This resin comes from the Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), a hardy conifer belonging to the stone pine group, that grows across the frozen regions of Siberia, long valued there for its durable wood and fragrant resin. In Russian, the tree is often called "Siberian cedar," though botanically it is not a true cedar at all, but more closely related to the Swiss stone pine of the Alps. The tree also yields the edible seeds known as pine nuts, traditionally used in Siberia much like the pine nuts of other stone pines. The trees can live for over 500 years and grow up to 40 metres tall, often standing in dense, largely untouched forests of Western Siberia and the Altai Mountains, far from major settlements. Their vast range forms one of the last great contiguous stretches of conifer forest on Earth.

In Siberian and Russian folk medicine, the resin has for generations been a staple of the home remedy cabinet — worked into salves and tinctures for respiratory complaints, coughs, and colds, and prized for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Known in Russian as "zhivitsa" — from "zhivoi," meaning "living" — the fresh resin was traditionally also applied directly to open wounds or chewed for dental care. Much like birch branches in the Russian banya, Siberian pine resin held a firm place in traditional Siberian cleansing and healing rituals. Pine nuts and pine oil remain important export goods of Siberian regions to this day, used both in cooking and in cosmetics and natural remedies; the resin itself is also traditionally distilled to produce Siberian pine turpentine, an essential oil valued in Russian folk medicine.

As incense, Siberian pine resin releases a warm, resinous, faintly sweet pine scent believed to have a calming effect on the nervous system and to promote restful sleep. Its pleasant, forest-like character makes it a popular addition to incense blends and aromatherapy products for relaxation. Across the Siberian taiga, the scent of Siberian pine resin has long accompanied everyday life in remote villages, where fresh resin is still often gathered directly from a wounded trunk and burned raw or gently warmed — one of the most immediate and primal forms of incense burning there is.