Russian famine of 1601–1603

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/russian-famine-of-16011603

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Tsardom of Russia
2. What is the period of famine?1601-1603
3. What caused the Great Russian Hunger of 1601-1603?The eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano in Peru in 1600 released a huge amount of sulfur dioxide and ash into the air. This created a volcanic winter that made Russia very cold and wet, which ruined many crops.
4. Why did so many people die during the famine?About two million people, or roughly 30% of Russia’s population, died because the cold and wet weather destroyed crops and there was little food stored or help available.

Volcanic Winter: A period of significant global cooling caused by stratospheric injection of volcanic aerosols.
Time of Troubles: A period of political crisis, civil war, and foreign intervention in Russia from 1598 to 1613.
Demographic Catastrophe: An event causing a massive and rapid decline in a population.
Exogenous Factor: An external influence or cause that affects a system.