About the maps of Volume II of BSAM

Summary

This article reviews the second volume of the Great Soviet Atlas of the World (BSAM), focusing on the quality and content of its maps covering the Soviet North and Far East. The authors, M. A. Sergeev and Prof. B. Dobrynin, provide a detailed professional assessment of both general and regional maps. The general maps—including political-administrative maps of the USSR and RSFSR, population density maps, and an economic map of the North—are praised for their clarity and informative value. At the same time, the reviewers point out specific defects, such as misplacement of some settlements on river banks and omissions of certain economic indicators (e.g., reindeer herding, marine hunting areas). The regional maps are commended for their effective use of auxiliary maps and insets to enhance readability, with examples from Krasnoyarsk Krai, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Omsk Oblast, and the Far East. The authors conclude that the atlas volume provides an integral, accurate, and up-to-date representation of the economic development of the Soviet North, reflecting major achievements in cartography and geological/geographical research. It serves as an invaluable teaching aid and a reliable source for economic researchers. The article also notes the difficulty of compiling such maps due to the scarcity of published economic data on the North, making the volume a particularly valuable scientific product.