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

Foreign Affairs | 2026-04-21 | europe

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English Summary

The book argues that Russia's vast forests are not merely environmental features, but rather a fundamental, dynamic element that has shaped its political history, identity, and resilience. Key evidence spans centuries, illustrating how these forests have served as crucial refuges for dissidents, bases for military resistance (from anti-invader groups to WWII partisans), and even the silent backdrop for the Soviet Union's dissolution. Strategically, this suggests that Russia's geopolitical vulnerabilities and internal resistance movements are deeply intertwined with its natural environment, making environmental and cultural factors critical variables in any assessment of Russian state stability or foreign policy.

中文摘要

本書論述俄羅斯廣袤的森林不僅僅是環境特徵，更是一個根本且動態的要素，深刻形塑了其政治歷史、國家認同和韌性。關鍵證據跨越了數個世紀，闡明了這些森林如何充當了異議人士的關鍵避難所、軍事抵抗的基地（從反入侵者團體到二戰時期游擊隊），甚至成為了蘇聯解體時的無聲背景。從戰略角度來看，這表明俄羅斯的地緣政治脆弱性與其內部抵抗運動，與其自然環境息息相關，使得環境和文化因素成為評估俄羅斯國家穩定性或外交政策時不可或缺的關鍵變數。

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