Having ascended the Russian throne in 1682 and remaining on it for 43 years, Peter 1 managed to bring a backward and patriarchal country into the ranks of European leaders. His role in the history of our Motherland is invaluable, and life is full of amazing events. Interesting facts about Peter 1 made up more than one volume scientific research and filled the pages of numerous popular publications.
Emperor Peter the Great, who deserved this title due to the outstanding role he played in the history of Russia, was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672. The parents of the future emperor were Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who ruled in those years, and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. A very interesting fact about Peter 1 should immediately be noted: nature deprived all the previous children of his father of health, while he grew up strong and never knew illness. This even gave rise to evil tongues to question the paternity of Alexei Mikhailovich.
When the boy was 4 years old, his father died, and the empty throne was taken by his elder brother, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage with Maria Ilyinichnaya Miloslavskaya ─ Fedor Alekseevich, who entered the national history as Sovereign of All Rus' Fedor III.
Unhappy marriage
As a result of his accession, Peter's mother largely lost her influence at court and was forced, together with her son, to leave the capital, to go to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow. It was there that Peter I spent his childhood and youth, who, unlike the heirs of European thrones, early years surrounded by the most outstanding teachers of his time, he received his education, communicating with semi-literate uncles. However, the gap in knowledge, inevitable in such cases, was compensated by the abundance of his innate talents.
When, at the age of 17, Peter, having taken it as a habit to visit the German Quarter, started an affair with Anna Mons, his mother, in order to break the relationship she hated, forcibly married her son to the daughter of the devious Evdokia Lopukhina. This marriage, which the young people entered into under duress, turned out to be extremely unhappy, especially for Evdokia, whom Peter eventually ordered to be tonsured as a nun. Perhaps it was precisely the remorse of conscience that forced him to subsequently issue a decree forbidding the marriage of girls without their consent.
Peasant Woman Who Became Empress
Only the second wife of Peter 1, Catherine 1 (Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova), was able to fully reach out to his heart. She began to be called that only after she converted to Orthodoxy in 1707, and from birth she was called Marta Skavronskaya. The empress owes her patronymic to the son of Peter 1 - Tsarevich Alexei, who took on the role of godfather during the sacrament. Peter himself came up with a new surname for her.
The exact place of her birth is not known. According to one version, it was a village on the territory of modern Latvia, according to another - Estonia. But in any case, Martha came from a simple peasant family, and only an unusually lively mind, natural beauty, and even chance allowed her to take a place next to the emperor of one of the most powerful powers in the world.
According to contemporaries, she was the only one who knew how to tenderly subdue the outbursts of her husband's unbridled anger. Moreover, Peter saw in her not only the object of his love desires, but also a wise and efficient assistant who sincerely wanted to come to his rescue in any difficult situation. She was the only woman, to which he turned for advice in solving the most important state affairs.
An image that has become a tradition
With regard to the growth of Peter 1, a certain stereotype was firmly established in our minds: according to generally accepted opinion, the sovereign was unusually tall. However, not everything is so simple, and even this seemingly indisputable statement may raise certain doubts.
According to data published in various popular publications, his height ranged from 204 to 220 cm. This is how he was presented in the famous film directed by Vladimir Petrov, who filmed the novel by the classic of Soviet literature Alexei Tolstoy. From the cinema halls, his image stepped onto the canvases of many artists. Nevertheless, a number of quite obvious facts make one doubt its reliability.
Apparent contradictions
Having visited the museums of the country, the expositions of which present personal items, clothes (48 sizes!) And the sovereign's shoes, it is easy to make sure that they would be impossible to use if the growth of Peter 1 was really so significant. They would just be small. The same idea is suggested by several of his surviving beds, on which, with a growth exceeding 2 m, one would have to sleep while sitting. By the way, authentic samples of the king's shoes allow us to determine the size of Peter 1's feet with absolute accuracy. So, it has been established that today he would buy shoes for himself ... size 39!
