Peter 1 is a tyrant or a hero. Presentation on the topic "Peter I: a hero or a tyrant?". Peter's transformation. Social reorganization of Russia

Lesson topic: Peter 1: a tyrant or a great reformer.

Goals:

1. to consolidate the knowledge gained in the process of studying the Peter the Great era, to understand different points of view on the role of Peter1 in Russian history and his reforms.

2. Develop skills in working with additional literature, oral public speaking, to form a culture of speech.

3. Encourage students to acquire new knowledge by participating in intellectual activities; cultivate respect for the past of the country.

Lesson type: role (game) project.

Lesson Genre: court lesson.

Teaching methods: partial search, research method, method of problem presentation.

Form of study: group.

Applicable pedagogical technologies: technology problem learning, technology of learning in cooperation, technology of project activity.

Lesson equipment: art gallery of Peter's portraits1.

Advance task:

Compose a speech (2 - 3 min.) on behalf of a real historical person or conditional characters opposite in their attitude to the personality of Peter1.

Plan

1. introduction teacher.

Throughout history, since the time of Peter the Great, there have been disputes about the personality and deeds of the emperor. Some historians saw in him a strong personality who carried out progressive reforms, others believed that by breaking traditions and forcibly changing the way of life of the Russian people, he imposed an alien and destructive path of development on Russia. There is no unambiguous assessment of his personality, as well as his transformations.

Moreover, it was so from the very beginning, and Peter's contemporaries were already arguing among themselves. Peter's associates praised him, considered his deeds great (it was not for nothing that even during Peter's lifetime the Senate presented him with the official title "Great"). And the opponents of the reforms called the king the Antichrist, who came to earth to destroy the Christian world.

The contradictory assessments of the personality of Peter1 and his deeds have survived to this day. The question arises: What was Peter1 like? What was he right about and what was he wrong about? To answer these questions, we will conduct today a lesson-court of modernity on Peter1 and try to answer main question:

Who was Peter1 - a tyrant or a great reformer?

2. Interactive part of the lesson.

The teacher announces characters:

Judge

Prosecutor

Advocate

court clerk

jurors

Witnesses for the prosecution

Witnesses for the defense

The course of the trial.

Judge: The case is being heard about Peter, the Russian Tsar from 1682 to 1725.

Prosecution is filed by the public prosecutor

The defense is carried out by a lawyer

court clerk -

The case is heard with the participation of jurors.

President of the Court -

The secretary reads out a certificate about the accused.

(options are possible, for example: Peter Alekseevich Romanov, born May 30, 1672, date of death - January 28, 1727. Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty (since 1682), sovereign ruler since 1696, Russian emperor since 1721 and etc.

Judge: We are starting a trial. The word is given to the prosecutor.

Prosecutor: Before Peter I, Russia developed naturally. We accuse Pyotr Alekseevich of destroying the peculiar, independent Russian world, which has its own traditions, its own culture, and its own spiritual values. He is guilty of renewing Russia with too cruel methods, instilling Western European customs in the country, changing the face of the Russian people. All his transformations are reactionary and borrowed from the West. He is also guilty of destroying the religious traditions of Russia, which tragically affected the entire subsequent Russian history.

Judge:(addressing the lawyer) What is your position on the charge?

Advocate: At the entrance of the judicial investigation, we are ready to refute the position of the prosecution and prove that our client is not guilty of the charge brought against him.

Judge: We proceed to the interrogation of witnesses. I ask the secretary to call a witness for the prosecution.

Secretary call the witnesses one by one.

(possible various options types of witnesses)

First Witness on the part of the prosecution - the peasant Vanka Kosoy.

I, Vanka Kosoy, was sent from the Arkhangelsk province to build a new whim of the tsar - the city of Petersburg. Together with me, a bunch of other men from our village were sent. They ordered to put carpentry tools in a knapsack, and some food for the road and go on foot to distant lands, where, by order of the king, they began to build a city. Good people, after all, how did cities usually arise in the old days? Many people liked the place at once, so that the river, but the bank is high, dry; they gather of good will and desire and build houses, take up various crafts. And here it’s all swamps, a quagmire, a midge that eats alive - no one will voluntarily settle in such a place. They put us in barracks like cattle, 200-300 men each, food like slop, and work from dawn to dusk. After all, the king is our father, he must think about his people. And here, at the whim of the tsar, the people drove the darkness, and ruined without counting, that city grew on our bones. This is not a king, but an antichrist, a murderer. It was not in vain that the peasants explained that the tsar was not real, that they replaced him when he was abroad, and that the Antichrist returned to Russia under the name of Peter in order to destroy the Christian world.

Second Witness on the part of the prosecution - the boyar Matvey Miloslavsky.

Our ancient clan, from the Rurikovich leads its own account. We always honored the traditions of our ancestors and lived according to the Law of God. What now? Shame and disgrace. The king destroyed centuries-old traditions. He ordered to shave his beards, to wear a German dress: a short caftan, narrow ports, clownish triangular hats, to hide his natural hair under strangers, overheads. Where is it seen that a child from his father's house was sent to a foreign land? And what is the use of this study? We, the Miloslavskys, should not work. And the tsar ordered adults to appear at the Assemblies with his wife and daughters, and they were dressed in shameful dresses like girls walking around. And Peter himself laid the foundation for all the atrocities: he took down the bells from the holy churches, and poured them onto the cannons; he married a foreigner without a family, he smokes tobacco himself. Waiting for him for all this is the punishment of God and the curse of man.

third witness on the part of the prosecution - the widow of the archer Martha.

My husband, archer Vasily Naydenov, faithfully served, participated in many campaigns, was wounded during the capture of Azov, but did not receive any honors, awards, or ranks. Our family is large, seven children have not seen their father for months. That the archers went to rebellion, so you can understand them: monetary allowance was not paid, the service was difficult. So the king did not begin to understand, but planned to punish them severely. In Preobrazhensky, torture chambers were set up. My Vasily and other archers were subjected to terrible tortures. And then, with other women, we learned that our husbands would be driven to Moscow for execution. I rushed to Preobrazhenskoye to see my husband at least with an eye, to say goodbye to him in a human way. I saw a terrible thing: when they were leading the archers past the windows of the sovereign's palace, Peter jumped out into the street and ordered to chop off heads right on the road, he himself chopped off several, with difficulty he was calmed down. I followed the column with other women, Vasily wanted to see everything. So they did not say goodbye in a Christian way. He was executed in Moscow at the Execution Ground. She herself saw how the tsar personally cut off heads, and even from the crowd he offered those who wished to work hard for the executioner. He is a terrible man, I curse him.

