Description: I present a collection of over 200 works, each of which is a fragment of my life and my experiences. Many ask the question: why birch bark? For me, this material holds special significance. I have lived for a long time in a small, remote village, where I have an old Russian stove. Every time I light the stove, I pay attention to the birch bark I plan to throw into the fire. Looking at the bark, I often feel images and thoughts arising. In this way, I save the birch bark from the fire, transforming it into a canvas for a painting, which I create with charcoal — usually from the very stove in which I was about to burn the bark.