Browse Collections (79 total)

A new genre of statistical publication emerged in the 1870s: authoritative reports intended for public, and often external, consumption. One of earliest on the scene was a report on the forested spaces of the empire:Notice sur les forêts et leurs produits en rapport avec la superficie totale du territoire et avec la population. Russia: Ministère…

These are the crucial connections between river-based and overland transport. Sites for the loading and unloading of goods - of sweating and swearing and haggling. Sites of expertise and ambition. The wharves and piers in these 15 towns witnessed the shipment of enormous quantities of timber and iron, butter and hemp, grain and tea. Think of them…

The town plans offer us 12 glimpses of canals (across 9 towns). Some are part of grandiose public works projects meant to reconfigure river-based trade across the entire empire; others have distinctly local meaning. Either way, the canals are some of the most fascinating features in the entire collection. Start Exploring What happens if I click…

Start Exploring What happens if I click on an entry?You will open a page showing an image of the place on the plan that depicts the feature, along with an interactive image showing where the feature is located in the space of the town. What if I want to learn more about the town?Click the link to the town plan that serves as the "canvas" for the…

Lakes appear on 13% of all plans. If that does not sound terribly impressive, think of it this way: they are as common (as far as this data is concerned) as police stations and prisons. But while most police stations and prisons are planned features, the amoeba-like shapes captured here represent water features that existed on the ground. What…

What distinguishes a boulevard from a street? Good question. In Kiev, Kerch, Bogodukhov, and Pereiaslav, the legends actually note the presence of a planned or existing boulevard. In the other 22 instances, we rely on the presence of trees - or the graphic representation of trees, to be precise - to distinguish a boulevard... which can be…

Grape. Mulberry. Birch. Shrubs and grasses. Flowers and weeds... And these are just the gardens the plans allow us to see! Imagine what else was underfoot (or overhead or around the corner). Start Exploring What happens if I click on an entry?You will open a page showing an image of the place on the plan that depicts the feature, along with an…

When one encounters a river, one has 3 options*: wade in, sail across, or climb over. Most humans, particularly when transporting quantities of goods or people, prefer to avoid getting wet - thus the longstanding popularity of ferries and bridges.95% of the plans in the collection show rivers. Of those, 53% attest to the presence - extant or…