October 26, 2025

Who Doesn't Love a Good Map?


Who Doesn't Love a Good Map?
Any chance to look at old maps, we will take. The Russian Life files.

Mapheads, rejoice! At an October 23 meeting of the Russian Geographical Society, President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of education in the fields of geography, history, and cultural heritage, going to far as to call for 2027 to be a nationwide "Year of Geography."

"Patriotism, a sense of belonging to the Motherland, and responsibility for its future are born from knowledge of its history, geography, and the cultural and natural heritage," said Putin, "Considering the contribution of our geographers of different eras to the strengthening of the state and the highest importance of geographical science, I ask the government to work towards the possibility of making 2027 the Year of Geography."

The Year of Geography would, according to Russian state media, likely include programs for children, as well as the opening of a geography museum.

But a Russian celebration of geography, especially one promoted by Putin, is not mere innocent cartophilia. As his quote makes clear, the purpose of promoting a knowledge and appreciation of Russian geography, especially among kids, is building a sense of patriotism.

As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues, any avenue to building patriotism is welcome, even if it weaves through some yellowing maps.

You Might Also Like

An Ode to the Hovercraft
  • February 14, 2021

An Ode to the Hovercraft

Russia is a land of many mysteries. The greatest of all, of course, is this: What's the deal with Russians and their hovercraft?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955