Ancient Plan of Moscow (Called Bielgorod) — engraving

Ancient Plan of Moscow (Second Part of the City, Called Bielgorod).

"Secunda pars urbis, suo circumdata muro, dicta Bielgorod".

Technique, Material: Woodcut / Paper
Artist:,  Engraver: 
Date, Publisher: "Illustrierte Geschichte", Verlag von Otto Spamer, Leipzig, 1883.
Size: sheet 16x24,8  image 12x19 cm.

Explanations of the Numbers on the Plan (In the Kremlin, Kitai-Gorod, and Belgorod)

Im Kreml (In the Kremlin): 1. Czarogrod, Residenz des Zaren — Tsar's City, the residence of the Tsar (the entire Kremlin),  2. Neuer Palast — New Palace (probably the Terem Palace or later chambers),  3. Michaelskirche — Church of St. Michael (the Cathedral of the Archangel),  4. Palast des Patriachen — Palace of the Patriarch,  5. Der Welikij-Iwan (St. Johanneskirche) — Veliky Ivan, the Church of St. John (the Ivan the Great Bell Tower), 7. Himmelfahrtskloster — Ascension Convent,  10. Erloserthor — Spassky Gate (Saviour Gate), the main gate of the Kremlin leading to Red Square.

In Kitaigorod (In Kitai-Gorod): 6. Wirthshauser — Market stalls or inns,  8. Quartier der auswartigen Gesandten — Quarter of foreign ambassadors (the Ambassadorial Court),  16. Rathaus — Town Hall (probably the Zemsky Prikaz or an administrative building).

In Bielagorod (In Belgorod): 9. Gefangnisse — Prisons,  11. Gostinnojdwor, Kaufhaus — Gostiny Dvor (Merchant Yard),  12. Warme Bader — Warm baths, 13. Stalle des Zaren — Tsar's stables,  14. Rossmarkt — Horse Square (horse trading market),  15. Giesshaus — Cannon Yard (foundry house).

This sheet is a facsimile reprint of one of the most famous and detailed plans of Moscow from the pre-Petrine era, known as the "Sigismund Plan." This particular copy was published in the German historical edition "Illustrierte Geschichte" (Illustrated History) in 1883.

The original plan, titled "Moscow, the Metropolis City of All White Russia" (Latin: Moscovia urbs metropolis totius Russiae Albae), was created in 1610. Its author was the German chronicler Johann Gottfried Abelin, and the engraver was the Augsburg master Luka Kilian . The plan is dedicated to the Polish King Sigismund III in connection with his campaign against Russia, which is why it is historically known as the "Sigismund Plan".

It is the most detailed and accurate cartographic depiction of Moscow from the early 17th century, created before the Time of Troubles and the ascension of the Romanov dynasty. It meticulously shows the city's layout, the appearance of individual buildings, and the nature of its construction, making it an invaluable resource for historians and archaeologists.

This sheet shows the second part of the city, called Bielgorod (Latin: Secunda pars urbis, suo circumdata muro, dicta Bielgorod). According to the description on the original plan, Moscow at that time was divided into four main sections:

Kitai-Gorod (Intima pars urbis, dicta Kitaigorod) — the inner part adjacent to the Kremlin.

Bely Gorod or Belgorod (Secunda pars urbis ... dicta Bielgorod) — the second part, surrounded by a stone wall with gates and towers, built in the 1580s under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich (in the area of the present-day Boulevard Ring).

Skorodum (Tertia pars urbis ... vocata Skorodum) — the third, northern part, surrounded by a wooden wall (in the area of the present-day Garden Ring).

Streletskaya Sloboda (Quarta pars urbis ... vocata Strelezka Sloboda) — the fourth, southern part, across the Moskva River (Zamoskvorechye).

The 1883 Reprint
In 1883, this historical plan was reprinted in the German illustrated publication "Illustrierte Geschichte" with explanatory captions in German [according to your description]. Such reprints were common practice in the 19th century, as European historians and publishers showed great interest in the history and culture of other nations, including Russia. This sheet serves as a bridge between the early cartographic art of the 17th century and the historical scholarship of the 19th century.