This is the central sheet of Francois Santini's three-sheet map of the vast expanse of Russia, published in Venice under the imprint of Remondini. The map was based on the comprehensive surveying work of Jacob Schmidt and Johann Treskot, a groundbreaking 23-sheet survey of Russia presented to the Imperial Academy of Sciences in 1776. It was published in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-74, a period of expansion for the Russian Empire. After this war, southern Ukraine, Crimea, and part of North Caucasus fell under Russian control. The central sheet of Santini's map spans from Novaya Zemlya to Yakutsk and the lands of the Tungusic peoples. It is filled with political divisions, town and city names, rivers, lakes, and intricate topographical detail. At the top of the sheet is the elaborate decorative title cartouche featuring allegorical figures and cartographic tools.

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Condition: B+

A fine impression on a sheet with a "R" watermark. There are a few light stains at center, a tiny hole in the title cartouche, and a small chip at top left with an associated tear that has been closed on verso with tape. Remnants of hinge tape on verso.