Another argument that indirectly refutes the generally accepted idea of the growth of the king, can serve as a stuffed animal of his favorite horse Lisetta, presented in the St. Petersburg Zoological Museum. The horse was rather squat and would have been uncomfortable for a tall rider. And, finally, the last thing: could Peter 1 genetically achieve such a growth, if all of his ancestors, about whom there is fairly complete information, did not differ in special physical parameters?
Evolution and its laws
What gave rise to the legend of his unique growth? It has been scientifically proven that in the process of evolution over the past 300 years, people's height has increased by an average of 10-15 cm. This suggests that the sovereign was indeed much taller than those around him and was considered an unusually tall man, but not according to the current, but to those long gone in the past, to the standards, when a height of 155 cm was considered quite normal. Today, the size of the feet of Peter 1, established according to shoe samples, leads to the conclusion that his height hardly exceeded 170-180 cm.
“But the king is not real!”
By the way, the emphasis that has been placed over the following centuries on physical features sovereign, was largely due to the legend of his substitution, allegedly occurring during a trip abroad to the countries of Western Europe (1697 ─ 1698).
In those years, rumors stubbornly circulated, fueled by secret oppositionists, that, going on a trip, the sovereign looked like an ordinary young man of 26 years of age, who had a dense physique and growth slightly above average. A mole on the left cheek was usually mentioned as a special sign. He was also quite an educated person filled with a truly Russian spirit.
These same witnesses claimed that after the two-year absence of the king (if it was him) it was completely impossible to recognize. He began to speak Russian poorly, and when writing he made gross mistakes. In addition, the former patriotism was replaced in him by contempt for everything Russian. He lost many of the skills he had before, and in return he acquired many new ones.
And finally, he changed dramatically in appearance. His height increased so much that he had to re-sew his entire wardrobe, and the mole on his left cheek disappeared without a trace. In general, when he returned to Moscow, he looked like a 40-year-old man, although by that time he was barely 28 years old.
Studying at the Dutch shipyards
A lot is known interesting facts about Peter 1, related to his activities to create Russian fleet. Having issued in October 1696 his famous decree " Sea vessels be”, he very quickly became convinced that, in addition to enthusiasm and financial investments, knowledge in the field of shipbuilding and navigation is required for the success of the business started.
It was for this reason that, as part of the Russian embassy (but incognito), he went to Holland, which was then one of the leading maritime powers of the world. There, in the small port city of Saardam, Peter 1 took a course in carpentry and shipbuilding, quite reasonably reasoning that before demanding from others, one must learn the secrets of the craft himself.
So, in August 1697, at the shipyard, owned by the Dutch shipbuilder Linstr Rogge, a new worker, Pyotr Mikhailov, appeared unusually similar to the Russian Tsar in facial features and valiant posture. However, in those years, the portraits of the heads of state were not yet replicated in the media, and no one had suspicions, especially since the Dutch could hardly imagine a monarch in a work apron and with an ax in his hands.
Dutch acquisitions
This foreign voyage of the sovereign significantly enriched the palette of Russian life, since he tried to transplant much of what he had seen there on Russian soil. For example, Holland was exactly the country from where Peter 1 brought potatoes.
In addition, from this small state, washed by the North Sea, tobacco, coffee, tulip bulbs, as well as a huge set of surgical instruments came to Russia in those years. By the way, the idea to force subjects to shave their beards was also born by the sovereign during a visit to Holland.
Handyman
Among other interesting facts about Peter 1, it should be noted his addiction to a number of activities that are not typical for other august persons. Well-known, for example, his passion for turning. Until now, visitors to the St. Petersburg Museum "House of Peter I" can see the machine on which the sovereign himself turned various wooden crafts. He was also fond of medicine, showing particular interest in dentistry. It is known that with the help of tools brought from Holland, he often removed the bad teeth of his courtiers.
