Russiae vulgo Moscovia dictae Partes Septentrionalis et Orientalis [and] Mussiae, vulgo Moscovia, Pars Australis

Blaeu’s incredible two-sheet map of the Tsardom of Russia.

This pair of maps offers an engaging political and geographic overview of the Tsardom of Russia (or Muscovy) in the mid-17th century. The first sheet captures the northern and eastern parts of the kingdom, which stretched from Lake Ladoga in the west to the Ob River in the east. Russian settlement into Siberia extended beyond the opposite bank, into Tartary. Cazan, Tobol, and Nisni Novgorod are among the handful of large cities, though numerous settlements are labeled along the course of the Northern Dvina between Arkhangelsk and Wologda. This is no accident, as it was the primary avenue for nearly all Russian imports/exports to travel along this path before the establishment of St. Petersburg.

The accompanying map presents the historical heartland of Russia, south of the previously mentioned river highway (Wologda lies in the upper center of the sheet). Moscow is situated near the center, while Smolensk and Tzaristan (Volgograd) are the western and eastern bastions, respectively. Adjacent kingdoms of Astracan and the Crimean Khanate present tempting targets for further territorial expansion, as the need for additional deepwater ports drove much of Russia’s ambitions.

Various embellishments, hallmarks of the Blaeu family of cartographers, grace each sheet. The title cartouches reflect the abundance of furs and wheat – two primary exports of the serf-based economy, which still lagged significantly behind its European rivals. Around each scale can be seen local figures ranging from well-dressed merchants (kuptsy) to more humble hunters. Finally, the coat of arms of the Romanov Dynasty, a double-headed imperial eagle, offers both a decoration and a political statement.

Both maps are based on the work of Isaac Massa, duly credited in the title cartouche on each sheet. Massa was a Dutch grain merchant and diplomat who lived in Moscow during Russia’s Time of Troubles. At a time when sharing maps of Russia with foreigners was technically a crime punishable by death, Massa managed to spirit away manuscripts and geographical data that helped to reshape European perceptions of the growing Tsardom. The maps were published in the 1662 Latin edition of Blaeu’s magnificent Atlas Maior (Grand Atlas), one of the most lavish and expensive publications of the 17th century.