A New & Accurate Map of the Whole Russian Empire, as contained both in Europe and Asia

The Russian Empire in the mid-18th century, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

This striking map from the 1740s presents the vast breadth of the Russian Empire, officially proclaimed by Peter the Great in 1721. Following victory in the Great Northern War, which guaranteed vital access to the Baltic, Imperial expansion efforts turned southwards toward the boundless steppe. These lands were home to various Khanates—remnants of the Mongol Empire known for their legendary horsemanship and shifting political loyalties.

Dozens of cities, settlements, and prominent geographic features are labeled (if occasionally inaccurately) across the continent, stretching from Novgorod in the west to Kamchatka in the east. Mountains and forests, the primary barriers to 18th-century trade, are depicted pictorially. The engraving includes a fascinating variety of contemporary details, such as the Great Wall of China, a caravan route through the Gobi Desert, and ‘Harkas – principal residence of the Khan of the Aluths or Kalamuks.’

According to the decorative title cartouche, the map was ‘drawn from the most authentic Journals, Surveys, and most approved Modern Maps and Regulated by Astronomical Observations.’ It was created by the prolific British mapmaker Emanuel Bowen and published in London around 1745. Bowen’s influential cartographic legacy was continued through his son, Thomas, and several notable apprentices, including Thomas Kitchin and Thomas Jeffreys.