THE FIRST ATTEMPTS OF CARTOGRAPHIC SYMBOLS USING IN THE EARLY RUSSIAN CARTOGRAPHY

L. Zinchuk

 State Russian Library,  Map Department, Moscow, Russia

map@rsl.ru

 

The majority of early Russian cartographical works of the 16th , 17th  and early 18th centuries was compiled to represent general view of the country’s land, its settlements, hydrographic network, frontiers, roads and distances, waterways; to draw selected towns, cities, fortresses and land holdings. The main characteristic features of the all early Russian maps were their pictorial graphic design and the presence of a number of written explanations devoted to explain perspective images and their space distribution. Notwithstanding the fact that up to the present day there is no evidence of the existence of any official written instructions for mapping the Old Russian maps were very similar in many respects. And one of the similar features of the early Russian maps was the appearance of the first attempts of the cartographic simbols using from the very beginning of the 17th century. At first Old Russian cartographers tried somehow or other to represent property of the Nature by means of letters, simple drawings and then with the help of special symbols. Several maps may be citied as examples of this: “The drawing of the cavern of Reverend father Antony” (1661), Chart books of S. Remezov (1698-1701) and some early foreign maps of ancient Russia considered to be compiled on the base of Russian sources.

The proposal is intended for analysis and comparison of specific features used cartographic symbols, their sets and design on the early Russian geographical images of the 17th century, on the drawings by S. Remezov and several map examples of 18th century.

 

 

THE FIRST ATTEMPTS OF THE USE OF CARTOGRAPHIC SIMBOLS IN THE EARLY RUSSIAN CARTOGRAPHY

L. Zinchuk

The State Russian Library, The Map Department, Moscow, Russia

map@rsl.ru

 

The majority of early Russian cartographical works of the 16th , 17th  and early 18th centuries was compiled to represent general view of the country’s land, its settlements, hydrographic red, frontiers, roads and distances, waterways; to draw selected towns, cities, fortresses and land holdings. The main characteristic features of the all early Russian maps were their pictorial graphic design and the presence of a number of written explanations devoted to explain perspective images and their space distribution. Notwithstanding the fact that up to the present day there is no evidence of the existence of any official written instructions for mapping the Old Russian maps were very similar in many respects.  And one of the similar features of the early Russian maps was the appearance of the first attempts of using of cartographic signs from the very beginning of the 17th century.  At first Old Russian cartographers tried somehow or other to represent property of the Nature by means of letters, simple drawings and then with the help of special signs. Several maps may be citied as examples of this: “The drawing of the cavern of Reverend father Antony” (1661), Chart books of S. Remezov (1698-1701) and some early foreign maps of ancient Russia considered to be compiled on the base of Russian sources.

The proposal goes to analyze and compare specific features of using of cartographic signs, their sets and design on the early Russian geographical images of the 17th century, on the drawings by S. Remezov and several map examples of 18th century.