Clearly not my timeliest post, but way back in 2021 one of my paintings became the cover art for an intriguing, eclectic book titled The White Birch. Written by art critic Tom Jeffreys, the book explores the symbolism of the birch tree in Russian culture and history. Published shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the book points ominously toward a few of the events that have since unfolded. Mostly though the narrative follows the authors’ many travels through Russia in his efforts to understand the place, its people, and its histories.

Here is an excerpt from the author’s website:

“The birch, genus Betula, is one of the northern hemisphere’s most widespread and easily recognisable trees. A pioneer species, the birch is also Russia’s unofficial national emblem, and in The White Birch art critic Tom Jeffreys sets out to grapple with the riddle of Russianness through numerous journeys, encounters, histories and artworks that all share one thing in common: the humble birch tree.”

“We visit Catherine the Great’s garden follies and Tolstoy’s favourite chair; walk through the Chernobyl exclusion zone and among overgrown concrete bunkers in Vladivostok; explore the world of online Russian brides and spend a drunken night in Moscow with art-activists Pussy Riot, all the time questioning the role played by Russia’s vastly diverse landscapes in forming and imposing national identity. And vice-versa: how has Russia’s dramatically shifting self-image informed the way its people think about nature, land and belonging?”