ABSTRACT
The territory of the Soviet Union spans many climatic zones and experiences large temporal and spatial variations in climate. Studying the climate of these territories is not only of scientific but also of great practical importance. Suffice it to say that during the last millenium of Russian history there were more than 350 “hungry” years, most of them precipitated by unfavorable climatic conditions (Borisenkov and Pasetsky 1983).
