The Birch 2024

This issue––which covers topics like Ukrainian nationhood, the legacies of iconic figures like Gogol and Tolstoy, and enduring consequences of Russian imperialism––reflects on core questions that have been asked with increasing urgency over the past 20 years. Ideological conflicts have spiraled into hostile divisions and battlefield tragedies. With a grossly distorted, revisionist claim on history, Russian president Vladimir Putin has driven Russia from a promising democracy to autocracy that has destabilized the region. With its 2014 annexation of Crimea, frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine, and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia continues to wage a war against Ukraine’s nation and culture. In our pages, we have included images of the sunflower, a symbol of Ukrainian solidarity and hope for peace.

The Birch has been a consistent home for scholarly discussion that has remained relevant, generative, and incisive. Regardless of what new struggles and successes the region experiences in the next 20 years, The Birch will continue to provide undergraduate scholars with a platform to investigate the nuances and trajectories of the region’s culture, history, and politics.