Two Maps of the Podlasie-Grodno Borderline from 1706

Abstract

The paper presents two maps of the Biebrza valley and the borderland between Grodno and Tykocin from the Library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, titled “Carte d’une partie de la Lithuanie” and „Carte d’une partie de la Lithuanie et de la Pologne oraz Environs de Grodno et Ticochin”. Both maps were drawn in 1706 by the same author – Joseph-Gaspar Lambert de Guerin (Russian: Жозеф Гаспар Ламбер де Герен). The study contains the calculation of both the scale of the maps and the unit used by the cartographer (measure of a mile). The source of the miscalculation by the Russian archivists is also discussed. In addition, the author establishes 79 toponyms used on the maps and proposes identification of the given names of rivers and lakes.

Keywords

• military cartography
• Biebrza
• Tykocin
• Grodno
• Joseph-Gaspard Lambert de Guerin
• toponyms of Podlasie