The Imperiia ProjectMain MenuResearch Dashboardsmaps, visualizations, and moreVeles: The Data CatalogOngoing ProjectsThe MapMaker PodcastEvery story starts somewhere.Teach with MapsGalleriesKelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5The Imperiia Project // Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
Not so fast!
12019-08-09T19:16:43-04:00Kelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f591plain2019-08-09T19:16:43-04:00Kelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5There is another way to look at the numbers (there is always another way to look at the numbers). Here it is: of the 597 administrative centers scattered across the empire, only 44% were located on major bodies of water (according to Arsen'ev). That means in 56% of cases there is no correlation between proximity to a river or sea and administrative status. Which in turn means there are 333 puzzles left on the table.
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12019-07-17T17:04:48-04:00Topographical Description of Russia1plain2019-08-09T19:17:43-04:00In this section, Arsen'ev describes the towns and "remarkable places" of the empire based on their proximity to seas, lakes, and rivers. By organizing his work in this way, he makes the argument that water is the fundamental element of Russian geography.
Wait a moment. It would be more accurate, really, to say the Arsen'ev exposes the fact that water - or the hydrographic structure of the empire - is the fundamental element of Russian geography. The more time you spend exploring Imperiia, the more evidence you will find for this claim.
But should you decide to dig no further into our data, allow us to offer up this evidentiary gem: of the 264 notable towns arrayed along river banks and sea coasts, 225 (85%) are cross-listed as district towns in the Short Universal Geography. In other words, towns located on important bodies of water were almost always vested with administrative authority. *Not so fast!