FIRST HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCES ON THE CASPIAN SEA AND THE HISTORY OF THE EMERGENCE OF SEA MAPS(based on the expeditions organized by Peter I)

Abstract

The article presents a brief historiographical review of historical and geographical information related to the names of the Caspian Sea and analyzes the reasons for the transformation of the sea’s name at different stages of history. Particular attention is given to selected historical and geographical sources, scholarly studies, cartographic materials, and information from antiquity, the medieval period, and modern times associated with the Caspian Sea. Although discussions and historical investigations concerning the Caspian Sea have continued since the time of the ancient Greek logographers, the history of the sea and the surrounding regions was not comprehensively reflected in the works of ancient and medieval scholars. In antiquity, the Caspian Sea, inhabited along its shores by representatives of various peoples, served as a contact zone between sedentary and nomadic cultures, while in the late medieval period it became part of the global trade transit route later known as the Great Silk Road. In the modern era, competition for dominance in the Caspian region intensified significantly, and the sea effectively became a geographical object of domination by the Russian Empire and later by the Soviet Union. However, after the collapse of the USSR at the end of the twentieth century, the Caspian Sea, distinguished by its advantageous geographical position and rich natural resources, once again emerged as one of the important subjects of international interest. In this regard, the article focuses on the history and significance of the expeditions of Peter I, which laid the foundation for the scientific exploration of the Caspian Sea.