Prosecutor

Your Honor! Please join the case Additional materials, from which the scale of the execution is visible: more than 1 thousand people were executed, about 600 were sent to Siberia after torture. The tsar did not even spare his own sister, who, after being tortured, sent to the Novodevichy Convent, where she was forcibly tonsured a nun. And his own son, Tsarevich Alexei, suspecting of treason, ordered to be imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he died after painful torture.

After witness testimony for the prosecution, the clerk calls witnesses for the defence, one by one.

First Witness on the defense side - the architect Domenico Trezzini.

I, Domenico Trezzini, was born in Switzerland in 1670 and studied architecture in Italy. To feed his family, he looked for work in different countries. He worked as a bricklayer in Denmark, and there the Russian ambassador recruited various specialists to serve the Russian Tsar Peter. I was lucky because I needed specialists in fortifications. I signed a contract as a master for the construction of stone fortresses with a salary of 1000 rubles a year (at that time - a lot of money) I planned to work in Russia for one year, but I lived in St. Petersburg for 31 years and Russia became my native country. I consider Peter the great emperor. I was amazed at his plans and dreams about the city, which he began to build on the Neva among swamps and water. They call me the first architect of St. Petersburg, and the real first architect of the city was Peter himself. And Peter was very easy to deal with people. How could I imagine that the king would become the godfather of my son? And I also designed the Palace in the Summer Garden for Peter. So the main condition on the part of the king was simplicity. Unlike the chic Menshikov Palace, the Summer Palace of Peter 1 looks like a small, two-story, modest building, because Peter never aspired to personal luxury, but thought about the state. He - great emperor and will remain forever in history.

Second Witness on the defense side - Prince Menshikov.

I, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, born in 1672, testify that Peter the Great is a great reformer, who put his life into making Russia a powerful state. Let's remember his deeds: he created a new army, built a military and merchant fleet, contributed to the rapid growth of manufactories and factories, Russia began to sell metal to Europe, St. Petersburg was built, which became the capital of a renewed Russia; by order of Peter, the publication of the first printed newspaper in Russia began; The country's first museum, the Kunstkamera, was founded; the Academy of Sciences was established, schools and colleges were opened. Under Peter, Russia became a powerful European country.

I am Alexander Danilovich Menshikov - the Russian Generalissimo, His Grace Prince, and my father was a simple groom, I myself sold pies in my childhood, lived in poverty. Peter gave way to many ignoble people, putting in the first place not "breed", but abilities. They say about people like me “from rags to riches”, and there are many like me. Having adopted the "Table of Ranks", Peter established order public service when merit and length of service were placed above the pedigree, and reaching the seventh grade automatically gave the status of hereditary nobility.

And as for the cruelty of the king, so the time was cruel, Everything new always makes its way with difficulty. You have to judge by the results.

third witness on the part of the defense - the daughter of the boyar Morozov.

I, Anastasia, daughter of a boyar, can speak in public in court. And it's all thanks to Peter. Until recently, we girls were not allowed to appear unnecessarily in front of strangers, we had to live as recluses, sit in our little room, do needlework and wait for the priest to choose the right groom. It could happen that I would only see my chosen one at the wedding, and no one would ask if he was my love or not.

Now, thanks to Tsar Peter, other times have begun. The tsar ordered the boyars to bring their wives and adult daughters to the Assembly, and that everyone should be dressed in German fashion and be able to talk with gentlemen, and know how to dance foreign dances. So, in order not to be disgraced before the tsar, our father had to hire dance teachers for me and my sisters and order outfits from Europe.

The king also issued a decree, according to which it is now forbidden to forcefully marry, without the consent of the groom or bride. It is prescribed that the betrothal must first go through so that the bride and groom get to know each other better. Between the betrothal and the wedding, the period must be at least six weeks, and if she does not fall in love, then the bride has the right to terminate the betrothal. Now I can marry the person I love, and not the one whom the father chooses.

Judge announces the transition to the debate of the parties. The word is given to the accuser.

Prosecutor

Peter 1 devoted his life to the transformation of the state, but he was cruel and did not put a person's life in a penny. Under him, taxes per capita increased by 3 times, and the price of reforms, expressed in human lives equal to one seventh of the population. I believe that all the charges brought against him in litigation were proven and I ask the jury to pass a guilty verdict on Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov and recognize him as a tyrant, because no goals, even the right ones, can be justified by the sacrifices made by the country and people to achieve them.

Judge

The final word is given to the lawyer.

Advocate

The transformations carried out by Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov accelerated the development of Russia and elevated it to the rank of a European power. In Russia, neither before Peter, nor after Peter, not one statesman did not carry out reforms that would cover all spheres of society and the state. His work deserves praise and good memory of descendants. As for the scale of the victims, I ask the jury to take into account what the international situation was like in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, what was the Russian reality of that time and the limited time frame allotted to Peter for transformations.

Judge

I consider the arguments of the parties to be completed. I ask the jury to reach a verdict.

Chief of Jury

Your Honor! The jurors could not reach a unanimous opinion on the case under consideration, and therefore the jury cannot pass a verdict on the guilt or innocence of Petr Alekseevich Romanov.

Judge

Due to the absence of a jury verdict, the hearing of the case is postponed with an open deadline for a new hearing.

