The European steppe, a significant geographical expanse, has influenced Russian culture and identity throughout history. It has served various purposes, from a source of resources to a backdrop for pivotal events in Russian history. The narrative explores how this landscape shaped the perceptions of figures like the Grand Princes of Kiev and continues to resonate in contemporary Russian thought and literature, reflecting the complex relationship between the land and its people.
Willard Sunderland Books


Taming the Wild Field
- 272 pages
- 10 hours of reading
Stretching from the tributaries of the Danube to the Urals and from the Russian forests to the Black and Caspian seas, the vast European steppe has for centuries played very different roles in the Russian imagination. To the Grand Princes of Kiev and...