Process maping history. The first half of the XIXth century

Beginnig of the part The first half of the XVIIth century The second half of the XVIIth century The first half of the XVIIIth century The second half of the XVIIIth century The second half of the XIXth century Beginnign of the XXth century                     Title of the map of Russian Altai, published in Berlin in 1839

In the second half of the XVIIIth century the cartographical exploration of the Upper Ob-side was determined by practical needs of mining and military departments. Numerous maps and draughts, compiled at that time, were intended to be used in the mining industry and military projects to establish state borders. In the first quarter of the XIXth century the research of the scientific groops didn't exceed the limits of this entations either. In the second quarter of the XIXth century scientific expeditions were organized aiming at the geographical exploration of the northern part of the Altai Mountains, which was situated within the Russian empire, and that's why it got the name "Russian Altai". Flat country and foothills of the pesent-day Altai Territory were well known at that time. The Altai Mountains were of the main interest for reseachers, there were even territories, unknown to people. K.F. Ledeboor, A.A. Bunge, K.Meier, A.Humboldt, H.Erenberg, G.Rose, F.V.Gebler, G.P. Gelmersen, P.A. Chihachov, G.E.Schurovskij made despatches to Altai in 1826-1844, having scientific objects (not industrial or military). Thank's to the researches of these scientists many "unknown spots" disappeared from the map of Altai, many geographic mistakes were corrected. Europian scientists were well informed about the activity of their collegues. Reports about travelling in Altai were published regulary in English, French and German, what allowed to learn about new geographical discoveries and to be efficiently in correcting maps. We can give as an example the printed map of Russian Altai, published in Berlin in 1839 for the book of Karl Ritter "Erdkunde" (B.2,Th.2.). On this map routes of Ledeboor, Meier, Bunge, Gelmersen and Gebler are marked, it explained, that reports of Gebler and Gelmersen, published in the second half of the 1830s were used for the compiling of the draught. The hydrosystem of Altai is drawn in details. For the first time, thank's to Gebler's activities, the Upper Katun and the mountain Belucha, which is called the biggest point of Altai, are drawn correctly. Gelmerson's information allowed to reproduce the outlines of Teletskoje Lake more correctly and to reflect its numerous tributaries. The southern border of the Russian empire, as at the end of the XVIIIth century, lay along the Irtish to the mouth of the Narim (in the southern direction of the Buchtarma fortress). Along the river the neighbours of Russia were kazakh-cattle-breeders. From the mouth of the Narim the border turned to the East and lay along the line of China watch posts on the brocken mountainous terrain. If the geographical scientific information was quickly taken into consideration by the compilers of the map, then the administartive-territorial division of southern West Siberia by the year 1839 would not be true.In the additional supplement 5 districts are enumerate: Kolivan, Barnaul, Kuznetsk, Charich, Ust-Kamenogorsk, while one more district Bijsk is shown on the map. However The Bijsk and Charich districts didn't exist at the same time: Charich was decided to replace Bijsk in 1822, and in 1827 it was abolished. The administrative-territorial changes were not always marked eveb on the russian printed maps.That's why despite thier hankering to be exact, europian cartographers failed to mark all the changes, conserning the administrative-territorial division of faraway Siberia.

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