The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905)
This article examines evolving constructions of nature on Sakhalin Island in late imperial Russia, emphasising changing Russian views of not only the island, but of science, modernisation, mankind's power over nature and the borders of the empire. From a European land of plenty in the 1850s, we...
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2020
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734019x15463432086900 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2020/00000026/00000004/art00004 |
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crwhitehorsepr:10.3197/096734019x15463432086900 2023-05-15T18:08:47+02:00 The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) Corrado, Sharyl 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734019x15463432086900 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2020/00000026/00000004/art00004 en eng White Horse Press Environment and History volume 26, issue 4, page 461-493 ISSN 0967-3407 Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 2020 crwhitehorsepr https://doi.org/10.3197/096734019x15463432086900 2022-04-13T10:38:24Z This article examines evolving constructions of nature on Sakhalin Island in late imperial Russia, emphasising changing Russian views of not only the island, but of science, modernisation, mankind's power over nature and the borders of the empire. From a European land of plenty in the 1850s, welcoming to its Russian visitors, after a quarter-century of penal colonisation, the island had become a monster devouring its prey. This article argues that contradictory and evolving descriptions of Sakhalin's nature reflect tensions Russians faced in a modernising world, as they questioned the relationship between mankind and nature; the reliability of science; and the correct borders of their state. In the 1850s, Sakhalin seemed normal and bountiful, a gift to Russia, while two decades later, it was wealthy but hostile, although, with science, Russians could prevail. By the 1890s, that was called into question, and the island was portrayed as not only hostile, but foreign, desolate and unsubmissive to science; while activists of the early twentieth century reimagined it as abundant, comprehensible and vital to the empire. The image of Sakhalin as hostile and unintelligible prevailed, reflecting a widespread disillusionment with Western modernity. In 1905, Russia surrendered the southern half of the island to Japan. Article in Journal/Newspaper Sakhalin White Horse Press Journals (via Crossref) Penal ENVELOPE(100.667,100.667,-66.033,-66.033) Environment and History 26 4 461 493 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
White Horse Press Journals (via Crossref) |
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crwhitehorsepr |
language |
English |
topic |
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development |
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Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development Corrado, Sharyl The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) |
topic_facet |
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) Environmental Science (miscellaneous) History Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
This article examines evolving constructions of nature on Sakhalin Island in late imperial Russia, emphasising changing Russian views of not only the island, but of science, modernisation, mankind's power over nature and the borders of the empire. From a European land of plenty in the 1850s, welcoming to its Russian visitors, after a quarter-century of penal colonisation, the island had become a monster devouring its prey. This article argues that contradictory and evolving descriptions of Sakhalin's nature reflect tensions Russians faced in a modernising world, as they questioned the relationship between mankind and nature; the reliability of science; and the correct borders of their state. In the 1850s, Sakhalin seemed normal and bountiful, a gift to Russia, while two decades later, it was wealthy but hostile, although, with science, Russians could prevail. By the 1890s, that was called into question, and the island was portrayed as not only hostile, but foreign, desolate and unsubmissive to science; while activists of the early twentieth century reimagined it as abundant, comprehensible and vital to the empire. The image of Sakhalin as hostile and unintelligible prevailed, reflecting a widespread disillusionment with Western modernity. In 1905, Russia surrendered the southern half of the island to Japan. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Corrado, Sharyl |
author_facet |
Corrado, Sharyl |
author_sort |
Corrado, Sharyl |
title |
The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) |
title_short |
The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) |
title_full |
The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) |
title_fullStr |
The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Monster in the Corner of the Map: Russian Visitors Describe Nature on Sakhalin Island (1850-1905) |
title_sort |
monster in the corner of the map: russian visitors describe nature on sakhalin island (1850-1905) |
publisher |
White Horse Press |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734019x15463432086900 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2020/00000026/00000004/art00004 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(100.667,100.667,-66.033,-66.033) |
geographic |
Penal |
geographic_facet |
Penal |
genre |
Sakhalin |
genre_facet |
Sakhalin |
op_source |
Environment and History volume 26, issue 4, page 461-493 ISSN 0967-3407 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3197/096734019x15463432086900 |
container_title |
Environment and History |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
461 |
op_container_end_page |
493 |
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1766181101940768768 |