Final word of the teacher

Summing up our lesson, we can conclude that the verdict of the court is symbolic. Eat famous expression Socrates that "The most just court is history: sooner or later it puts everything in its place." Peter I, both as a person and as a politician, was not unambiguously treated by his contemporaries. Some idolized him, others saw evil in him. But what Peter I did for Russia for his short life, and he lived for 53 years, causes only respect. Russia turned into a great European power, and in 1721 the Senate awarded Peter the titles of Emperor, Great and Father of the Fatherland for especially outstanding services. By the way, in the USSR, the streets in many cities were called "Peter the Great". And a few years ago, for the publication of the encyclopedia “One Hundred People Who Changed the Course of History,” a survey was conducted in different countries. They called the names of Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Confucius, Copernicus, Roosevelt and thousands more names of politicians, scientists, industrialists, military leaders, but among all these names they entered the name of Peter I, the Russian Emperor. You and I live in a city that is the living embodiment of the plan of Peter I. Each of you will probably name something related to the name of Peter I. But in the 21st century, he also makes us think: “All the projects should be in perfect working order, so as not to cause damage to the Fatherland. Whoever starts projecting anyhow, I will deprive him of that rank and order him to fight with a whip. To whom can these words be addressed? And A.M. was right. Gorky, when he wrote: “The past is not perfect, but it is pointless to reproach it, but it is necessary to study it!”

3. Conclusion.

Grading.

Homework: The portraits of Peter I presented before you were written by different authors and in different time. Through their works, the artists also expressed their vision of the personality of Peter. Write a mini-essay on the topic “Peter1 through the eyes of an artist……” (one of the presented works of your choice).

"Peter I - a great reformer or a great tyrant?"

Peter the Great was the most controversial ruler in Russian history. On the one hand, he did a lot of useful things, and on the other hand, his complex character is known to everyone. So what was more outweighed? It's worth looking into this. A person needs to know the history of his country, because without a worthy past there can be no worthy future.

Supporters of the fact that Peter I is a great reformer. They justify their position by saying that:

1. Policy. As a result of the administrative, state reform carried out by Peter I, Russia received a clearer structure government controlled. The cumbersome system of orders was replaced by colleges, which were subordinate to the Senate. January 24, 1722, the "Table of Ranks" was introduced, which introduced a new classification of employees. The nobility of the family in itself, without service, does not mean anything, does not create any position for a person, thus, the aristocratic hierarchy of the breed, the genealogical book, was put in its place.
2. Economy. Under Peter there was a significant growth of large-scale manufacturing industry. By 1725, there were 220 manufactories in Russia (and "1690" only 21). Iron smelting increased 5 times, which made it possible to start exporting abroad. Under Peter I, trade took a noticeable step forward (internal and external. Metalworking plants were built in the Urals, in Karelia, near Tula. If before the beginning of the 18th century, Russia imported iron from abroad, then by the end of the reign of Peter I, the country began to sell it. deposits of copper ore (Urals) New types of manufactory appeared: textile, chemical, shipbuilding.
3. Army. Announced by decree of 1699 on the beginning of recruitment. In the period from 1699 to 1725, an army (318 thousand people, along with Cossack units) and a fleet were formed. The army was with a single principle of recruitment, uniform uniforms and weapons. Simultaneously with the creation of the army, the construction of the fleet continued. By the time of the Battle of Gangut (1714), Baltic Fleet of 22 ships, 5 frigates and many small vessels. Russia had both a navy and a merchant fleet.
4. Construction of St. Petersburg

Tsar Peter I founded the city on May 16 (27), 1703, laid a fortress on one of the islands in the Neva delta. In 1712, the capital of Russia was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The city officially remained the capital until 1918.

1. On the issue of religion. Tsar Peter I proclaimed the principle of religious tolerance in the state. It was widely used in Russia by various religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Mohammedan, Jewish.
2. Education and science. Under Peter I, Russia became a powerful European power. He paid great attention to education and science. Peter ordered all children of the nobility to learn to read and write, not only sent many to study abroad, but also opened schools and colleges in Moscow and St. Petersburg: a naval, engineering school, an artillery school. By order of Peter, the publication of the first printed newspaper in Russia began. It was called "Vedomosti" and was published in St. Petersburg since 1702. To facilitate reading and writing in 1708, he reformed the Russian alphabet, greatly simplifying it. In 1719, Peter founded the country's first Kunstkamera Museum. And, already at the end of his life, on January 28, 1724, Peter I issued a decree establishing the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Russia.

Counter arguments are brought to them by those who believe that "Peter I is not a great reformer." And they support their position with the fact that:

1. Policy. The administrative reforms carried out by Peter I led to an increase in various malfeasances, the number of officials and the cost of their maintenance increased. The burden of taxes fell on the shoulders of the people. The Northern War worsened the economic situation of the population, as they required huge material costs. Numerous taxes, direct and indirect, were introduced. All this worsened the position of the taxable population (peasants, townspeople, merchants, etc.).
2. Social side. The reforms of Peter I led to the strengthening of serfdom. The decree of Peter I in 1721 allowed manufacturers to buy villages with peasants for factories. The decree forbade the sale of factory peasants separately from the factory. Manufactories using forced labor were unproductive. The people responded to the deterioration of their situation with resistance (the Astrakhan uprising, the uprising of K. Bulavin, the uprising in Bashkiria). Peter used mass executions, torture, exile as a means of punishment. For example, the Streltsy rebellion of 1698 was a cruel massacre of the archers, which was committed by the sovereign. 799 archers were executed. Life was saved only for those who were from 14 to 20 years old, and even then they were beaten with whips. In the next six months, 1182 archers were executed, beaten with a whip, branded and 601 people were exiled. The investigation and executions continued for almost ten more years, the total number of executed reached 2,000 people.
3. Construction of St. Petersburg. In order to speed up the construction of stone houses, Peter even banned stone construction throughout Russia, except for St. Petersburg. Serfs were widely used for work in the project. It is believed that about 30,000 died during construction.
4. Church. Peter ordered to remove the bells from the churches, because. there was not enough metal for weapons for the army, up to 30 thousand pounds of bell copper was then brought to Moscow. Reform of the Synod of the Church: When Patriarch Adrian Peter died in 1700, he forbade choosing a successor. In 1721, the patriarchate was abolished, and the "Holy Governing Synod" was created to manage the church, which was subordinate to the Senate. The state tightened control over the income of the church from the monastic peasants, systematically withdrew a significant part of them for the construction of the fleet, the maintenance of the army, schools, etc. It was forbidden to create new monasteries, and the number of monks in existing ones was limited.
5. Old Believers. Tsar Peter allowed the Old Believers to live openly in cities and villages, but imposed a double tax on them. They took a tax from every man for wearing a beard, they took a fine from them and for the fact that the priests performed their spiritual duties. They did not enjoy any civil rights in the state. For disobedience, they were exiled to hard labor as enemies of the church and state.
6. Culture. The desire of Peter I to turn Russians overnight into Europeans was carried out by violent methods. Shaving beards, introducing European-style clothing. Dissenters were threatened with fines, exile, hard labor, and confiscation of property. Peter's "Europeanization" marked the beginning of the deepest gap between the way of life of the people and the privileged strata. Many years later, this turned into distrust of the peasantry in any person from the “educated”, since a nobleman dressed in European foreign language, seemed to the peasant a foreigner. Peter openly despised everything folk customs. Peter, returning from Europe, ordered to forcibly shave his beard and wear a foreign dress. At the city outposts there were special spies who cut off the beards of passers-by and passers-by and cut off the floors of the long national cut of clothing. The beards of those who resisted were simply uprooted. On January 4, 1700, all residents of Moscow were ordered to dress in foreign dresses. Two days were given to execute the order. It was forbidden to ride on Russian-style saddles. Merchants were graciously promised a whip, confiscation of property and hard labor for the sale of Russian dresses.

