425th anniversary of the birth of Guillaume Le Vasser de Beauplan and his role in the formation of Ukrainian geography and cartography
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to study the scientific geographical and cartographic heritage of G.L. de Beauplan in order to understand the role of his works in forming the foundations of national geography and cartography.
Main material. The main merit of G.L. de Beauplan to Ukraine and its people at that time and its future lies in the creation of unique maps of Ukraine - General, Special and several dozen others based on his own observations and surveys. They indicate both the main hydrological network of Ukrainian lands and hundreds of objects - rivers, cities and towns, villages and fortresses, islands, Dnieper rapids, etc. «Description of Ukraine, several provinces of the Kingdom of Poland, stretching from the borders of Muscovy to the borders of Transylvania, together with their customs, way of life and warfare» by G.L. de Beauplan became one of the most important historical sources of the Cossack past of Ukraine. The map of G.L. de Boplana “Part of the Borysphen River…” or “2. Zaporizhia” has great historical significance, as it shows the area where the five most famous of the seven Zaporizhia Sichs were located – Tomakivska (1568-1593), Bazavlukska (1593-1638), Mykytynska Sich (1639-1652), which became the place of the beginning of the Ukrainian Cossack State (1648-1755) and in the future there were Chortomlytska (1652-1709, 1728-1730) and Novaya Sich (1734-1775).
Conclusions. The map of G.L. de Boplana “Part of the Borysphen River…”, also known as “2. Zaporizhia” has extraordinary significance for cartographic source studies of Ukrainian geography. Comparing this map with maps created later, one comes to realize its fundamental role in solving the current problem of the destruction of the Kakhovka reservoir and the restoration of the old Dnieper riverbed and the Great Lug. In addition, the cartographic heritage of G.L. de Beauplan is of great importance in modern urban planning and district planning.
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References
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