Foreign evaluation of Soviet topographic maps as an indicator of professional training quality

Abstract

The main historical stages of education, the Soviet period of formation and development of the military topographic school, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, are considered. It is noted that training specialists in the field of geodesy, topography and cartography made the core of the educational process regardless to political and military changes. The direct impact of the knowledge gained by graduates on extraterritorial mapping of inaccessible territories is shown in the view of quality. According to the comments from foreign specialists and experts, their assessment of the created topographic maps and plans is presented with the allocation of completeness and details of the information. The main published research works concerning to evaluation of domestic topographic maps and plans created for foreign territory within the framework of the Soviet cartographic project are given. It is proved that development and implementation of a cartographic project were largely determined by the professional education system which existed in the Soviet epoch, including training specialists in Leningrad Military Topographic school, rearranged later into Higher Military Topographic Command one.