Hay, straw and a "medal for drunkenness"
A characteristic feature of the sovereign was his ability to make non-standard and sometimes completely unexpected decisions. So, for example, during drill training, it turned out that the soldiers, who came from the common people, did not distinguish “right” from “left” and, accordingly, could not keep up. Peter found a simple and witty way out of the situation: he ordered to tie a bundle of hay to the right leg of each soldier, and straw to the left. Now, instead of the previously incomprehensible command: “Right ─ left!” The sergeant-major shouted: “Hay is straw, hay is straw!” - and the system marched, minting a step in unison.
As you know, Peter 1 loved noisy feasts, but at the same time did not favor drunkards. To prevent this evil, he also found a very original solution. In the police station, everyone who was convicted of excessive drinking was hung around the neck with a special “medal” cast from cast iron and weighing at least 7 kg (and sometimes more). The drunkard had to wear this “award” for a week and could not take it off with his own hand, since it was connected to a metal collar fastened with a rivet in the manner of shackles.
“Hello, we are looking for talent!”
From time immemorial, counterfeiters have not been translated in Rus'. They were caught and punished in the most sophisticated ways, to the point that molten silver was poured into their throats. The sovereign approached this problem with his usual pragmatism. He reasoned very sensibly that if an attacker is so gifted by nature that he is able to secretly mint coins that are indistinguishable from genuine ones, then it is a sin to destroy his talent.
By order of the king, all the counterfeiters caught were no longer killed or maimed, but sent to work at the mint (under escort, of course). Only during 1712, 13 people were “employed” by such craftsmen, which undoubtedly brought great benefits to Russia.
Beginning of a new era
An important step towards introducing Russia to the standards adopted in Europe was the introduction of the Julian calendar under Peter 1. The former chronology, originating from the creation of the world, became very inconvenient in the realities of life in the coming 18th century. In this regard, on December 15, 1699, the king issued a Decree, according to which the years began to be counted in accordance with the calendar generally accepted abroad, put into use by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar.
Thus, on January 1, Russia, together with the entire civilized world, entered not into the year 7208 from the Creation of the world, but into the year 1700 from the Nativity of Christ. At the same time, the Decree of Peter 1 was issued on the celebration of the New Year on the first day of January, and not in September, as it was before. One of the innovations was the custom of decorating houses with Christmas trees.
It is very difficult to talk briefly about Peter 1 and his amazing life. Multi-volume studies have been written about this man, but until now, scientists are discovering more and more new documents that make it possible to more fully present the picture of the legendary era that bears the name of the greatest reformer, who, according to A.S. Pushkin, "bridle iron Russia reared up."
According to various opinion polls, Peter I remains one of the most popular historical figures. He is still glorified by sculptors, poets compose odes to him, politicians speak enthusiastically about him.
But did the real person Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov correspond to the image that, through the efforts of writers and filmmakers, was introduced into our consciousness?
Frame from the film "Peter the Great" based on the novel by A. N. Tolstoy ("Lenfilm", 1937 - 1938, directed by Vladimir Petrov,
in the role of Peter - Nikolai Simonov, in the role of Menshikov - Mikhail Zharov):
This post is quite lengthy. , consisting of several parts, is dedicated to exposing the myths about the pen of the Russian emperor, which still roam from book to book, from textbook to textbook, and from film to film.
Let's start with the fact that the majority represents Peter I absolutely not the way he really was.
According to the films, Peter is a huge man with a heroic physique and the same health.
In fact, with a height of 2 meters 4 centimeters (really huge in those days, and very impressive in our times), he was incredibly thin, with narrow shoulders and torso, a disproportionately small head and leg size (about 37 sizes, and this despite such and such height!), with long arms and spider-like fingers. In general, an absurd, awkward, clumsy figure, a freak of a freak.
The clothes of Peter I, which have survived to this day in museums, are so small that there can be no talk of any heroic physique. In addition, Peter suffered from nervous attacks, probably of an epileptic nature, he was constantly ill, he never parted with a first-aid kit with a lot of medicines that he took daily.
Do not trust the court portrait painters and sculptors of Peter.
