В статье представлены результаты Комплексной экспедиции по изучению исторических водных путей России, организованной Институтом истории естествознания и техники им. С.И. Вавилова РАН. Основные задачи КЭИВП включают: оценку гидролого‑экологической ситуации и трансформации природной среды в районах водных путей; изучение гидротехнических сооружений и исторических маршрутов; проведение междисциплинарных историко‑научных исследований. Особое внимание уделяется роли фотографических материалов С.М. Прокудина‑Горского и М.П. Дмитриева для реконструкции исторических водных путей. Фотографии начала XX в. – бесценные документы для изучения прошлого, оценки трансформации природных и культурных объектов, а также создания музеев (в т. ч. виртуальных), посвященных историческим водным путям. This article presents the results of the Comprehensive Expedition to Study Historical Waterways of Russia, organized by the S.I. Vavilov Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology of the RAS. The main objectives of the Integrated Expedition include: assessing the hydrological and ecological situation and environmental transformation in waterway areas; studying hydraulic structures and historical routes; and conducting interdisciplinary historical and scientific research. Particular attention is given to the role of photographic materials by S.M. Prokudin-Gorsky and M.P. Dmitriev in reconstructing historical waterways. Early 20th-century photographs and historical guidebooks are invaluable documents for studying the past, assessing the transformation of natural and cultural sites, and creating museums (including virtual ones) dedicated to historical waterways.

Освещены результаты Комплексной экспедиции по изучению исторических водных путей России, организованной Институтом истории естествознания и техники им. С.И. Вавилова РАН при участии сотрудников МГУ им. М.В. Ломоносова. Цель экспедиции заключалась в проведении всестороннего историко-географического исследования, что способствовало выявлению ранее не известных данных по истории освоения и изучения территории водных путей и отдельных природных объектов, уточнению некоторых фактов строительства водной системы, составлению ретроспективных реконструкций изменений природной среды. Особая роль в научных исследованиях экспедиции, в разработках методологии, подготовке и осуществлении полевых работ, с дальнейшей публикацией статей и монографий принадлежала В.А. Снытко, который активно участвовал не только в научной, но и полевой части экспедиционных работ. При использовании результатов многолетних исследований положено начало созданию единой геоинформационной системы, включающей в себя паспортизированные гидротехнические объекты и сооружения, интересные природные образования и комплекс ландшафтных, экологических и гидрохимических характеристик собственно водных путей. Общей доминантой, объединяющей эти элементы в систему, становится уже не только сам водный путь, а культурно-исторический ландшафтный комплекс, учитывающий все аспекты человеческой деятельности и природные формации. Геоинформационная база по историческим водным путям Европейской части территории России, включающая гидролого-гидрохимические, ландшафтные, архивные и картографические источники по истории водных систем, послужила основой для создания соответствующего web-сайта и для начала формирования виртуального музея «Исторические водные пути». The article highlights the results of the Complex Expedition to Study Historical Waterways of Russia, organized by the S.I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Natural Science and Technology of the RAS with the participation of the staff members of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The purpose of the expedition was to conduct a comprehensive historical and geographical study, which helped to identify previously unknown data on the history of the development and study of the territory of waterways and individual natural objects, clarify some facts of the construction of the water system, and compile retrospective reconstructions of changes in the natural environment. A special role in the scientific research of the expedition, in the development of methodology, preparation and implementation of field work, with the further publication of articles and monographs belonged to V.A. Snytko, who actively participated not only in the scientific, but also in the field part of the expedition work. Using the results of many years of research, the creation of a unified geoinformation system was initiated, including certified hydraulic engineering facilities and structures, interesting natural formations and a complex of landscape, environmental and hydrochemical characteristics of the waterways themselves. The common dominant uniting these elements into a system is no longer only the waterway itself, but a cultural and historical landscape complex that takes into account all aspects of human activity and natural formations. The geoinformation base on the historical waterways of the European part of the territory of Russia, including hydrological and hydrochemical, landscape, archival and cartographic sources on the history of water systems, served as the basis for the creation of an appropriate website and for the beginning of the formation of the virtual museum “Historical Waterways”.

For many decades, studying the historical dynamics of environmental management and development of natural-anthropogenic landscapes in the central regions of the European part of Russia has remained a topical issue within the retrospective analysis of the human-environment interaction. The main research methods are field landscape mapping, retrospective reconstructions of natural resource management, and archaeological and historical data consolidation. The environmental management processes within the Middle Protva basin during the medieval period were periodized. A direct correlation between different forms of the management of natural resources and specific landscape conditions was revealed.

