The Oak and the Larch: A Forest History of Russia and Its Empires

From the Baltic to the Pacific, from the Arctic to the steppes of Central Asia, Russia’s forests account for nearly one–fifth of the world’s wooded lands. Award–winning journalist and scholar Sophie Pinkham presents the first–ever English–language exploration of this vast expanse. The Oak and the Larch is a dazzling account of how trees have shaped Russia, from the hardy Siberian larch to the majestic oaks of the heartland, with indelible portraits of the diverse peoples who have called this wilderness home. Pinkham analyzes the forest’s role in Russia’s long history of imperial conquest and discusses how sylvan mythologies shaped its culture, from pre–Christian forest spirits to the great works of literature and beyond. By examining the country from the forest’s perspective, The Oak and the Larch offers an urgent new understanding of the nature of Russian power, and of Russia’s ideas of itself.