History of the Birch Bark Boxes   

    Birch bark fold crafts have a long history in Russia and Siberia, but the boxes that you are now seeing have a relatively recent history. Native people naturally made use of locally available materials. In the taiga forests of Russia and Siberia, the birch tree provided a useful and important local material, Birch Bark. Birch bark has many useful purposes, has antibacterial properties. Russians used birch bark for shoes, to provide a warm lining for hand tools, and especially used containers lined with birch bark to store grains, honey, dried fruits and various liquids. The Mongol warriors used birch bark to waterproof their composite bows. Over time, folk crafts that served utilitarian purposes later became decorative art.  Almost every region of Russia has a distinct birch bark style. During the Soviet period, the folk crafts were highly encouraged but the styles were purposely kept very plain and rudimentary.  The birch bark is collected only during a brief interval in June and from trees that have been marked for logging. The bark from the one birch tree provides enough material for about five of the largest boxes. Birch bark as a medium has properties in between paper and wood. Like paper, the bark can be made into sheets, painted or bent into flexible shapes. But like wood, the bark is durable, waterproof and can be carved. The boxes are still hand carved using a variety of special tools. A finished piece is coated with a thin layer of paraffin wax. The boxes are made in turn of the century style workshops. In Russian Folk wisdom, it was believed that touching a birch tree restored the emotions and helped to reduce stress. Parents made talismans from birch bark for their children called igrushki-oberegi, to ward off evil spirits.  Slowly the craft has turned from purely utilitarian purposes to becoming more decorative. The boxes, hair barrettes and combs and brushes you see are now a mixture of the old traditions and new artistic  freedoms.