В работе прослежена история становления методологии и методов эволюционного ландшафтоведения. Собственно работы по эволюционному ландшафтоведению появляются лишь в последние десятилетия ХХ века. На рубеже тысячелетий разворачиваются работы, посвященные палеоландшафтным реконструкциям и палеоландшафтному картографированию. Показаны основные методы крупномасштабных палеореконструкций ландшафтов, являющиеся основой работ по эволюционному ландшафтоведению. Важнейшей частью исследований служит применение ландшафтно-эдафического подхода в конкретные хроносрезы и составление карт условно-восстановленных (коренных) ландшафтов. Детальные палеоландшафтные исследования на ключевых участках лесных зон на Европейской территории России (ЕТР) позволили выявить некоторые закономерности в эволюции их ландшафтов в голоцене.

The main goal and objective of the work performed were to study the landscape conditions that shaped the Old Russian cities in the Upper Volga region in the medieval period. A paired comparison analysis of historical, archaeological, and geographical materials, along with the compilation of a series of medium-scale maps of the landscape, provincial and zonal allocation of early Russian cities, made it possible to identify the landscape characteristics of the early Russian city development and the establishment of a settlement structure in their immediate vicinity in the Old Russian period, as well as the development and the specific features of the establishment of first urban cultural-landscape complexes. The work was carried out at two hierarchical levels: for the entire Upper Volga segment and the key areas. For the key sections of the Old Russian Upper Volga cities, original maps of Restored Landscapes, Edaphotopes were compiled; and based on this data, the periodization of the formative processes and development of urban landscapes was identified (from both, the historical and the landscape perspective), and the structure of the urban (cultural-historical) landscapes during main chronosections was mapped. The most detailed research was performed for the city of Yaroslavl, selected as a model territory for the entire region.

A cultural-historical landscape is understood as a compound historical-cultural and natural formation that developed in a specific territory possessing certain homogeneous natural (landscape) properties as a result of long-term interaction between the man and the landscape that occurred in the course of their coherent development. The Izborsko-Malskaya valley is a single, coherent cultural and historical landscape, with the unique nature of which modern villages and an archaeological monument – Truvorovo gorodische of the VII-VIII centuries, the Izborsk city fortress of the XIV century, the remains of the Malskaya fortress-monastery, churches and chapels, 'Truvorov' stone cross – blend in. Already in the X century, an agricultural district with a dense network of settlements was formed around the city. The Malsky cross stands as a witness to one of the branches of the historical path From the Varangians to the Greeks, since it served as a special indicator of the route's direction. The specific nature of the Izborsko-Malskaya valley is due to its geological features and the history of its relief evolution. The dissected topography, with outlets of picturesque karst springs – the Slovenian springs – and the mosaic nature of the local landscape complexes predetermined the great variety and variegation of vegetation and fauna. The natural basis for the morphological structure of the Izborsk-Malsky cultural-historical landscape is formed by four physical and geographical areas belonging to three interfluvial plains: undulating end-moraine, glaciolacustrine and abrasion-depositional, dissected by dells formed by streams of melt glacial water, with inherited river valleys. The cultural and historical landscape of the Izborsko-Malskaya valley is characterized by a balanced combination of the natural and anthropogenic components, aesthetic appeal and economic feasibility, which all together created the cultural and historical image of a national landscape, formed by the culture of many generations.

