Округа путей сообщения и управление географическим пространством Российской империи первой половины XIX века

Территория: журнал исторических исследований. 2025. Т. 1. № 4. С. 49–84.

Loskutova M.

This paper investigates the development and transformation of circuit administration within the Russian Main Administration for Transportation during the first half of the nineteenth century. It focuses on the reforms enacted in 1809, 1836, and 1843, the impact of the French administrative-territorial model, and the role of both waterways and land routes in shaping territorial divisions. Particular attention is paid to shifts in circuit boundaries and the possible motivations underlying these changes. The study underscores the significance of examining the geographical dimensions of the empire’s administrative-territorial framework as a reflection of the ruling elite’s spatial imagination, which guided the gradual extension of state authority across the Russian Empire.

Keywords: Russian Empire, Российская империя, ментальная география, roads, mental mapping, территориальное управление, transportation and communications, circuit administration, territorial administration, waterways, 19th century reforms, пути сообщения, окружное управление, водные коммуникации, сухопутные дороги, реформы XIX в.