For example, a well-known researcher of the Petrine era, historian E. F. Shmurlo
(1853 - 1934) describes his impression of the famous bust of Peter I by B. F. Rastrelli:
"Full of spiritual power, unyielding will, an imperious look, intense thought make this bust related to Michelangelo's Moses. This is a truly formidable king, capable of causing awe, but at the same time majestic, noble."
Otdako more accurately conveys the appearance of Peter plaster mask taken from his face in 1718 father of the great architect B. K. Rastrelli when the king was investigating the betrayal of Tsarevich Alexei.
This is how the artist describes it A. N. Benois (1870 - 1960):“Peter’s face became at that time gloomy, directly terrifying with its menacingness. One can imagine what impression this terrible head, placed on a giant body, must have produced, while still shifting eyes and terrible convulsions that turned this face into a monstrously fantastic image.
Of course, the real appearance of Peter I was completely different from what appears before us on his formal portraits.
For example, these:
Portrait of Peter I (1698) by a German artist
Gottfried Kneller (1648 - 1723)
Portrait of Peter I with the signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1717)
works by the French painter Jean-Marc Nattier (1685 - 1766)
Please note that between the writing of this portrait and the manufacture of the lifetime mask of Peter
Rastrelli has only been a year. What, are they similar?
The most popular at present and highly romanticized
according to the time of creation (1838) portrait of Peter I
works by French artist Paul Delaroche (1797 - 1856)
Trying to be objective, I cannot fail to note that monument to Peter I , works of the sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin , made by him in the USA and installed in the Peter and Paul Fortress in 1991 , also does not correspond much to the real image of the first Russian emperor, although, quite possibly, the sculptor sought to embody the same "monstrously fantastic image" about which Benoit spoke.
Yes, Peter's face was made from his death wax mask (cast by B. K. Rastrelli). But Mikhail Shemyakin at the same time consciously, achieving a certain effect, increased the proportions of the body by almost one and a half times. Therefore, the monument turned out to be grotesque and ambiguous (some people admire it, while others hate it).
However, the very figure of Peter I is also very ambiguous, about which I want to tell everyone who is interested in Russian history.
At the end of this part another myth about death of Peter I .
Peter did not die because he caught a cold, saving a boat with drowning people during a flood in St. Petersburg in November 1724 (although there really was such a case, and it led to an exacerbation of the tsar's chronic illnesses); and not from syphilis (although from his youth, Peter was extremely promiscuous in his relationships with women and had a whole bunch of venereal diseases); and not from the fact that he was poisoned by some "specially donated sweets" - all these are widespread myths.
The official version, announced after the death of the emperor, according to which the cause of his death was pneumonia, does not hold water.
In reality, Peter I had a neglected inflammation of the urethra (he had suffered from this disease since 1715, according to some sources, even since 1711). The disease worsened in August 1724. The attending physicians, the Englishman Gorn and the Italian Lazzaretti, unsuccessfully tried to cope with it. From January 17, 1725, Peter did not get out of bed, on January 23 he lost consciousness, into which he never returned until his death on January 28.
"Peter on his deathbed"
(artist N. N. Nikitin, 1725)
The doctors performed the operation, but it was too late, 15 hours after it, Peter I died without regaining consciousness and without leaving a will.
So, all the stories about how at the last moment the dying emperor tried to draw his last will on his will, but managed to write only "Leave everything..." , are also nothing more than a myth, or if you want a legend.
In the next short part so as not to make you sad, I will bring historical anecdote about Peter I , which, however, also refers to the myths about this ambiguous personality.
Thank you for attention.
Sergei Vorobyov.
Peter I Alekseevich, who was later called the Great - last king of all Rus' and the first Emperor of All Russia. Many legends and myths have always circulated around his personality. Strong, energetic, resolute, he turned everything upside down and simply pushed the country onto a new, hitherto unknown path of reforms and transformations. A selection of interesting facts about Peter I will help to open the famous worker who bore the imperial title from an unknown side.