If we divide the reign of Peter I into reformation and tyranny, then it is easier to present it in a comparative tablet.

Conclusion: History does not know the subjunctive mood. Peter the Great was and his deeds are great. I think that Tsar Peter I embodied so many different and sometimes contradictory qualities that it is difficult to characterize him unambiguously. The merits of Peter I are so great that they began to call him the Great, and the state turned into an empire. Peter was naturally a reformer, but the methods he chose to carry out the reforms were radical. Yes, Peter I appears before us violent and cruel, but such was the age. The new made its way. Just as fiercely and mercilessly as the obsolete old clung to life.

The era of Peter the Great is in many ways instructive for us today, when it is necessary, as Peter the Great happened to do in his time, to create and defend on the old obsolete basis new Russia, to reform the army and navy, to cultivate industriousness, active patriotism, devotion to state interests and love for military affairs. Love your Fatherland and be proud of Russia.

Peter I is one of the most striking and controversial figures in Russian history, she still causes controversy among historians regarding the results and methods of government. Peter's reforms were controversial: on the one hand, he sought to advance Russia along the path of progress, on the other hand, he did it with barbaric methods, at the cost of huge sacrifices and suffering of the people.

Peter the Great with his reforms contributed to the development of all aspects of society. He developed industrial production in the economy, building manufactories, pursued a policy of protectionism, that is, support for domestic production by introducing high import duties. In addition, a trade charter was drawn up, the port was moved from Arkhangelsk to St. Petersburg. There have also been changes in the military field. Reorganization of the army, the introduction of recruiting sets, the creation of military educational institutions and charters, the construction of the fleet led to the fact that Russia became an empire, which undoubtedly could not be ignored in Europe.

Our experts can check your essay by USE criteria

Site experts Kritika24.ru
Teachers of leading schools and current experts of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Modernization of the management system (creation of the Senate, collegiums, division of the country into provinces) strengthened secular power in Russia and the autocracy of the autocrat.

At the same time, getting acquainted with European achievements during the Great Embassy of 1697-1698. Peter remained indifferent to the ideas of parliamentarism, since he believed that they were unacceptable in Russia. He ruled the country with purely dictatorial methods, causing protests in different sectors of society. Revolts broke out repeatedly: Arkhangelsk (1705–1706), Bashkir (1704–1711), uprising of K. Bulavin (1707–1708). Tsarevich Alexei also spoke out against his father, for which he was executed. The most beautiful city in Russia, the "paradise" of Peter - St. Petersburg was actually built on the bones, since over a hundred thousand people died during its construction. Ruthlessly broke traditions, folk foundations that have developed over the centuries. All these sacrifices were for the sake of achieving the main goal - the creation of a great Russia.

P.N. Milyukov believed that the reforms were carried out by Peter at random, from case to case, under the pressure of specific circumstances, that only "at the cost of ruining the country, Russia was elevated to the rank of a European power." Renowned historian CM. Solovyov thought otherwise. He believed that the appearance of the reformer tsar was predetermined by history itself: “... the people got up and gathered on the road; but someone was waiting; waited for the leader, and the leader appeared.

Thus, it can be concluded that in early XVIII V. Russia needed reforms, otherwise it would have remained a backward country. Reforms always cause discontent in society, and only a strong, whole person could cope with resistance.

Updated: 2018-02-20

Attention!
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and press Ctrl+Enter.
Thus, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE PERM KRAI

STATE BUDGET PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

"Gornozavodsky Polytechnic College"

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT

discipline: "History"

Theme: "Peter the Great"

Specialty / profession: 38.02.05 Commodity research and examination of the quality of consumer goods

Group: TEK-113

Head: Poskina Olga Vladimirovna

Gornozavodsk, 2018

Content

I.

Conclusion

Bibliography

Annex 1.

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Introduction

Peter the Great is a controversial, complex figure. This is how his era was born. From his father and grandfather, he inherited the traits of character and mode of action, worldview and plans for the future. At the same time, he was a bright personality in everything, and this is what allowed him to break established traditions, customs, habits, enrich old experience new ideals and deeds, to borrow what is necessary and useful from other peoples.

Eyewitnesses told posterity that the Russian tsar was distinguished by ease of handling, undemanding, unpretentiousness in everyday life. The houses or palaces built for him were not large and pompous. He did not tolerate high ceilings and, where they were, ordered to make a second one, lower, from wood or, at worst, from canvas. By nature, a kind person, he could caress not only a sensible nobleman, but also a carpenter, blacksmith or sailor, shared shelter and food with them, baptized their children. He did not like any official ceremonies and thus amazed foreign observers, especially kings, princesses and other aristocrats.

