Ural in Studies of Enlightenment Era of 18th Century: Works of Vasily Tatishchev

Abstract

This article provides a brief overview of the development of knowledge about the Ural region in the 16th-18th centuries. The activities of V. N. Tatishchev in the Middle Ural region are examined from the perspective of studying the area, and an evaluation of his work is given. Special attention is given to his scientific works as the director of Ural factories, his views on the Ural region, and its development prospects. It is noted that his works were the first in Russian literature to provide an assessment of the Ural as a boundary between two “worlds”. The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that the Ural is often seen as a border between the European part of Russia and Siberia. Additionally, the active exploration of this region in the early 18th century remains poorly studied by researchers. The novelty of this work lies in considering V. N. Tatishchev’s activities not only as a government official but also as a scholar and researcher of new lands. The authors conclude that the head of the Ural state factories made significant efforts to study the entrusted lands. As an officer and official, he contributed to the accumulation of necessary knowledge about “Siberia” and cared for the enlightenment of the population. In order to create a complete picture of how the Ural appeared to V. N. Tatishchev, not only his works but also his correspondence with central authorities were utilized as sources. © 2023, Tsentr Nauchnykh i Obrazovatelnykh Proektov. All rights reserved.