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four maps of the world showing different types of landforms
Rossini

67 - VSEGEI. Geological Map of the Continents [translation].
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Estimate €300 - €500
Sale commission
Description
VSEGEI. Geological Map of the Continents [translation]. Leningrad, D.V. Nalivkin, 1971/1973. Colour print. Colour map printed on six unbound sheets, each sheet measuring approximately 72.5 x 81 cm. In very good overall condition, with a few scattered marks and tears. A monumental geological map of the world in Russian, published in the Soviet Union in 1973. “The map was approved by the VSEGEI Scientific Editorial Board on 26 January 1971. Designed and printed at the Leningrad Map Factory of the Aerogeology Association. Editor-in-chief: cartographer V. A. Kalinin, geologist M. B. Leikina, Technical Editor… Print run: 2,500 copies. Signed for publication on 28 June 1973” [translation]. Depicted on a polyconic projection, the map uses coloured shading to distinguish between dozens of geological strata. All are identified by a legend in reverse order in the bottom left-hand corner. A text in a medallion at the bottom centre reads as follows: “The geological map of the continents, on a scale of 1:15 million, was produced by the Scientific Geological Research Institute of the Union of the Order of Lenin (VSEGE[I]) on the basis of published cartographic and literary sources. Quaternary deposits are shown on the map only in areas where they are widespread, where the geological structure of pre-Quaternary deposits is unknown. This map is published alongside a world map of natural resources on the same scale.” Geology is by no means my area of expertise, but I suspect that the map is of historical interest due to the differences between the stratigraphic classification system used at the time in the Soviet Union and that employed elsewhere in the world (see Alexandr I. Zhamoida, ‘Comparing the Soviet Stratigraphic Code with the International Guide’. The Scientific and Geological Research Institute of the Union of the Order of Lenin [VSEGEI]. The origins of the VSEGEI date back to 1882, when the Geological Committee of Russia (Geolkom) was established. Its initial remit was to carry out geological surveys and draw up a geological map of the Russian Empire. The institution was responsible for the systematic study of Russia’s natural resources, including coal, oil and mineral deposits. By 1917, Geolkom had become a respected centre for geological research, producing the first comprehensive geological maps of the empire. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s efforts to develop its heavy industry, nuclear technology and space programmes required large quantities of raw materials, including uranium, bauxite, iron ore and oil. The VSEGEI made a significant contribution to the exploration and development of Siberia, which became the heart of Soviet natural resource extraction. Among the VSEGEI’s notable achievements during this period was its role in the discovery of major oil and gas fields in Western Siberia and major mineral deposits in Kazakhstan and other remote regions of the USSR. These discoveries contributed to the Soviet Union’s status as a superpower, particularly in the field of energy production, with oil and gas becoming major export commodities. The VSEGEI also advanced geological science during this period by employing new techniques in geophysical prospecting, geochemistry and drilling. It contributed to the production of detailed geological maps of the entire Soviet Union, including the remote and inhospitable regions of the Far North and the Far East. The VSEGEI survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and continues to play a vital role in geological science and mineral exploration in Russia, particularly in Siberia and the Arctic. Expert: Béatrice Loeb-Larocque
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About the sale THE RETURN OF THE CLASSICAL ARTS
Auction location
Auction time 09/22/2026 at 11:00 AM
Lot description modified on 09/09/2026 at 4:23 PM
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