However, the habit of power, the servility of those around him explains, but does not justify such qualities in Peter as rudeness and cruelty, permissiveness and disregard for human dignity, arbitrariness in politics and in everyday life. He realized and emphasized more than once that he is an absolute monarch, and everything that he does and says is not subject to human judgment, only God will ask him for everything, both good and bad. Peter was sincerely convinced that everything emanating from him was for the good of the state, the people. And therefore the laws created by him, the institutions that appeared according to his will, are the "fortification (fortress) of truth." The fact that he himself worked tirelessly, building, according to his ideas and plans, this "fortification" of the Russian state, one cannot help but see. But did he see that his efforts did not benefit everyone (the “common good”), or at least not everyone equally? In any case, along with those who won a lot behind the walls of the fortification, built primarily by the labor and exploits of the people, the majority of this people received little or nothing, and part of them lost a lot: hundreds of thousands of people fell into serfdom, more more people were subjected to increased taxes, extortions, forced mobilization, work, etc.

A remarkable feature of Peter the Great as a ruler, an absolute monarch, is a huge personal contribution to the administration of the state, its foreign policy, military actions, the involvement of gifted, talented, capable people- administrators, commanders, diplomats, organizers of various industries, masters of their craft. He tirelessly identified them, brought them up, guided them. Of course, Peter's tough temper could not but leave an imprint on his relationship with his associates and helpers. With all his democracy and playful humiliation, the king showed his will, iron and indestructible, in everything. He did not tolerate objections where he had already made a decision, he exploded with anger at the slightest trifle. He was feared like fire even by the people closest to him, like-minded people and friends.

The personality of Peter the Great interested me in particular, and not just historians, because indeed the history of Russia knew only a few such rulers, strong, powerful, but pursuing the only goal of the prosperity of their state.

Goal of the work: to study the personality of PeterIand his reforms.

Tasks , put by me to solve the problematic issue:

Examine the activities of PeterI.

To study the points of view of various historians on the reform activities of PeterI.

Problem: Great reformer or great tyrant?

Chapter 1. The first steps of the young emperor.

An important condition the beginning of the reforms was the very personality of the king-transformer. Established in the historical conditions of the endXVIIcentury Peter Alekseevich was born in 1972 and was the fourteenth child in the family of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who died in 1676. The elder half-brother of Peter, the sickly and pious Fyodor Alekseevich, ascended the throne. During his reign, tax and military reforms were carried out, localism was abolished. After the death of Fedor in 1682, various court factions fought for the proclamation of the tsar of 10-year-old Peter - the son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his second wife - N. Naryshkina, or 16-year-old, poor health Ivan, the son of the tsar from his first wife - M. Mislavskaya. the Mislavsky group, led by the energetic and power-hungry Princess Sophia Alekseevna, achieved the approval of two brothers on the throne at once, with Sophia's actual regency.

Peter and his entourage were removed from the Kremlin and lived in the village of Preobrazhensky near Moscow. Peter's passion was military fun, in which the children of service people and common people. It was from them that the “amusing regiments” were formed - Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, which then became the basis regular army and the first guards regiments. The years of adolescence also had the first acquaintance of Peter with foreigners. Visiting the German settlement, he learned a different type of human relations, got acquainted with other cultures and way of life.

In 1689, Sophia was removed from power and sent to the Novodevichy Convent. Immediate state activity Petra began with the organization in 1695 of the first Azov campaign. It was not possible to take the powerful Turkish fortress due to the lack of a fleet capable of blocking it from the sea. Peter began energetic preparations for the second campaign and, thanks to the actions of the galleys built at the shipyards of Voronezh, he managed to take Azov in 1696.

Peter's transformations were caused by a number of factors: a) Russia's economic and military lag behind the advanced European countries was growing, which posed a threat to national sovereignty; b) the service class, in its socio-political and cultural level, did not meet the requirements of the country's social development, remained a patriarchal social community of the medieval era, which had a vague idea even of its class interests; c) social instability gave rise to the need to strengthen the positions of the ruling class, its mobilization and renewal, as well as the improvement of the state administration apparatus and troops; d) it was necessary to achieve access to the sea.

Tsar Peter, who began to carry out radical transformations, was distinguished by unusual personal qualities. He grew up in Moscow, from where it took more than one week to get to any sea, nevertheless, navigation became his favorite thing. Raised in a patriarchal setting royal court(albeit not in the Kremlin), but in dealing with any person he rejected all sorts of pompous ceremonies, demanded that he be addressed without any titles, just by name. Instead of "commanding", as befitted the king, he got into all the affairs himself - he worked as a carpenter, fired from cannons, worked on a lathe, even pulled out bad teeth from the courtiers.

It would be an exaggeration to say that Peter and his entourage had some kind of clear reform program. But, on the other hand, it is also impossible to call his transformations spontaneous - they had their own logic; some reforms required others, military issues were intertwined with economic ones, changes in the state apparatus required the development of education, and so on.

Chapter 2 I .

The young king strengthened and streamlined the state structure. The Governing Senate and 11 collegiums were created, which replaced the command system of government. In order to combat abuses of power, a system of state control over government institutions was created.

In Russia, a new territorial structure was introduced in the form of provinces, provinces and districts. State power was strictly hierarchical and subordinated directly to the king.

The proclamation in 1721 of Russia as an empire, and himself as emperor, became a natural continuation of the centralized policy and foreign policy successes of Peter I.

IN social sphere the emperor made a bet on the nomination of the most capable and talented people. To this end, he adopted the "Table of Ranks" (1722). All civil servants were divided into 14 classes. Promotion depended solely on the activity of a person, and not on his origin.

Peter I actively promoted the development of Russian industry and trade. arose a large number of new factories and manufactories, there was a modernization of existing ones. Although the development of capitalism in Russia was significantly limited by the existing serfdom.

The emperor adhered to a policy of protectionism, which consisted in protecting the interests of Russian manufacturers. Strong trade relations with European states are being established.

One of the largest acts of Peter I is the foundation by him from scratch new capital- St. Petersburg. New town, thanks to increased financial investments and forced settlement, in a fairly short time it becomes a developed center with established production and trade.

The ebullient activity of Peter I was expressed in the impulsiveness of his actions. Despite the desire for European ideals, Peter I acted like a typical oriental despot, all of whose orders had to be unquestioningly carried out without discussion. The emperor did not consider human sacrifices if they were needed to achieve his goals.

For all connoisseurs of Russian history, the name of Peter 1 will forever remain associated with the period of reform in almost all spheres of life. Russian society. And one of the most important in this series was the military reform.

