‡ Known for its vast space, long and severely cold winters, and few inhabitants widely scattered in small settlements, Siberia has been for many centuries a place of political and criminal exile for Russians who anger the government’s authorities.
‡ As a consequence of Siberia’s harsh conditions and its historical function as a place of punishment, to be “sent to Siberia” has become a metaphor for demotion, disgrace, or other forms of status diminution.
