1642 Russiae vulgo Moscovia dictae, Partes Septentrionalis et Orientalis

By: Johannes Blaeu Date: 1642 (circa) Amsterdam Dimensions: 16.5 x 21 inches (41.9 x 53.3 cm) This is a fine example of Blaeu's map of Muscovy or Northern Russia, just west of Moscow to the Ob River and north of the Vulgo (Volga) to include part of Nova Zembla.  As noted in the subtitle, the source of information for this map was Issac Massa, a Dutch traveler, grain trader, and diplomat, who wrote memoirs related to the Time of Troubles (a period of political crisis from 1598 - 1613) and created some of the earliest maps of Eastern Europe and Siberia. It is quite obvious when looking at this map that Massa travelled up the Dvina River from the port city of Archangelsk to Yaroslavl, noting the many towns along the way.  The map is filled with forests, representative of the region while many rivers and tributaries branch out in all directions. Animals such as Reindeer and Bears can be found within the vast wilderness that occupies much of this map. The map is embellished with a decorativ