Spring is a joyous time in Russia as the long winter is ending and the miracle of Easter is on its way, but there is a major one to two week exception to this happiness, especially for those on the move, called “rasputitsa” (распутица) or as one might call it in English “The Big Melt”. This term doesn’t translate well to English as it hints that all the pathways have been jumbled, blurred or confused. The “put” (way) in rasputitsa, is the same root word used in the last names of famous individuals like Putin, and Rasputin.

Russian winter on the calendar is three months long, but in reality it can look more like four or five months in the central regions around the nation’s capital. These areas are also quite wet and full of streams, rivers, lakes and underground water. This means that the snow can build up to massive amounts over this long period as there is plenty of moisture to create it. But once the temperatures stably go above freezing, it will all melt away in a week or two flooding everything and bogging down locals.

Images above: These two paintings show just how messy melting snow can make Russia.

Although, this certainly affects the minority of roads, there are even special restrictions put onto some routes during this time to protect the surface of the roads. This is done to allow them to “dry out” and thus regain their hardness especially for the land underneath the road. Large semi-truck and loaded down cement mixers are often forced to go on holiday in terms of smaller weaker local roads during this time. Their weight on a soft surface could simply destroy the road surface outright.

In the olden days or in isolated locations the levels of mud can even stop light-weight humans dead in their tracks and this yearly mud fest is probably part of the reason why Russians fervently take off their shoes when they get home. Obviously for most in the country concrete and asphalt roads and sidewalks have made this situation better, but going “off road” is still quite an adventure during this time. Russians always have to be aware of where they are walking and driving as to not fall pray to the muddy horrors of rasputitsa.

But after these two weeks or less everything goes back to normal as if nothing ever happened and life moves on.