First plan of the area near the source of the river Don (1701)

Abstract

We have found records on the drawing of the map of Ivan-ozero (Ivan lake) and the upper course of the River Don dated 1701 in the archive of Razriadnyi prikaz, RGADA. These records are the earliest evidence of mapping of the region of Don in its upper course at the moment. We outline the circumstances of drawing of a plan. We reconstruct geographic information of the plan according the revealed description. We compare data of the description to data from later cartographic sources. We conclude that sizes and distances reported in the description are reliable data. We surmise about the authorship of the plan.