Description
Burning Swamps explores the hidden history of peat in Russia’s fossil fuel economy, challenging conventional narratives about energy and development. Katja Bruisch investigates how peat extraction became central to Soviet and post-Soviet industrial strategies, transforming vast wetland ecosystems into fuel sources while creating ecological crises in peripheral regions.
Through archival research and fieldwork, the book traces how peat production affected local populations, environmental degradation, and Russia’s energy security. Bruisch demonstrates how the pursuit of resource extraction prioritized economic gains over ecological sustainability, leaving lasting impacts on Russia’s forgotten margins. This study contributes to environmental history by showing how fuel economies are built on exploitation of both nature and peripheral communities.
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