An Accurate Map of Muscovy or Russia in Europe

The western portion of the Russian Empire in the mid-18th century.

This interesting little copperplate engraved map was published in London around 1754 by Emanuel Bowen. It shows the geographic extent of the Russian Empire on the continent of Europe, extending as far east as Scandinavia and the Dnieper River.

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great about thirty years earlier, the Russian Empire quickly expanded across central Asia and into Europe by the mid-18th century. Victories against Finland, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire allowed for rapid territorial growth at the expense of other powers.

The image shows Russian domination extending into the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea, though these were ostensibly Ottoman possessions at the time of publication and would not be formally annexed until the time of Catherine the Great.