The present work showing a palm tree belongs to the series “U. B. K.” (an abbreviation for the “Southern Coast of Crimea”), which the artist had been working on since 2007. As Tistol explains: ‘Palm trees for me, just as for all other people, are symbols of paradise. Moreover, in our tradition, the fir tree is a substitute for the palm. Therefore, I always perceived the palm as our “national tree”. One can also feel the summer, the Yalta seafront, and the holiday-like feeling of light-heartedness…’ Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Tistol’s palm tree paintings have taken on a more tragic and poignant meaning, coming to epitomise the evergrowing elusiveness of paradise.