Josiah Conder: The Modern Traveler. A Description, Geographical, Historical, and Topographical of the Various Countries of the Globe, 30 vols., London: James Duncan 1825–1830, vol. 17 (1830)

Signature: Ff 182-4300/17 raro I

Figures: Frontispiece; Map of Russia in Europe; pp. 221-223

The Modern Traveler, a non-fiction work by British writer Josiah Conder (1789–1855) spread over thirty volumes, was published between 1825 and 1830. Josiah Conder, whose The Congregational Hymn Book (1836) was considered a best-selling compilation, was also an abolitionist and a hymn-writer.
Conder started his career as editor at The Eclectic Review, a prestigious journal where he worked for twenty years, and then worked at the newspaper The Patriot for over twenty-three years.
The 17th volume of The Modern Traveler, which contains a description of Russia, also features a map of Russia drawn and engraved by the popular British author Sidney Hall (c. 1788–1831), who was an engraver and a cartographer, and one of the first to use steel plates for maps.
Following the journey of two travelers, Mr. James and Dr. Lyall, Contor briefly recounts the history of Kyiv in the first few pages, recalling its role as the capital of Russia in 1307.
In the following pages, Conder proceeds to describe the city, dwelling particularly on its architectural and devotional aspects. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (cave monastery), with the Holy Assumption Cathedral and the church of St. Sophia, one of the key spiritual centers of Kyiv Rus, are described in greater detail. [VC]

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