Reconnoitring Russia

A geographical and historical analysis of Russian perspectives on the expansion of Russia. Focusing on geographical practices--such as exploring, observing, describing, and mapping--Reconnoitring Russia explains how Russia's rulers and public came to understand the expanse of their territory. It adopts a broad chronological framework and compares the Russian experience to the concurrent realities of other European countries between 1613, the emergence of the Romanov dynasty, and 1825, the conclusion of Alexander I's reign.