Оценка прироста географической изученности Крымского полуострова в конце XVIII в.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the characteristic features of the initial studies of the Crimean Peninsula by Russian scientists at the end of the 18th century, gathering and systematization of scientific information. The main attention is focused on the narrative and cartographic primary sources, which reflected the scientific level and priorities of exploring the Crimea after its annexation to the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great. The content of the historiographic survey is determined by the regional specificity of the issue under study, the disciplinary peculiarities of historical and geographical researches, and the general development of Russian cartography in the 18th century. A chronologically sequential survey of the first expeditions to the territory of Taurida, organized by the Academy of Sciences to collect general geographical information about the peninsula, is given. The description of archival materials of the 18th century, prepared by the Archives of the Academy of Sciences, is actively used to review the expeditions. Special attention is paid to the methodic rules of determining the exploration index for the territory, taking into account the general geographical features of the Crimean Peninsula and the development of cartography at the end of the 18th century. As part of the research, unified and systematized list of cartographic primary sources for the Crimean Peninsula was compiled. It reflects the level of growth in the study of the territory in the period under review. A retrospective map of the study of the Crimea is prepared. It clearly demonstrates the priorities for studying the peninsula at the end of the 18th century. In general, the article lays the foundation for subsequent research in the field of study and mapping the increase in knowledge of the Russian Empire’s regions at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.