Throughout his reign, Peter the Great fought. All his military campaigns were directed against serious opponents - Sweden and Turkey. And in order to wage endless exhausting, and besides, offensive wars, you need a well-equipped efficient army. Actually, the need to create such an army was the main reason for the military reforms of Peter the Great. The process of transformation was not instantaneous, each stage took place at its own time and was caused by certain events in the course of hostilities.

It cannot be said that the tsar began reforming the army from scratch. Rather, he continued and expanded the military innovations conceived by his father Alexei Mikhailovich.

Military reforms:

1. Reformation of the archery troops

2. Introduction of recruitment duty

3. Changing the system of military training

4. Changes in organizational structure armies

5. Rearmament of the army

Chapter 3. Significance of Peter's reforms.

Peter's reignIopened a new period in Russian history. Russia has become a European-isolated state and a member of the European community of nations. Management and jurisprudence, the army and various social strata of the population were reorganized in a Western way. Industry and trade developed rapidly, and great achievements appeared in technical education and science.

Assessing Peter's reforms and their significance for further development Russian Empire, the following main trends should be taken into account:

Peter's reformsImarked the formation of an absolute monarchy, in contrast to the Western class, not under the influence of the genesis of capitalism, but on a serf-noble basis;

created by PeterIthe new state not only significantly increased the efficiency of public administration, but also served as the main lever for the modernization of the country;

in terms of the scale and speed of the reform of PeterIhad no analogues not only in Russian, but at least in European history;

a powerful contradictory imprint was left on them by the features of the previous development of the country, experimental foreign policy conditions and the personality of the king himself;

Building on some of the trends emerging inXVIIcentury in Russia, PeterInot only developed them, but also brought it to a qualitatively more high level, turning Russia into a powerful state;

the price for these radical changes was the further strengthening of serfdom, the temporary inhibition of the formation of capitalist relations, and the strongest tax and tax pressure on the population;

despite the inconsistency of the personality of Peter and his transformations into national history his figure has become a symbol of decisive reformism and selfless, sparing neither himself nor others, service Russian state. The descendants of PeterI- practically the only one of the kings - rightfully retained the title of the Great granted to him.

First Quarter TransformationsXVIIIcenturies are so grandiose in their consequences that they give grounds to speak of pre-Petrine and post-Petrine Russia. Peter the Great is one of the most prominent figures in Russian history. Reforms are inseparable from the personality of PeterI- an outstanding commander and statesman.

Chapter 4

Contradictory, explained by the peculiarities of that time and personal qualities, the figure of Peter the Great constantly attracted the attention of the largest writers (M.V. Lomonosov, A.S. Pushkin, A.N. Tolstoy), artists and sculptors (E. Falcone, V.I. Surikov, M.N. Ge, V.A. Serov), theater and cinema figures (V.M. Petrov, N.K. Cherkasova), composers (A.P. Petrova).

How to evaluate Peter's "perestroika"? Relation to PeterIand his reforms - a kind of touchstone that determines the views of historians, publicists, politicians, scientists and cultural figures. What is it - a historical feat of the people or measures that doomed the country to ruin after the reforms of PeterI?

Peter's transformations and their results are extremely contradictory, which is reflected in the works of historians. Most researchers believe that the reforms of PeterIwere of outstanding importance in the history of Russia (K. Valishevsky, S.M. Soloviev, V.O. Klyuchevsky, N.I. Kostomarov, E.P. Karpovich, N.N. Molchanov, N.I. Pavlenko, etc.) . On the one hand, the reign of Peter went down in history as a time of brilliant military victories, it was characterized by rapid economic development. It was a period of a sharp breakthrough towards Europe. According to S.F. Platonov, for this purpose, Peter was ready to sacrifice everything, even himself and his loved ones. Everything that went against the good of the state, he was ready to exterminate and destroy as a statesman.

On the other hand, the result of the activities of PeterIsome historians consider the creation of a "regular state", i.e. state bureaucratic in nature, based on surveillance and espionage. Authoritarian rule is being established, the role of the monarch, his influence on all spheres of society and the state is extremely increasing (A.N. Mavrodin, G.V. Vernadsky).

Moreover, researcher Yu.A. Boldyrev, studying the personality of Peter and his reforms, concludes that “Peter's transformations aimed at the Europeanization of Russia did not achieve their goal. The revolutionary nature of Peter turned out to be false, as it was carried out while maintaining the basic principles despotic regime, universal enslavement".

Ideal state structure for Peter there was a “regular state”, a model similar to a ship, where the captain is the king, his subjects are officers and sailors acting according to the maritime charter. Only such a state, according to Peter, could become an instrument of decisive transformation, the purpose of which is to turn Russia into a great European power. Peter achieved this goal and therefore went down in history as a great reformer. But at what cost were these results achieved?

The repeated increase in taxes led to the impoverishment and enslavement of the bulk of the population. Various social performances - the rebellion of the archers in Astrakhan (1705-1706), the uprising of the Cossacks on the Don under the leadership of Kondraty Bulavin (1707-1708), in Ukraine and the Volga region were directed personally against PeterIand even not so much against the transformations as against the methods and means of their implementation.

Carrying out public administration reform, PeterIwas guided by the principle of cameralism, i.e. introduction of bureaucracy. In Russia, a cult of institutions has developed, and the pursuit of ranks and positions has become a national disaster.

The desire to catch up with Europe in economic development PeterItried to realize with the help of the formed "manufactory industrialization", i.e. through the mobilization of public funds and the use of labor serfs. Main Feature The development of manufactories was the fulfillment of state, primarily military orders, which freed them from competition, but deprived them of free economic initiative.

The result of the Petrine reforms was the creation in Russia of the foundations of a state-monopoly industry, feudal and militarized. Instead of forcing a civil society with a market economy in Europe, Russia by the end of Peter's reign represented a military-police state with a state-owned monopolized feudal economy.

The achievements of the imperial period were accompanied by deep internal conflicts. Major Crisis mature in national psychology. The Europeanization of Russia brought with it new political, religious and social ideas that were adopted by the ruling classes of society before they reached the masses. Accordingly, a split arose between the top and bottom of society, between the intellectuals and the people.

