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This is a fine example of Vasilii Piadyshev's map of the Saratov Governate, which apperaed in his Geograficheskii atlas Rossiiskoi imperii, tsarstva Pol'skogo i velikogo kniazhestva Finliandskogo (Geographic Atlas of the Russian Empire, Kingdom of Poland, and the Grand Duchy of Finland).
This map provides a comprehensive depiction of the Saratov Governorate (Саратовская Губерния), an administrative region of the Russian Empire on the border with Kazakhstan. Titled in Russian (Генеральная Карта Саратовской Губернии) and French (Carte Générale du Gouvernement de Saratow), it showcases the administrative divisions, major infrastructure, and geographical features of the governorate as of the early 19th century.
The map highlights Saratov as the administrative center, marked prominently as a "Ville de Gouvernement" (Governance City). Other significant towns and settlements are identified, reflecting the hierarchical structure of districts and subdivisions within the governorate.
Rivers dominate the region's geography and are prominently featured. The Volga River, a critical artery for trade, transportation, and communication, flows through the governorate, connecting Saratov with other significant regions of the empire. Smaller tributaries and rivers branching from the Volga are also depicted, emphasizing their importance in shaping settlement patterns and supporting economic activities.
The map also includes notable lakes, such as Lake Elton (Lac d'Elton), renowned for its salt production.
Administrative boundaries are delineated using color-coded lines, marking the edges of neighboring governorates, including Penza, Simbirsk, Orenburg, Astrakhan, Voronezh, and Tambov. A legend in both Russian and French explains the symbols used to denote towns, villages, fortresses, factories, postal stations, and roads. Key routes, including postal roads (Grand Chemin de Poste), are clearly marked, illustrating the governorate's integration into the empire's transportation network.
Rarity
The map is very rare. This is the first we have offered the map for sale.
Piadyshev was the cartographer at the Military-Topographical Depot of His Imperial Majesty's General Staff, during the production of the first systematic survey or Russia, with maps published between 1820 and 1827.
Piadyshev's Geograficheskii atlas Rossiiskoi imperii, tsarstva Pol'skogo i velikogo kniazhestva Finliandskogo (Geographical Atlas of the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Grand Duchy of Finland . . . ) was the first atlas of its kind - both comprehensive and accurate - depicting an empire that stretched from the Vistula River to the Pacific Ocean. It is credited to Col. Vasilii Petrovich Piadyshev (1768-1835), who served with distinction in the Military-Topographical Depot of His Majesty's General Staff. The sheets were published between 1820 and 1827; the work underwent revision in 1828-1829 and was reprinted in 1834. The atlas is composed of 60 maps, including a general map of the empire.
Curiously, the atlas is not constructed on a consistent scale and does not use the same projection on all maps. Each sheet describes administrative boundaries, rivers, roads, urban and rural settlements, and a variety of other details. Distances are in versts (1 verst = 1.07 kilometer). On each sheet, placenames are rendered in Russian and in French transliteration.
The atlas reflects the detailed mapping carried out by Russian military cartographers in the first quarter of the 19th century. The map shows population centers (five gradations by size), fortresses, redoubts, roads (four types), provincial and district borders, plants, and factories. Distances are shown in versts, a Russian measure, now no longer used, equal to 1.07 kilometers. Legends and place-names are in Russian and French.
The atlas underwent revision in 1828-1829, and was reprinted in 1834.
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