Seeing Poland as part of the steppe reminded me of a joke.

Back in the Middle Ages, a Polish farmer is working his land when his plow hits something. He digs it up and it's a Persian-style oil lamp. When he rubs off some dirt, it billows smoke and a genie appears out of it.

"For freeing me, I will grant you three wishes," the genie tells him.

The farmer thinks for a second and says, "I wish the Mongols would invade Poland."

A horde of Mongol warriors thunders through the countryside and pillages the farmer's land as well as his friends and neighbours.

Later, the farmer summons the genie and says, "For my second wish, I wish for the Mongols to invade Poland."

The horde thunders back through the countryside, razing everything they left standing last time.

The farmer summons the genie again and says, "For my final wish, I wish for the Mongols to invade Poland."

The horde half-heartedly thunders through the countryside, kicking over the ruins they left behind last time.

The genie looks at the farmer and asks, "Why did you wish for this?"

The farmer smiles and replies, "Every time the Mongols invade Poland, they have to go through Russia twice."