Devastation of Europe by the Black Death

The Black Death was present in Russia between 1352 and 1353. The plague epidemic is described in contemporary Russian chronicles, but without confirmed dates.

The Black Death entered Europe from the Golden Horde in Central Asia in 1347, but it did not reach Russia from Central Asia in the southeast. Due to religious reasons, the border between Christian Russia and the Muslim Golden Horde was closed, which may have helped prevent the plague from spreading to Russia through this route. Instead, it reached Russia from the northwest after spreading across the rest of Europe.

The Black Death finally reached Russia from the Baltics in the west. Its first documented outbreak in Russia occurred in the city of Pskov in the spring of 1352. From there, it reached Novgorod and continued to travel south, eventually affecting the rest of Russia.