The rasputitsa (Russian: распу́тица) is the twice annual flooding of Belarus, western Russia and the Ukraine. The word translates as "mud season" and during this period the large flat steppe becomes extremely muddy and marshy, and all non-paved roads become impassable. The term applies both to the season ("spring rasputitsa" and "autumn rasputitsa") and to the state of the roads.
The rasputitsa occurs most strongly in the spring due to the melting snow but it reoccurs in the fall due to the heavy rains. The rasputitda can be viewed as an expansion of the Pripet Marshes through the whole of the region.
While Russia's winters are well known as a great defensive advantage in wartime, the rasputitsa has also played a crucial role in Russian history. Napoleon counted Russia's mud as a very important hindrance. The blitzkrieg of the Nazi's was almost wholly halted by the mud that left even the most powerful tanks unusable.
The name Rasputin in Russian does not mean "licentious", as is often claimed.
It may bear the connotation of "mud", as in rasputitsa -- "mud season" (i.e., "rainy season").
However, most historians agree that his name signifies, roughly, a place where two rivers meet, which describes the area from which the Rasputin family originates.
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