The main psychological support of the Russian state is Orthodox Church- at the endXVIIcentury was shaken in its foundations and gradually and gradually lost its importance from 1700 until the revolution of 1917. Church reform beganXVIIIcentury meant for the Russians the loss of a spiritual alternative to the state ideology. While in Europe the church, separating from the state, drew closer to the believers, in Russia it moved away from them, became an obedient instrument of power, which was contrary to Russian traditions, spiritual values, and the whole age-old way of life. Naturally, PeterImany contemporaries called the king-antichrist.

There was an aggravation of political and social problems. abolition Zemsky Sobors(removing the people from political power) and the abolition of self-government in 1708 also created political difficulties.

The government acutely felt the weakening of contacts with the people after Peter's reforms. It soon became clear that the majority did not sympathize with the Europeanization program. Carrying out its reforms, the government was forced to act harshly, as Peter the Great did. And also the concept of prohibitions has become familiar. Meanwhile, Western political thought influenced the Europeanized circles of Russian society, absorbing the ideas of political progress and gradually preparing for the fight against absolutism. Thus, Peter's reforms set in motion political forces, which later the government could not control.

In Peter we can see before us the only example of successful and, on the whole, completed reforms in Russia, which determined its further development for two centuries. However, it should be noted that the price of the transformations was prohibitively high: in carrying out them, the tsar did not consider either the sacrifices made on the altar of the fatherland, or national traditions, or the memory of ancestors.

The opinions of historians and researchers were considered above, as a result, we see that opinions about the personality of PeterIare ambiguous. After I got acquainted with the opinions of historians, I decided to conduct a survey in our technical school among students, after studying the topic: “The activities of PeterI". The students were offered a questionnaire (Appendix 1). From the content of this questionnaire, I wanted to find out who the current generation of Peter is considered to beI, as well as to find out which reforms, in their opinion, are the most significant for that period of time. 84 students took part in the survey.

After analyzing the opinion of the students of the Gornozavodsk Polytechnic College, I come to the conclusion that 85% of the respondents consider PeterIreformer, only 7% consider him a tyrant, while 8% indicated that they support both characteristics of Great Peter (the data is given in the diagram, Appendix 2).

In addition, according to the survey, students consider the most important reform to be the military reform, which, according to students, made the army regular, a strong navy, it was the implementation of military reform with the introduction of military schools that made the army "indestructible" and made it possible to win significant victories, including in the Northern War of 1700-1721.

The second most important reform was marked by the church reform, which the students also considered significant for the development of Russia, namely the subordination of the church to the state in order to exclude the influence of the church on state power, state policy, as well as enrichment at the expense of church lands.

And one more, the most important reform, according to students, is financial or economic reform, which led to the introduction of a single monetary coin - a penny, as well as the introduction of numerous customs fees for the import of imported goods, which supported Russian production, primarily in metallurgy. (Appendix 3).

Conclusion

The transformations carried out by Peter the Great in the state-political, social and cultural spheres are one of the most striking phenomena in Russian history. Completion of the construction of the Russian Empire, begun inXVIIcentury, became the main historical result Peter's activities. Former Muscovy has become a strong European state. The transformations carried out by Peter served as the basis for the establishment of an absolute monarchy in Russia. All the most important activities of PeterI- military reform, the struggle for access to the seas, the development of industry, public administration, the Europeanization of culture - were outlined long before his reign. Peter only acted more decisively than previous monarchs. The brute force methods of the Europeanization of the country, the countless sacrifices and hardships of life helped to achieve the set goals, but led to the extreme depletion of the forces of Peter's subjects. Among the most difficult consequences of the era of transformations are the extreme enslavement of the peasants, the omnipotence of the bureaucracy, the deepening of the split of Russian society into aliens not only in social status, but also in culture and even in language “tops” and “bottoms”.

Summing up my work, I would agree with the words of A.S. Pushkin "Everything trembled, everything silently obeyed" - this is how he summarized the essence of Peter's nature as a sovereign and a person. Peter was sure that he was doing the right thing, for the benefit of the people and the state. He also sincerely believed that “all good things” come from the monarch, in this case from himself, and therefore his eye should reach everything, penetrate into all ends of the state, into the souls and thoughts of subjects. Yes, he is a tyrant, but is it possible in Russia differently? The history of our state knows the answer to this question, what will be the result when the Russian people get freedom. And in contrast, history knows cases of lightning-fast rises, but in "hedgehogs".

Bibliography

Buganov V.I., Zyryanov P.N. Russian history. Textbook for grade 10. M.: Enlightenment. 1997.

Volobuev O.V., Klokov V.A., Ponomarev M.V., Rogozhkin V.A. Russia and the world. Textbook for general educational institutions. M.: Bustard, 2002.

Derevyanko A.P., Shabelnikova N.A. Russian history. Moscow: Prospect Publishing House, 2006.

Zuev M.N., Lavrenov S.Ya. Russian history. Textbook and workshop for open source software. Moscow: Yurayt, 2017.

Novikov S.V. Tutorial. Story. M.: Word. 1999.

Sakharov A.N. Textbook for grade 10. Russian history. M.: Education, 1999.

Chudinov A.V. Story. Textbook for grade 10. Moscow: Academy, 2008.

Shevelev V.N. History for colleges. Rostov n/a: Phoenix, 2007.

Annex 1.

QUESTIONNAIRE

on the topic: "The reform activity of Peter the Great."

Briefly describe the activities of PeterI.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Indicate the three (in your opinion) most significant reforms of PeterI. Explain (briefly) why you think that these reforms are the most significant for the development of the state.

2.1. ______________________________________________________________

2.2. _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

2.3. _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Historians are divided into two opinions about the personality of PeterI, some argue that he is a great reformer, others that he is a tyrant who did not reckon with people (not only with the population of the state, but also with his relatives and friends) in achieving his goals. What do you think, PeterIreformer or tyrant?

__________________________________________________________________

PETER I THE GREAT

(born in 1672 - died in 1725)

The first Russian emperor, known for his public administration reforms.

