The Schubert map is a three-verst military topographic map of the Russian Empire. It bears its name from the surname of the famous Lieutenant General Fyodor Fyodorovich Schubert.
Reasons for the creation of the "Schubert map"
At the beginning of the 19th century, following the results of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russian military realized the real need for the development of domestic cartography. A plan was outlined for which the Russian military department allocated a huge budget. The first topographic surveys have been carried out since 1818 using the popular triangulation method. The tsarist government approached this project so seriously that it created an entire Military Topographic Depot. It was headed by Fyodor Fyodorovich Schubert, whose name is associated with the popular name of the three-verst military topographic map of the Russian Empire.
Under Schubert, the work was mostly preparatory. Real, serious work began to be carried out already in the reign of Nicholas I in the middle of the 19th century during the time of the second director of the Military Topographic Depot, Major General Pavel Alekseevich Tuchkov. And although the creation of the map itself is much more connected with the actions and efforts of Tuchkov, the name "Schubert's map" has taken root among the people.
The name of Fyodor Fyodorovich Schubert was engraved on the jubilee medal “In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Corps of Military Topographers. 1872 . This is a tribute to his hobby, to which he devoted all his free time - numismatics.
The value of the "Schubert map" in Russian cartography
The creation of this map has significantly increased the defense capability of our country. All European provinces of Russia, except for Moscow, are marked on it with the image of even small paths, swamps and fords. Separate objects were also indicated on the map: buildings, mills, farms. Ravines, natural boundaries and hills - everything was neatly documented and carefully drawn by cartographers.
The first edition of the maps was produced from 1846 to 1863. Then, reconnaissance was periodically carried out, that is, the addition and clarification of existing maps.
The complete atlas of Schubert maps is now fully digitized and can be easily found on the Internet. Maps are used by both professional cartographers and historians, as well as travelers and treasure hunters.
It was used everywhere right up to 1922, when new aerial photography technologies began to be used, which replaced the triangulation method. The accuracy of Schubert's "three-typesetting" is so great that the cards were used even during the Great Patriotic War. And now they are part of the software of such popular programs as Google earth.
