Resilience inspired the contents and the making of THE BIRCH, 2023, our first issue in three years, during this heartbreaking period when the true strength and diversity of Slavic culture have been needlessly tested. 

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia’s brutal war of aggression in pursuit of expansionist and revisionist aims has only strengthened Ukraine’s culture of resilience. The remarkable diversity of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian regions illuminated during this dark time has given academia a moment for reflection on the region’s cultural achievements still to be properly recognized.

We are motivated at THE BIRCH to continue building on our nearly 20-year legacy of raising undergraduate voices across the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian regions. Our mission is to celebrate not only the region’s diversity, but also the significant variety and interconnections among students worldwide who are contributing to the discourse. We believe THE BIRCH—as a forum for discussion, debate, and inquiry—has never been so necessary, which is why we were determined to reinstate it.

Although THE BIRCH is the oldest undergraduate Slavic journal in America, it has not been published since 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with Russia’s war in Ukraine, froze its operations, and all staff with experience soon graduated. By the start of this year, the entirety of THE BIRCH consisted of a short list of account passwords––and even those were at times ineffectual, as we found ourselves locked out of our old website and social media. 

The re-imaginings of our staff helped forge a new foundation for the journal to thrive. No member of staff had printed the journal before, yet this 112-page publication marks the largest-ever issue of THE BIRCH. Within the first two months of the school year, we launched a new website, created an Instagram account, and announced open submissions at over 100 Slavic studies institutions. This publication reflects remarkable resilience and unprecedented accomplishments.

We are grateful to our contributors, without whom THE BIRCH would be impossible, and to the Columbia University Department of Slavic Languages and the Harriman Institute for their unwavering support. At this sobering historical inflection point, we are honored to present our undergraduate voices.

Culture & History

THE BIRCH 2023

Released May 3, 2023