The Map of St. Petersburg Province. Compiler Аlexander Vil'brekht, 1792

A Mirror of the World: Five Centuries of Geographical Atlases

The title page of the Atlas of the Russian Empire, 1792

[Geographical Atlas of the Russian Empire]

Rossiiskoi atlas izsoroka chetyrekh kart sostoyashchii i na sorok na dva namestnichestva, imperiyu razdelyayushchii. Sochin. gravir.ipechat.pri Gornom Uchilishche 1792. Soch.А. Vil'brekht. Grav. Aleksei Savinkov, I. Leonov. Vyrez. T. Mikhailov. St.-Petersburg: Geographical Department of Her Imperial Majesty, 1792.

1 vol. (title-page with Catherine the Great's monogram, 90 pl.) 55х44 cm
Copperplate engraving.
Shelfmark: К 1-Росс 8/11а
Compiler: Аlexander Vil'brekht
Engravers: Alexei Savinkov, I. Leonov.
Carver: T. Mikhailov.
The work was engraved and printed at the Mining Academy's engineering school in 1792. After the Academy's Atlas of 1745, it is the second largest desktop reference atlas, representing the administrative structure of the Russian Empire, established from the New Regulations on Provinces of 1775. The atlas provides information about the density and character of populated places, about the extraction of mineral resources, about vegetation, with sub-divisions into deciduous, mixed, and evergreen forests and shrubs. In some cases, waterways are indicated down to small streams. Marshes are shown. Roads are not included. Each plate is embellished with a subject cartouche, illustrating the main occupations of the population of the represented area. In 1800 the atlas was re-issued because of changes in the country's administrative divisions.
The Map of St. Petersburg Province. Compiler Аlexander Vil'brekht. Engraver Alexei Savinkov. [Engraver of the cartouche] G. Kharitonov. [1792].

Karta St. Peterburgskoi gubernii. Soch. Alek. Vil'brekht. Grav. Alek. Savinkov. [Grav. kartush] G. Kharitonov. [1792].

1pl. 46х57 cm.
Copperplate engraving. Hand-Coloured borders.
Scale: [1:760 000].
The map shows borders of provinces and disricts, populated places, fishermen's houses along the coast of Lake Ladoga, fortresses, monasteries, factories, windmills, the Ladoga and Syas Canals; forests, and marshs. The map is decorated with a subject decorative cartouche, featuring allegorical images: the goddess Athena is depicted with a ceptre in the foreground; Mercury with an unrolled scroll is on bended knees before her; next to him is a globe, books, a palette and brushes; symbols of the Tsar's power are on a support; triumphal gates are to the left of the pyramid; on a pediment is an allegory of the victories over Sweden - a chained lion, a banner with the coat of arms of Sweden, tilted down in dishonour, and military attributes; above them is a soaring double-headed eagle with lightnings of Jupiter; in the opening of the gates is the figure of the Bronze Horseman (a monument to Peter the Great); in the background are sailing boats. The cartouche symbolizes the successes of Catherine's rule and the importance of St. Petersburg as the state capital, the residence of Emperors, a trading and port city, and a center for science and culture.

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