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1980s CIA album has map of central Moscow. On it, subway stations and embassies are marked (that's the expected), gas stations (okay) and also churches (what's
by guard-of-terra 10y ago
1980s CIA album has map of central Moscow. On it, subway stations and embassies are marked (that's the expected), gas stations (okay) and also churches (what's weird).
Nothing more, just embassies and churches. Would like to hear a story here.
Baghdad's 2003 map has basically the same set of POI.
- grzm 10y agoIs that typical of all cities? How about Paris? Rio? Tokyo? Have a link? I'd like to take a look.
- guard-of-terra 10y agohttps://www.flickr.com/photos/ciagov/30849056096/in/album-72157674886243461/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/ciagov/30849056096/in/album-72... If it's a tourist map then probably so, but I assume CIA would like to see something more substantial on their map. They're not in for the sights are they?
- avar 10y agoChurches are major landmarks.
- lostlogin 10y agoSome are - they are absolutely everywhere in all cities I've lived in or visited, and yet I couldn't tell you the names of more than a couple. Do people really know the names of a significant portion of them?
- grzm 10y agoProbably the people who live in those neighborhoods do, which can be a useful reference if you're in those areas.
- guard-of-terra 10y agoAsking people about churches in 198x USSR was probably not the wisest way to go around for a CIA spy. Better stick with libraries.
- grzm 10y agoI was thinking more along the lines of "I'm looking for a shop near X."
- guard-of-terra 10y agoНикогда ещё Штирлиц[1] не был так близок к провалу. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stierlitz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stierlitz
- maxerickson 10y agoOr a useful reference point to call back to the artillery. Recording information that is tactically useful for a ground battle would almost certainly have been a goal of the mapping program.
- dingaling 10y agoThey are also long-lived ( on the scale of decades and centuries ) and have reasonably static names.
- ptaipale 10y agoYes, although in Soviet Union, they still often had other names and functions (as a movie theatre, or a grain warehouse, or whatever).
- briandear 10y agoMost of CIA's work is at the ground level. Stuff relevant for tourists is highly relevant in the field. (Meet this source next to the statue of St. Something, next to the kiosk across from the children's zoo entrance #3.)
- antmldr 10y agoIIRC They're suppose to be protected under the Geneva Convention.
- 7952 10y agoChurches are useful landmarks. Probably quite useful for navigation and even locating photography.