The Imperiia Project: a spatial history of the Russian EmpireMain MenuProjectsDashboardsData CatalogMapStoriesGalleriesGamesWho said history was boring?Teach Our ContentCiting the ProjectKelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5The Imperiia Project // Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
The Victim of Decay
12018-09-25T02:08:49-04:00Kelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f591plain2018-09-25T11:58:17-04:00Kelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5Oak trees might have been a key ingredient of naval power, but counting them was not everyone’s cup of tea. In 1805, one forest near Kazan was home to some 10,000 mature ship-grade oaks. The officer assigned to inspect the area could only be bothered to affix naval seals to 300 trees. Those were duly cut and floated down river. The rest went uncounted, unsealed, and uncut: 9,300 trees left to rot in an oak-starved empire.