Generalis Totius Imperii Russorum Novissima Tabula

A beautiful map of the Russian Empire under Peter the Great.

This striking large-scale map of northern Asia presents Western European perceptions of the vast continent at the beginning of the 18th century. The Empire of Russia stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and from the Arctic Ocean to the Caspian Sea. While such a massive territorial expanse constituted a growing threat to the established balance of power in Europe, the actual extent of the geography and constituent demographics in the Far East remained largely uncertain.

Geographic features like mountains, forests, and deserts are depicted pictorially, providing a tactile (if somewhat misleading) overview of the physical landscape. Scores of toponyms identify a fascinating variety of rural settlements, military outposts, important commercial centers, ecclesiastical facilities, and more. ‘Civilized’ cities are marked with distinctive symbols when compared to the tent-like structures of the nomadic tribes.

Other interesting elements include the Great Wall of China, a whaling scene in the Arctic, an unusual depiction of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the route of a Tsarist legation to China, which can be traced from Moscow to Peking. This Russian envoy (probably Eberhard Isbrand Ides or Lev Izmailov) was an important source of information for the map and is referenced in the title cartouche, lower left. The rich embellishments include Peter the Great towering over a crowd while he studies an open book. The surrounding allegorical figures (all notably beardless and in European-style dress) represent his imperial priorities – shipbuilding, commerce, military conquest, the Orthodox Church, and bureaucratic administration.