Russian & Siberian Folk Medicine
A rich tradition of forest and steppe botanicals — adaptogens, mushrooms, and cold-climate herbs — used for centuries to build resilience and longevity.
Russia & Siberia
History & Philosophy
Origins
Russian and Siberian folk medicine developed across the forests and steppes of a vast and climatically harsh region, drawing on centuries of practical plant, fungal, and lichen knowledge suited to short growing seasons and long winters.
Core philosophy
The tradition's most influential modern contribution is the concept of the 'adaptogen' — a category of herbs studied extensively by Soviet-era pharmacologists (notably Nikolai Lazarev and Israel Brekhman) for their ability to help the body resist nonspecific stress.
Practiced today
Banya (sauna) culture remains deeply woven into everyday folk health practice, alongside continued use of adaptogenic herbs, mushrooms, and cold-climate botanicals both traditionally and in modern Russian pharmacology and supplement research.
Herbs, foods & remedies
180 herbs traditionally used within Russian & Siberian Folk Medicine — most often for Digestive Issues, Wound Healing, Respiratory Issues.
Acacia (Akatsiya)
Robinia pseudoacacia
Agrimony (Repeshok)
Agrimonia eupatoria
Alder (Olkha)
Alnus glutinosa
Alpine Aster (Astra Alpiskaya)
Aster alpinus
Alpine Gentian (Gorzanka Alpiskaya)
Gentiana algida
Angelica (Dud)
Angelica archangelica
Arctic Raspberry (Knyazhenika)
Rubus arcticus
Arctic Thyme (Chebrets Arktychesky)
Thymus serpyllum subsp. tanaensis
Arctic Willow (Arkticheskaya Iva)
Salix arctica
Autumn Gentian (Gorzanka Osennaya)
Gentianella amarella
Baikal Skullcap (Shlemnik)
Scutellaria baicalensis subsp. baicalensis
Bilberry (Chernika)
Vaccinium myrtillus
Birch Leaf
Betula pendula
Birthwort (Kirkazon)
Aristolochia manshuriensis
Bitter Cress (Serdichnik)
Cardamine pratensis
Bitter Milkwort (Istod)
Polygala amarella
Bitter Vetch (Chechnaya)
Lathyrus linifolius
Black Cohosh Siberian (Voronets)
Actaea erythrocarpa
Blackcurrant (Smorodina)
Ribes nigrum
Bog Myrtle (Bagulnik)
Ledum palustre
Broad-leaved Helleborine (Listera)
Epipactis helleborine
Buckwheat (Grechikha)
Fagopyrum esculentum
Burdock (Lopukh)
Arctium lappa
Burnet (Krovochka)
Sanguisorba officinalis
Calendula (Nogotki)
Calendula officinalis
Caraway (Tmin)
Carum carvi
Cat's Foot (Dushitsa Belaya)
Antennaria dioica
Celandine (Chistotel)
Chelidonium majus
Centaury (Tsiauriya)
Centaurium erythraea
Chaga Mushroom
Inonotus obliquus
Chamomile (Romashka)
Matricaria chamomilla
Chestnut Leaf (Kir Kashtani)
Castanea sativa
Chicory (Tsikory)
Cichorium intybus
Cloudberry (Moroshka)
Rubus chamaemorus var. borealis
Coltsfoot (Mat i Machekha)
Tussilago farfara
Comfrey (Zhivokost)
Symphytum officinale
Common Mullein (Korovyak)
Verbascum thapsus subsp. thapsus
Common Teasel (Vorsulyanka)
Dipsacus fullonum
Common Toadflax (Zheltaya Marionitka)
Linaria vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Common Wintergreen (Grushanka)
Pyrola minor
Showing the first 40 of 180 — use “See all” above for the full, filterable list.