In Russia, it is hard to find a person who has not heard of birch bark. From Russian fairy tales and history lessons, we learn about birch bark letters, baskets, toys, and bast shoes. Both adults and children would be interested to see items from the past. In Russia, there is a place where one can get acquainted with the variety of such products, the Novosibirsk Museum 'Siberian Birch Bark'. In fact, there are two museums: one for adults on Sverdlov Street and another for children on Gorky Street.

Modern folk artisans create paintings, icons, figurines, dishes, jewelry, and sculptural compositions in various techniques that amaze visitors.

The idea of creating the museum belongs to Idea Timofeevna Lozhkina, who aimed to introduce people to the unique world of birch bark and preserve it for future generations. She started with a personal collection and sought works from Siberian masters to make local decorative and applied art accessible to all. Thus, the museum 'Siberian Birch Bark' was born.

The museum opened on June 27, 2002, in an old one-story house on Gorky Street, which is a monument of wooden architecture in Novosibirsk. Built in 1917 for a merchant family, the building attracts attention with its carved decor and mezzanine, made in folk traditions.

The first exhibition occupied two small halls, but after two years, the museum's collection expanded, and new space was needed. A small branch remained in the old building, the Siberian House of Fairy Tales, opened on August 31, 2012. Here, one can see fairy tale characters made of birch bark, an old Russian light room, and a room of fear. The main exhibition moved to Sverdlov Street, where it is still located.

Museum visitors can see unique birch bark creations: sculptures, graphics, paintings, icons, decorative and applied art products, jewelry, and household items. More than thirty masters from Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, and other regions of Russia have poured their soul and heart into their works, each with their own approach to birch bark. All exhibits possess high artistic value.

In six large halls of the museum, more than 400 birch bark exhibits are presented:

In the Hall of Fairy Tales and Myths, sculptures dedicated to Slavic traditions and pagan gods come to life.

The Hall of Legends tells about the rituals of ancient shamans.

Funny scenes from life can be seen in the Hall of Situations.

In the Grand Hall, there are ensembles of sculptures and decorations made of birch bark.

The Hall of Mysteries surprises visitors with unusual works of an erotic nature.

It is hard to believe that such complex works are created from a fragile material. Special interest is aroused by large panels made from a solid piece of birch bark and statues of ancient gods taller than a human. Russian peasantry, inextricably linked with birch bark, is represented in images like 'The Mower', 'Woman with Rakes', 'The Plowman'. The museum's exhibits reflect not only ancient traditions but also innovative possibilities for using birch bark in modern art, such as graphics, portraits, and souvenirs.

The museum hosts painting exhibitions, literary meetings, and evenings of author songs. Events dedicated to folk traditions and holidays are popular among locals and tourists, as are photo sessions with birch bark sculptures. At workshops, one can make a birch bark panel, decoration, or toy by hand. In the souvenir shop, one can purchase both unique author works by masters and small memorable gifts.

In June 2003, the museum participated in the 5th All-Russian Museum Festival 'Intermuseum-2003', and in September 2003, it received a large gold medal at the 'Siberian Fair' at the 'Fresh Art Siberia-2003' exhibition.