- Contemporaries and historians note that Peter I was tall, more than two meters, beautiful, lively features and noble posture. Despite the formidable dimensions, the king still could not be called a hero - 39 shoe size and 48 clothing size. Such disproportion was observed literally in everything: for his gigantic growth, shoulders, small arms and head were too narrow. His frequent swiftness and fast walking did not save the situation. Those around him did not feel strength and power in him. He conquered others.
- Indefatigable, simply overflowing energy, colossal capacity for work, an extraordinary mind, simplicity of morals, nobility and dignity - these are the main qualities of the Russian Tsar, who were admired by those around him.
- Peter I for all his short life - 52 years, tried to comprehend everything and get ahead of time. So, he mastered 14 specialties. In addition, he personally delved into all issues of government.
- It is known for certain that the first marriage of Peter I was forced. He did not love and did not respect his first wife, Evdokia Lopukhina, and went down the aisle with her solely under the pressure of his mother, Natalya Kirillovna. Later, he issued three decrees, by which he once and for all imposed a ban on the wedding of girls or boys without their consent.
- Along with practical sharpness, cheerful disposition, spiritual openness and directness, there were other, directly opposite qualities in the character of the Russian Tsar - unbridled rage, uncontrollable outbursts of anger and excessive cruelty. So, in 1705, Basilian monks fell under the “hot hand” of Peter I. During the service, one of them mentioned the name of Polotsk Archbishop Iosafat Kuntsevich, who oppressed the Orthodox, as a holy martyr who suffered for his faith. Without thinking twice, Peter ordered the monk to be seized and executed for preaching cruelty and inciting enmity against the Russian population.
- Those around him were horrified not only by the violent nature of the Russian Tsar, but also by sudden facial convulsions - strong twitching of the lips, mouth, lower jaw, forehead, which literally distorted the beautiful features of Peter's face. They were not repeated often, in moments of strong emotional excitement or anger. They said that they appeared for a reason, and, presumably, they were caused by a strong nervous shock, fright received during the Streltsy rebellion, when the young tsar had to flee to Sergiev Posad.
- IN last years reign, Peter the Great was very ill. What kind of disease it was is unknown. Historical facts biographies of the king do not give an exact answer to this question. Presumably, it was a kidney stone disease, which passed into an acute phase after Peter, standing in cold water to the waist, rescued a ship with soldiers that had run aground.
- Peter during his reign established a new rule, according to which the emperor himself determines the heir to the throne. However, the great ruler of Rus' did not have time to use this law himself.
There is hardly a more controversial and mysterious figure among the Russian emperors than Peter the Great. This ruler took the throne in 1682, reigned for 43 years, establishing himself as a talented, energetic and at the same time ruthless statesman. It is not surprising that almost every interesting fact about Peter 1 becomes the object of heated debate among historians. What is known about this extraordinary person?
An interesting fact about Peter 1: height and physique
If historical documents they don’t lie, the emperor had a height that many modern basketball players can envy. An interesting fact about Peter 1 says that the ruler was over two meters. This is all the more surprising given his "modest" shoe size: 38.
Strange but legendary ruler Russian Empire could not boast of a strong physique. As historians managed to find out, this man wore clothes of the 48th size. The descriptions of the appearance of the autocrat, left by his contemporaries, testify that he was narrow-shouldered, had a disproportionately small head.
Marriage to a peasant woman
Another interesting fact about it concerns personal life. As you know, the king was married twice. His first wife was a girl of noble birth, while the second - peasant daughter. Empress Catherine was actually called Martha, the mother and father of the empress were ordinary Livonian peasants, and she herself managed to work hard as a laundress.
This origin of the wife did not matter to the ruler, she was the only love of his life. It is curious that the autocrat was even concerned about the opinion of Catherine-Martha about the events taking place in the state. He not only asked her opinion on important issues but often followed the advice given.
The fight against drunkenness
The next interesting fact about Peter 1: the king was one of the fierce opponents of alcoholism. In 1714, Vladyka began to fight the drunkenness of his subjects with his usual humor. He came up with the idea of "rewarding" incorrigible alcoholics with medals.
