At the Talitsa Forestry College — where future forestry specialists were trained — special attention was paid to practical skills. Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov, the future legendary Soviet intelligence officer, studied at this institution. One of the important instruments used in teaching topographic surveying of forests was the pantometer.
A pantometer is a simple but effective device used to determine distances on the ground and measure angles of inclination. In the context of forest topography, it helped students master essential field skills. With its aid, they could assess slope steepness — a crucial factor in planning forestry activities such as afforestation, road construction, and logging operations.
The pantometer was also used to measure distances between points, enabling students to quickly and relatively accurately determine the dimensions of forest plots needed to draw up woodland management plans. Additionally, it played a key role in determining elevation differences: by combining measured inclination angles with horizontal distances, students could calculate height differences between terrain points — an essential skill for understanding land relief and watershed boundaries.
Thus, the use of the pantometer at the Talitsa Forestry College provided students not only with foundational theoretical knowledge but also with hands-on experience highly valued in the forestry industry. They learned not only how to operate the device but also how it functioned, which significantly enhanced their professional competence.
During his field practicums, Nikolai Kuznetsov likely worked with a pantometer, honing his skills in topographic surveying. The abilities he developed — terrain orientation, spatial reasoning, map drafting, and basic geodetic techniques — would later prove invaluable in his intelligence and partisan operations.
Today, the pantometer is virtually obsolete in professional geodesy and topography, its functions having been fully superseded by modern, high-precision instruments. The Nikolai Kuznetsov Museum displays an early 20th-century pantometer.
