1972 Cold War Russian Map

1972 Cold War Russian map of Blantyre

This is an interesting map. Pictured here in 1972 at the height of the Cold War, is a Russian Recon map (of Blantyre!).

The names are in Russian, the main roads are enlarged to identify primary infrastructure and whilst it looks like all the buildings are marked, they are not all there, nor complete.

In the days before accurate Satellite imagery, maps like these were formed from ordnance survey maps and in earlier decades, recon aerial missions from above.

Now, I realise this is only part of a larger map of Lanarkshire, but I can only wonder why the Russians would want to map little old Blantyre!