Why were maps made in Russia during the 1700s published in French?
French, during the Age of Enlightenment was sort of like the Jedis in Star Wars. They were way beyond their time, and fashion. So, its not a surprise that Catherine the II considered Voltaire as her personal friend. The concept of an “enlightened monarch” was very close to her aspirations. As a result, the whole of Russia started to follow the French trend very closely. Map making was probably among the crafts that took on the French influence.
