Картографический метод в изучении секулярного тренда длины тела мужчин России и сопредельных стран на протяжении XIX-XX вв.

Abstract

Introduction. The article aims to study the regional differences in male stature during the 19-20th centuries in Russian Empire, USSR, Russia and some neighboring countries and to illustrate the observed changes in time using contemporary cartographic methods and the new source of information – the RLMS HSE dataset. We hypothesized that there are some areas with stable short and tall statures. Materials and methods. We used datasets with as large number of territorial units of the country as possible, published by D.N. Anuchin, V.V. Bunak, A.L. Purundzhan. To illustrate relevant datasets, the methodology of visualization was created. To make maps comparable with each other, especially, for the territory, like the European part of Russia, we made a surface interpolation. Results. We could suggest areas with more or less stable tall stature – near the Baltic Sea and Saint-Petersburg and between the contemporary cities of Kiev and Krasnodar. The area with stable short stature is situated in the middle part of Volga River – near Kazan city. Thus, the hypothesis was confirmed considering a new database. Moreover, according to the datasets, which illustrated the second part of the 20th century, the new area had appeared in Moscow and some neighboring territories. Secular changes in height for different regions and time periods were uneven, which may be connected with the different ethnic composition of the studied populations and various socioeconomic and demographic variables. Conclusion. Based on contemporary cartographic methods we illustrated the general pattern of changes in male stature, the idea of the consistency of the changes in male stature and the uneven changes in values across the territory. Some areas with stable short and tall statures first discovered by Anuchin are preserved till nowadays. Our research demonstrated the idea that areas could be formed under various circumstances. However, the overall trend has stayed the same over time despite the positive secular changes.