Russian Space Narrative: Discursive Practices of the Second Half of the 18th Century

Ideas about the space of Russia in the second half of the 18th century are reconstructed based on the analysis of ideas developed by the Russian intellectual sphere. The increase in knowledge about the country contributed to the conceptualization of the phenomenon of space as a unique habitat. Productive was a holistic perception of the impact of historical process factors that did not overestimate the significance of natural and climatic phenomena. The territory and nature of the country were perceived as an asset, were a source of pride for society. Thoughts about the mutual influence of nature and man were spreading. Approaches to solving the problem of space developed in the second half of the 18th century were further developed in the 19th–first quarter of the 21st century, due to which theorization of the role and significance of the geographical determinant in the history of Russia reached a new level.