In the middle of the XIX century in Russia there wasa boom of commercial or civil cartography. The author describes the reasons as well as the background for such a strong growth. The influence of the general political and economic situation in the Russian Empire on the appearance of the first privately-owned publishers of maps was considered in detail. The Depot of maps established in 1797 by Paul I, later (1812) rearranged into the Military Topographical Depot, monopolized all cartographic activities in Russia. The require for cartographic products among the civilian population, as well as the scarcity of funding from the treasury of issuing maps, forced the Military Topographical Depot to sell part of its products and prepare not only topographic maps, but also training maps and atlases for release. The author considers the publication of an open catalog of maps and atlases by the military department in 1858, which had a strong influence on the development of the cartographic market in details. For the first time, the expenditures and revenues from the publication of maps and atlases were shown; the dynamics of increasing sales and their dependence on changes in the political and economic structure of Russia are studied. The technical revolution in printing at the beginning of the 19th century, the emergence of lithography and new printing machines made it possible to increase the circulation of maps and reduced their cost. The inability of the military to meet the demand for maps and atlases was used by the first entrepreneurs who were the founders of civilian cartography. The causes of appearing private cartographic institutions are discussed.