Cartographic portrait of the Empire in the middle of the XIX century: visual patterns of perception of the Russia’s place, role and environment in the world according to the "Historical Atlas of Russia" by N. Pavlishchev

The Historical Atlas of Russia, published by N. Pavlishchev in 1845, provides a unique perspective on the cartographic representation of the relations between the Russian Empire and various political and ethnic groups in the mid-19th century, as well as Russia's position in the world through its history. This atlas has not previously been the subject of scholarly research, and its analysis allows us to explore the formation of dichotomous images of "friends" and "enemies" from a visual standpoint. Methodologically, this study examines the visual patterns used to represent "others" (other states and peoples) on maps, as well as the content of the visual and textual representations of Russia and these other actors and their interactions throughout history. The author of the article emphasizes that the main directions of Russia's progress are territorial expansion and acquiring new statuses. They believe that military confrontation is the main way to achieve these goals. The main textual and visual narratives of the atlas are centered around these three concepts. The atlas also presents an ethnocentric view of history, where Russia has a mission to unite the Slavs in their fight against "dynastic and statesmanlike strangers". It is noted that the atlas creates a multi-level system where not only individual states but also ethnic groups, families, and dynasties participate in the global process simultaneously. It emphasizes that the atlas was an early attempt to create a symbolic system that reflects the historical mission of states and the "allies and opponents" on the European map.