe it also symbolizes rodina - homeland

Sources;
‘Russian Folk Belief’, Linda J Ivanits, 1989, M.E Sharpe inc New York
‘Solovyovo, the Story of memory in a Russian Village’, Margaret Paxson, 2005, Indiana University press, Woodrow Wilson Center Press
‘The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils’, Julia Lawless, 1995, Thorsons (HarperCollins)
‘Sovremennaya Encyclopedia Travolechenia’, N.V Belyaev, 2005, Sovremenniy Literator, Minsk.