On the Second Volume of BSAM

Summary

This article reviews the publication of Volume II of the Great Soviet Atlas of the World (BSAM). The author regards this volume as a significant achievement of Soviet science and technology, particularly valuable for geographers and all specialists engaged in studying and rationally developing the vast territories of the USSR. The atlas incorporates the latest survey and research data, providing detailed and accurate representation of relief, hydrography, and economic features across the country, including regions previously poorly studied, such as Yakutia, the Far East, and the Far North. The author offers several suggestions for improvement: optimizing the hypsometric color scales on certain maps (e.g., the physical map of the Caucasus), correcting and supplementing mountain range labels, enhancing the legibility of some place names, and refining symbols for sands and lake depths. Despite these minor flaws, the author emphasizes that they do not diminish the atlas's high scientific, technical, and artistic value, and he warmly welcomes its publication as an essential aid for studying the territory of the socialist homeland.