The Network of Territorial Control of the Yakut Voevodestvo: Creation, Composition, Features of Functioning (Mid-17th – Of the Beginning of 18th Centuries)

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to maintain control over the northern part of the Russian Far East. Its basis is a spatial network, which consists of settlements that act as support bases and are connected by transport communications. The creation of this structure dates back to the 17th century, when the territorial foundations of the Yakut Voevodstvo began to be laid within the boundaries of New Siberia. At the same time, almost all of its elements have been preserved and remain operational at the present time. In turn, this circumstance speaks in favor of the need to study the initial stage of the formation of such a stable system of spatial controlling. Thus, the purpose of the publication is to examine the specifics of creating a primary network of territorial control in the Yakut Voevodstvo. The following tasks arose from this: 1) to identify the elements that comprised it; 2) to determine the spatial features of their placement; 3) to assess the effectiveness of their functioning. The novelty of the conducted research is determined by the consideration of the discovery and development of new territories from the standpoint of analyzing the process of creating a system of spatial control over them. The materials for writing of this article were some theoretical provisions of socio-economic and political geography, selected statistical data, factual information drawn from scientific literature on the history of geographical discoveries in the North-East of Eurasia and its mastering. The following methods were used: source study, selective statistical, chrono-spatial reconstruction, territorial structuring, and system analysis. The study's results revealed priorities for the deployment of territorial control network elements. The resulting conclusions allowed us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of its design.