The Description of Forest Fires in the Works of the Scientists Who Travelled the Russian Empire in the 18th – 19th Centuries

Abstract

Over many centuries forest fires destroyed forests on a large scale. Historically, Russia possessed and still possesses the largest forest area in the world, twice as large as that of its nearest rival, Brazil. With such vast wooded areas, Russia has encountered the problem of forest fires many a time. Russian archives store numerous documents concerned with this natural occurrence, mostly the accounts and reports prepared by public servants (forest rangers, inspectors, etc.). In the times of the Russian empire, the mentions of forest fires could be also found in the periodicals, forest management manuals prepared by arboriculturists, legal acts, and even in the paintings. The works of the travelers and explorers, based on the expedition materials, notes and observations, hold a special place among the sources concerned with forest fires. The participants in the 18th – 19th century geographic expeditions had themselves witnessed this natural disaster and captured their experiences on paper. With the vast geography of travels and expeditions, the information contained in these works allows to reconstruct the overall picture of the situation with forest fires in the Russian Empire.