Основной целью и задачей выполняемых работ являлось исследование ландшафтных условий формирования Верхневолжских древнерусских городов в средневековый период. Сопряженный анализ исторических, археологических и географических материалов с составлением серии среднемасштабных карт ландшафтно-провинциально-зональной приуроченности древнерусских городов позволил выявить ландшафтные особенности становления древнерусских городов и формирования поселенческой структуры в их ближайших окрестностях в древнерусский период, становления и специфику формирования первых городских культурно-ландшафтных комплексов. Работы выполнялись на двух иерархических уровнях: для всего Верхневолжского отрезка и для ключевых участков. Для ключевых участков древнерусских верхневолжских городов были составлены оригинальные карты «Восстановленных ландшафтов», «Эдафотопов» и на этой основе одновременно с исторических и ландшафтных позиций выявлена периодизация процесса становления и развития городских ландшафтов с составлением схемы структуры городских (культурноисторических) ландшафтов на основные хроносрезы. Наиболее детальные исследования выполнены для г. Ярославля, выбранного в качестве модельной территории для всего региона. Развитие городских ландшафтов городов Верхневолжья обусловлено как особенностями функционирования Волго-Каспийского пути, так и ландшафтно-экологическими свойствами местности. Взаимное расположение элементов формирующегося городского ландшафта подчинялось местной пластике рельефа, которая и определяла направления дальнейшего развития города. В целом в средневековый период развития верхневолжские города практически не выходили за пределы долинных ландшафтных комплексов и долинных зандров. The main goal and objectives of the work performed was to study the landscape conditions that shaped the Old Russian cities in the Upper Volga region in the medieval period. A paired analysis of historical, archaeological and geographical materials together with the compilation of a series of medium-scale maps of the landscape, provincial and zonal confinedness of the Old Russian cities made it possible to identify the landscape features of the development of the Old Russian cities and the formation of a settlement structure in their immediate vicinity in the Old Russian period, the formation and the characteristics of the formation of the first urban cultural-landscape complexes. The work was carried out at two hierarchical levels: for the entire Upper Volga segment and for the key areas. For the key sections of the Old Russian Upper Volga cities, original maps of Restored Landscapes, Edaphotopes were compiled; and on this basis, from both the historical and the landscape perspective, the periodization of the formation and development of urban landscapes was identified, and the structure of the urban (cultural-historical) landscapes for the main chronosections was mapped. The most detailed studies were performed for the city of Yaroslavl, selected as a model territory for the entire region. The structure of the urban landscapes of the cities of the Upper Volga region is determined by both the features distinguishing the operation of the Volga-Caspian route, and the landscape-ecological features of the area. The relative position of the elements of the emerging urban landscape was subordinate to the local terrain plasticity, which determined the direction of the further development of a city. In general, in the medieval period of their development, the Upper Volga cities barely reached beyond the boundaries of valley landscape complexes and valley sandurs.

Taman Peninsula was selected as a key area for detailed landscape and nature studies. In the antique period, it was a part of the Bosporus state. Over a long period of uninterrupted economic use the landscape structure has changed significantly – the majority of local landscape complexes have been anthropogenically transformed. According to paleo-geographic reconstructions, the Taman Peninsula was a group of islands that were split by the river arms of the Kuban-Antikit. The elements of the antique settlement system were city-states (Phanagoria, Hermonassa, Kepoi, Patrei), rural settlements, roads, as well as plots of land. Rural district (khora) filled natural geographical boundaries – territorial and economic local microzones and occupied the whole islands: Cimmerida, Phanagoria and Sindika with one dominant city each. Around the settlements, along with vineyards, crops and vegetables occupied the main area of plains characterized with the steppe and dry-steppe landscape complexes. The most developed ones were landscape complexes of low-sloped plains and valleys of synclinal origin. Boundary fences of land plots fit into the terrain, which contributed to snow and water retention and prevented rain flows. At that time, a developed reclamation system existed. Perhaps this was the first experience of managing land plots in the territory of our country. As a result of the research conducted, a common set of anthropogenically transformed landscape complexes of the Taman Peninsula was identified, and a fundamental diagram of the landscape-economic system of the Khora of Phanagoria was made. Detailed landscape and historical studies with historical reconstructions of landscapes and nature and economic systems have allowed to trace distinct dependance of the development of cities, villages and farm lands of antique period on the landscape structure of the territory.

This paper presents a comprehensive landscape and historical study of the historical and cultural monument "The tract of St. Mary’s Mountain". The territory of this monument, located at the crossroads of the main medieval overland roads, is ridden with numerous archaeological sites: ancient settlements, mounds and burial mounds, dating back to the 1st millennium AD, as well as natural monuments. Complex field expeditionary and office landscape-historical studies were carried out, as a result of which the modern landscape structure of the monument was analyzed, and the natural properties of the natural and cultural-historic landscapes of this territory were determined. A large-scale map of conditionally restored landscapes was compiled, and an assessment of the resource base, landscape and environmental conditions of the settlers’ life was completed. A comprehensive spatial and terrain analysis of the archaeological and historical monuments was completed, and retro-reconstructions of the landscape-economic systems of the ancient Russian period were created. As a result of the research conducted, it was established that the settlement systems and environmental management systems were clearly determined by the local landscape structure. The comprehensive studies conducted have made it possible to conclude that the historical and cultural landscape of "The tract of St. Mary’s Mountain" possesses a unique combination of natural and historical objects and is considered a model archeological monument of Ancient Russia, which historians compare with the synchronous monuments of Western and Central Europe of the "take off to the hills" era (11th–12th centuries).

