Pedogenic response to Holocene landscape evolution in the forest-steppe zone of the Russian Plain

•Climate variability is the main factor of the variations of pedofeatures in Late Holocene.•Five pedogenetic stages were distinguished starting from Late Pleistocene.•Argic horizons most probably appeared during the early pedogenetic phases (Terminal Pleistocene – Early Holocene)•The formation of the mollic horizon can be attributed to the Middle Holocene.•Degradation of a mollic horizon occurred during afforestation between Middle and Late Holocene.•Brief arid phases were registered ∼ 2500 and ∼ 1500 years ago.