Analysis of large-scale topographic and soil maps of the Yaroslav Province show that paleosols occur locally and are restricted to certain elements of the mesotopography. It is suggested that these soils have a paleohydromorphic genesis. It is demonstrated that buried Holocene soils and second humus horizons occurring in soils of the central Russian Plain are most often relicts of hydromorphic soil formation. This is confirmed by their original localized formation in areas that were weakly dissected by gullied-channel networks dominantly in depressions of the meso- and microtopography. Climatic fluctuations qualitatively altered the hydromorphic effect by increasing the carbonate content during more arid times, and changing the type and amount of humus. -from Journal translation