page_title: Huaynaputina
section_title: Russia
hierarchical_section_title: Huaynaputina / Global atmospheric impacts of the 1600 eruption / Far field consequences / Russia
caption_attribution_description: Great Famine in Moscow in 1601
context_page_description: Huaynaputina is a stratovolcano in a volcanic upland in southern Peru. Part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andean Volcanic Belt, it is the product of the subduction of the oceanic Nazca tectonic plate beneath the continental part of the South American tectonic plate at a rate of 10.3 centimetres per year. Huaynaputina is a large volcanic crater, lacking an identifiable mountain profile, with an outer stratovolcano and three younger volcanic vents. The vents of Huaynaputina form a north-northwest–south-southeast trend.
  The volcano erupted several times during the Holocene, the largest eruption took place in the year 1600. The 1600 eruption was the largest historical eruption in South America, measuring 6 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. It occurred on 19 February and continued with a series of events into March. Witnessed by the people of the city of Arequipa, its impact in the region was severe, wiping out vegetation and burying the surroundings with 2 metres of volcanic rock; it also damaged infrastructure and economic resources.
context_section_description: Ice cores in the Russian Altai Mountains noted a strong cooling around 1601, with tree ring data also recording a cooling of 3.5 °C (6.3 °F). Cooling was also noted in tree rings of the Kola Peninsula.
  The summer 1601 was wet, and the winter 1601–1602 was severe. In 1601–1603 the eruption led to a famine after crops failed in 1601 and 1602; this is considered to be the worst famine of Russian history and claimed about two million lives, a third of the country's population. The tzar Boris Godunov was overthrown in part owing to the social impacts of the famine, and the time of social unrest known as the Time of Troubles began. This social unrest eventually led to a change in the ruling dynasty and interventions from Sweden and Poland.
caption: A 19th century engraving showing the 1601 famine in Russia
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