Бассейн Верхней Волги - важнейший участок Великого Волжского пути. В нем сложилась система местных коммуникаций, связывавшая Верхневолжье с другими регионами Российского государства. Главной целью и задачей выполняемых работ являлось исследование Великого Волжского пути в целом и Верхневолжского отрезка в частности как целостного ландшафтноисторико-навигационного объекта и выявление роли его в становлении систем природопользования и поселенческой структуры региона. Ландшафтно-экологические исследования выполнялись на региональном (для всего бассейна Верхней Волги) и на локальном уровнях (для ключевых участков). Исследования охватывали начальный период социоестественной истории этого региона и включали обработку и анализ многочисленных опубликованных и архивных материалов по району и тематике исследований, а также комплексные ландшафтно-историко-археологические полевые работы на ключевых участках в районах древнерусских городов. Была выполнена оценка ландшафтно-экологических условий жизнедеятельности поселенцев разных материальных культур, а также составлены реконструкции ландшафтно-хозяйственных систем на определенные временные периоды. Созданы крупномасштабные ландшафтно-историко-археологические и ландшафтно-экологические карты. Выполненные исследования показали, что экологические свойства ландшафтов во многом предопределили пути заселения и хозяйственного освоения бассейна Верхней Волги. Во все исторические периоды наблюдается четкая детерминированность поселенческой структуры и систем природопользования от конкретных ландшафтно-экологических условий, определяемых в свою очередь экологическими свойствами и морфологической структурой ландшафта. The Upper Volga basin is the most important part of the Great Volga route. It developed a system of local communications, linking the Upper Volga region with other regions of the Russian state. The main goal and objectives of this work was to study the Great Volga route as a whole and the Upper Volga segment in particular as an integral landscape, historical and navigation object as well as identify its role in the development of environmental use system and the settlement structure of the region. Landscapeecological studies were carried out at the regional level (for the entire Upper Volga basin) and at the local level (for key areas). The studies covered the initial period of the socio-natural history of this region and included the processing and analysis of numerous published and archival materials on the area and the subject of research, as well as integrated landscape, historical and archaeological field works on key sites in areas of ancient Russian cities. Reconstruction and assessment of landscape and ecological conditions of life for settlers of different material cultures and landscape and economic systems for certain time periods were carried out. A series of large-scale landscape-historical-archaeological and landscapeecological maps were compiled. The studies performed showed that the ecological properties of landscapes largely predetermined the ways of settlement and economic development of the Upper Volga basin. In all historical periods, there is a clear determination of the settlement structure and environmental use system from specific landscape and ecological conditions, which are determined, in turn, by ecological properties and morphological structure of the landscape.

The aim of the study was to identify the role of the natural (landscape) factor in multifactor processes of structure formation, functioning and dynamics of urban landscapes. The practical tasks of this work were the reconstructions of the original landscape structure, identification of ecological properties and the resource base of host landscapes and cultural and historical landscapes of ancient Russian cities. Landscape studies of ancient Russian cities were carried out on the basis of the landscape and historical approach, where the entire territory of ancient Russian cities is viewed as a single, holistic entity, with inherent specific landscape organization which develops in space and time. A distinctive feature of the ancient Russian cities that formed on the historic waterways is that in the early stages of functioning of the water communications, cities were formed as the most important strongholds, whose vital activity was associated with subsistence farming and depended entirely on the local resource base and, accordingly, on the landscape structure of the territory. At different intervals, it differed sharply depending on the zonal-landscape conditions. The differences in the landscape features of the formation of ancient Russian cities on historic waterways in the IX-XI and XII-XIII centuries have been revealed.

Complex landscape-historic studies were carried out at key sites of the historical waterway “from the Vikings to the Greeks” in the Smolensk region: in Smolensk and Gnezdovo. The purpose of this study is to identify the landscape and historical conditions of the development of the city of Smolensk. The main practical task was to identify the landscape structure of Smolensk and its surroundings and to conduct a comparative analysis of the natural properties of the landscapes of Smolensk and Gnezdovo as a factor in the development of these centers. More favorable landscape and ecological conditions together with a rich resource base and favorable defensive and strategic position of Smolensk at the present place were identified as compared to its original position (Gnezdovo). Perhaps, in the ancient Russian period this was the reason for accelerated development (or “transfer”) of Smolensk on the left bank of the Dnieper river as compared to Gnezdovo.