On the Development of a Digital Historical Atlas of Russia/USSR

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The presentation offers valuable insights into the practical challenges of creating historical GIS maps, drawing on the speaker’s extensive experience. The argumentation is solid, with clear reasoning for design choices, such as the use of ID numbers for data joining and the emphasis on accuracy in populated areas. The speaker critically evaluates existing projects, providing a nuanced view of their strengths and weaknesses. The value lies in the practical guidance for historians and the transparent discussion of limitations.

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on the development of a digital historical atlas of Russia/USSR.

8/10

The presentation is based on the speaker's extensive experience in historical GIS and cartography, with a clear methodological approach and acknowledgment of limitations. The project is ongoing and transparently presented, though not peer-reviewed.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 02:00Introduction to the seminar and speaker
• 05:00Overview of the project and current state
• 10:00Discussion of existing digital maps and their limitations
• 15:00Explanation of the attribute table and ID system
• 20:00Challenges of boundary accuracy and map consistency
• 25:00Principles of map creation: balancing detail and file size
• 30:00Comparison of different cartographic approaches
• 35:00Discussant's commentary and initial questions
• 40:00Q&A session with the audience

• Project Maps — The project's official page for downloading shapefiles and other resources.
• Chapter in Collective Monograph — A chapter describing the digital atlas project in the monograph 'Parade of Digital Humanities Projects'.
• Geovisualization 'Higher Schools of the Russian Empire' — The discussant's project, mentioned as an example of related work.
• Telegram Channel 'Humanities in Digital' — The channel for news from the Digital Humanities Research Institute.

• Global Administrative Areas (GADM) — A project providing current administrative boundaries, similar in purpose but not historical.

• Restat Project — The speaker notes that while the Restat project provides historical maps, its boundaries may not align perfectly with modern maps, indicating a different methodological approach.