Perhaps, world history did not know a heavier medal than the one that was invented by the joker emperor. Cast iron was used to create it, even without a chain, such a product weighed about 7 kg or even a little more. The award was presented at the police station where alcoholics were taken. She was hoisted around her neck using chains. Moreover, they were securely fixed, excluding self-removal. The awarded drunkard had to pass in this form for a week.
strange hobbies
Many interesting facts about Peter 1 are connected with his hobbies, among which there were some very unusual ones. For example, one of the passions of the autocrat who ruled Russia was medicine. In particular, he was very fascinated by the mysteries of dentistry, the process of pulling out teeth. It's funny, but people who had exceptionally healthy teeth were often forced to become "patients" of this royal dentist.
However, not all the crafts that Peter tried to master during his long life were submitted to him. At one time, the emperor tried to learn, but nothing came of it. Since then, he respectfully treated the "wise men" who managed to master the science, which seemed to him so difficult.
Anecdotal decrees
Behavior, appearance, the habits of subjects - hardly a sphere remained human life, which Peter 1 did not affect with his decrees. Interesting facts from the life of the tsar report that the boyars were most indignant at his order regarding beards. The ruler, who wanted to establish European order in Russia, categorically ordered that facial hair be shaved off. The protesters were forced to submit over time, because otherwise they would face a huge tax.
The most famous king issued and many other humorous decrees. For example, one of his orders was a ban on appointing people with red hair to government posts.
Peter 1 also managed to become famous as a wrestler with national costumes. Interesting facts from the life of the sovereign confirm that among his decrees there is an order to wear European clothes. It was he who forced the fair sex to put on low-cut dresses instead of sundresses, and men - in camisoles and cropped trousers.
Rumors of illegitimacy
There were also people in the distant past who doubted whether Tsar Peter 1 had the right to the Russian throne. Interesting facts from the biography of the ruler claim that there were rumors in the state about his illegal origin. The ill-wishers insisted that the empress, who had the honor of becoming the mother of one of the most famous sovereigns of Russia, was cheating on her husband.
The evidence given by the proponents of this theory can hardly be called strong. It turns out that almost all the children who appeared with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, his official father, were distinguished by fragile health. Peter the Great was the only exception, which gave rise to rumors.
What to tell children
Some details from the life of the sovereign may seem entertaining to the younger generation. Many wonderful things would never have appeared in Russia if it were not for Peter 1. Interesting facts for children are related to potatoes. The inhabitants of our country were not familiar with this vegetable until the king brought it from Holland. The first attempts to introduce the potato as a daily food proved to be a failure. The peasants tried to eat it raw, not knowing to bake or boil it, and as a result they refused this tasty and nutritious vegetable.
Tulips are beautiful flowers, the cultivation of which in the state also began at the request of Peter the Great. The autocrat brought the bulbs of these plants to the country from Holland, where he spent quite a lot of time. The emperor even organized a "garden office", the main purpose of which was the introduction of overseas flowers.
Rumors of a change
The most interesting facts about Peter 1 are not at all connected with potatoes and tulips. They concern a trip he undertook at the age of 26 with the Grand Embassy. Eyewitnesses claim that a young man of dense build, with a mole located on his left cheek, left his native lands. He showed respect for everything related to Russian culture, knew the Bible almost by heart, demonstrated education and erudition.
Why did the people decide that it was not the real tsar who returned to Russia after this trip? Some contemporaries of the sovereign insist that after a two-year absence, he began to understand the Russian language poorly, to have a negative attitude towards everything connected with the original Russian customs. In addition, he acquired many new skills that he physically could not have acquired during the trip. Finally, the mole on his cheek disappeared, outwardly he resembled a 40-year-old man.
