Kazan University working on Atlas of Russian Abatis Lines

A special research collection is being prepared by several institutions.

Russian Historical Society, History of the Fatherland Foundation, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences and KFU’s Institute of International Relations are cooperating on the Atlas of Russian Abatis Lines. 17 Russian provinces are involved, from the Republic of Bashkortostan in the east to Kaluga Oblast in the west.

“The participants research fortifications, make hand photos and aerial photos, and perform laser scanning of the abatis lines. Each province has a number of such registered sites, ranging from three to five,” explains Ayrat Sitdikov, Director of the Higher School of Historical Sciences and World Cultural Heritage (Institute of International Relations).

As a result, an atlas of all abatis lines of European Russia should be published – the first such book ever.  It will give a wide picture of the social and military development of Russia in the 16th – 18th centuries. New technology helps handle some tasks which were once impossible because of the length of abatis lines on the vast lands of Russia and existing overgrowth dating back centuries.

 

Source text: Alina Iskanderova

Translation: Yury Nurmeev