mswkt = '''GEOGCS["Pulkovo 1942(83)",DATUM["Pulkovo_1942_83",SPHEROID["Krassowsky 1940",6378245,298.3],TOWGS84[28,-121,-77,0,0,0,0]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433,AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],AUTHORITY["EPSG","4178"]]''' m = mapObj('') m.setWKTProjection(mswkt) lyr = layerObj(m) lyr.setWKTProjection(mswkt)