Childhood of the king
Fascinating details are known not only about the years of the reign of the famous emperor. Interesting facts from the childhood of Peter 1 are no less interesting for historians studying his personality. It turns out that during this period the sovereign could not live without noisy games, to which he devoted most of his day. He could get so carried away that he refused to stop for food and drink.
It was in childhood that the king made friends with someone who would be his devoted companion and confidant throughout his life. We are talking about Alexander Menshikov, who participated in all the childish amusements of the future emperor. Interestingly, the ruler was absolutely not embarrassed by the absence good education from a statesman.
This is how the most fascinating facts from the life of a great ruler look like.
Peter the Great was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672 in Moscow. In the biography of Peter 1, it is important to note that he was the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. From one year he was brought up by nannies. And after the death of his father, at the age of four, Peter's half-brother and new Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich became Peter's guardian.
From the age of 5, little Peter began to learn the alphabet. The clerk N. M. Zotov gave him lessons. However, the future king received a poor education and was not distinguished by literacy.
Rise to power
In 1682, after the death of Fyodor Alekseevich, 10-year-old Peter and his brother Ivan were proclaimed kings. But in fact, their elder sister, Princess Sofya Alekseevna, took over the management.
At this time, Peter and his mother were forced to move away from the court and move to the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Here, Peter 1 becomes interested in military activities, he creates "amusing" regiments, which later became the basis of the Russian army. He is fond of firearms, shipbuilding. He spends a lot of time in the German Quarter, becomes a fan of European life, makes friends.
In 1689, Sophia was removed from the throne, and power passed to Peter I, and the government of the country was entrusted to his mother and uncle L.K. Naryshkin.
King's reign
Peter continued the war with the Crimea, took the fortress of Azov. Further actions of Peter I were aimed at creating a powerful fleet. Foreign policy Peter I of that time was focused on finding allies in the war with Ottoman Empire. For this purpose, Peter went to Europe.
At this time, the activities of Peter I consisted only in the creation of political unions. He studies shipbuilding, device, culture of other countries. He returned to Russia after the news of the Streltsy rebellion. As a result of the trip, he wanted to change Russia, for which several innovations were made. For example, the Julian calendar was introduced.
For the development of trade, access to the Baltic Sea was required. So the next stage of the reign of Peter I was the war with Sweden. Having made peace with Turkey, he captured the fortress of Noteburg, Nienschanz. In May 1703, the construction of St. Petersburg began. The following year, Narva and Dorpat were taken. In June 1709, Sweden was defeated in the Battle of Poltava. Shortly after the death of Charles XII, peace was concluded between Russia and Sweden. New lands joined Russia, access to the Baltic Sea was obtained.
Reforming Russia
In October 1721, the title of emperor was adopted in the biography of Peter the Great.
Also during his reign, Kamchatka was annexed, the coast of the Caspian Sea was conquered.
Peter I carried out military reform several times. Basically, it concerned the collection of money for the maintenance of the army and navy. It was carried out, in short, by force.
Further reforms of Peter I accelerated the technical and economic development of Russia. He carried out church reform, financial reform, transformations in industry, culture, and trade. In education, he also carried out a number of reforms aimed at mass education: many schools for children and the first gymnasium in Russia (1705) were opened.
Death and legacy
Before his death, Peter I was very ill, but continued to rule the state. Peter the Great died on January 28 (February 8), 1725 from inflammation of the bladder. The throne passed to his wife, Empress Catherine I.
The strong personality of Peter I, who sought to change not only the state, but also the people, played a crucial role in the history of Russia.
Cities were named after the Great Emperor after his death.
Monuments to Peter I were erected not only in Russia, but also in many European countries. One of the most famous - Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg.
Other biography options
- Contemporaries and historians note that Peter I was tall, more than two meters, beautiful, lively features and noble posture. Despite the formidable dimensions, the king still could not be called a hero - 39 shoe size and 48 clothing size. Such disproportion was observed literally in everything: for his gigantic growth, shoulders, small arms and head were too narrow. His frequent swiftness and fast walking did not save the situation. Those around him did not feel strength and power in him. He conquered others.
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