On January 27, 1725, the Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg was surrounded by reinforced guards. Ended in terrible agony life path the first Russian emperor Peter I. For the last ten days, convulsions were replaced by delirium and deep fainting, and in those moments when the tsar came to himself, he screamed terribly from unbearable pain. During the last week, in brief moments of relief, Peter took communion three times. By his order, all arrested debtors were released from prisons and their debts were covered from royal sums. In all churches, including those of other faiths, prayers were served for him. Relief did not come, and on January 28, at the beginning of the sixth morning, the emperor died.

Peter was the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. He was born on May 30, 1672. From his first marriage with Maria Ilinichnaya Miloslavskaya, the tsar had 13 children, but only two of the sons survived - Fedor and Ivan. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1676, Peter's upbringing took place under the supervision of his elder brother, Tsar Fyodor, who was his godfather. For the young prince, he chose Nikita Zotov as mentors, under whose influence he became addicted to books, especially historical writings. Nikita told the pupil a lot about the past of the Fatherland, about the glorious deeds of his ancestors. Tsar Ivan the Terrible became a true idol for Peter. Subsequently, Peter spoke of his reign: “This sovereign is my predecessor and model; I have always imagined him as the model of my government in civil and military affairs, but I did not go as far as he did. Fools only those who do not know the circumstances of his time, the properties of his people and the greatness of his merit, call him a tormentor.

After the death in 1682 of the 22-year-old Tsar Fedor, the struggle for the throne of two families, the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins, sharply escalated. The candidate for the throne from the Miloslavskys was Ivan, who was in poor health, from the Naryshkins, the healthy, but younger Peter. At the instigation of the Naryshkins, the patriarch proclaimed Peter the tsar. However, the Miloslavskys did not reconcile themselves and provoked a streltsy riot, during which many people close to the Naryshkins died. This made an indelible impression on Peter, influenced his mental health and outlook. For the rest of his life, he harbored a hatred for the archers and for the entire Miloslavsky family.

The result of the rebellion was a political compromise: both Ivan and Peter were elevated to the throne, and Princess Sophia, the smart and ambitious daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage, became their regent (ruler). Peter and his mother did not play any role in the life of the state. They ended up in a kind of exile in the village of Preobrazhensky. Peter happened to take part only in embassy ceremonies in the Kremlin. Here, in Preobrazhensky, the military "fun" of the young tsar began. Under the leadership of the Scot Menesius, from Peter's peers, mostly representatives of noble families, a children's regiment was recruited, from which in the early 90s. grew up two guards regiment- Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. The future Field Marshal M. M. Golitsyn, and the descendant of a noble family Buturlin, and the son of a groom, and in the future a friend and associate of Peter, A. D. Menshikov, served in them. The king himself served here, starting as a drummer. The officers in the regiments were mostly foreigners. In general, foreigners who lived near Preobrazhensky in the German Quarter (Kukui), who came to the country under Tsar Alexei, seekers of happiness and rank, craftsmen, military specialists, played a huge role in Peter's life. From them, he studied shipbuilding, military affairs, and in addition, drink strong drinks, smoke, wear foreign clothes. From them, one might say, he absorbed the disdain for everything Russian. The closest to Peter was the Swiss F. Lefort.

In the summer of 1689, the struggle with the Miloslavskys intensified. Princess Sophia, realizing that soon Peter would push back the sick Ivan and take the reins of government into his own hands, began to incite the archers, led by Shaklovity, to revolt. But this idea failed: the archers themselves handed over Shaklovity to Peter, and he, having named many of his associates under torture, was executed along with them. Sophia, Peter imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent. Thus began his sole rule. Ivan ruled only nominally, and after his death in 1696, Peter became autocrat.

In 1697, the tsar, as part of the Great Embassy of 50 people, under the guise of an officer of the Preobrazhensky regiment, Peter Mikhailov, went abroad. The purpose of the trip is an alliance against the Turks. In Holland and England, working as a carpenter in shipyards, the king mastered shipbuilding. On the way back, in Vienna, he was caught by the news of a new archery revolt. Peter hurried to Russia, but on the way he learned that the rebellion was suppressed, 57 instigators were executed, and 4 thousand archers were exiled. Upon his return, believing that Miloslavsky's "seed" had not been exterminated, the tsar ordered the investigation to be resumed. Already exiled archers were returned to Moscow. Peter personally participated in torture and executions. He himself chopped off the heads of archers and forced his confidants and courtiers to do it. Many archers were executed in a new way - they were wheeled. The king's revenge on the Miloslavsky family knew no bounds. He ordered to dig a coffin with the body of Miloslavsky, bring him on pigs to the place of execution and put him near the chopping block so that the blood of the executed would pour on the remains of Miloslavsky. In total, more than a thousand archers were executed. Their bodies were thrown into a pit where animal corpses were dumped. 195 archers were hanged at the gates of the Novodevichy Convent, and three - near the very windows of Sophia, and for five whole months the corpses were not removed from the place of execution. In this terrible deed, and in many others, Peter surpassed his idol Ivan the Terrible in cruelty.

At the same time, the tsar embarked on reforms with the aim of reshaping Russia along Western European lines, turning the country into an absolutist police state. He wanted everything at once. With his reforms, Peter I put Russia on its hind legs, but how many people at the same time went up on the rack, on the chopping block, on the gallows! How many were killed, tortured... It all started with cultural innovations. It became obligatory for everyone except the peasants and the clergy to wear foreign clothes, the army was dressed in uniforms according to the European model, and everyone, again except the peasants and the clergy, were obliged to shave their beards, and in Preobrazhensky Peter himself cut off the beards of the boyars. Since 1705, a tax on beards was introduced: from servicemen and clerks, merchants and townspeople, 60 rubles each. per person per year; hundreds of rich merchants from the living room - 100 rubles each; from people of lower rank, boyar people, coachmen - 30 rubles each; from the peasants - 2 money each time they entered the city or left it.

Other innovations were also introduced. Crafts were encouraged, numerous workshops were created, young men from noble families were sent to study abroad, city administration was reorganized, the calendar was reformed, order established St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the Navigation School was opened. To strengthen the centralization of government, boards and a senate were created instead of orders. All these transformations were carried out by violent methods. A special place was occupied by Peter's relations with the clergy. Day after day he led the attack on the independence of the church. After the death of his mother, Peter no longer participated in religious processions. The patriarch ceased to be an adviser to the tsar and was expelled from the tsar's Duma, and after his death in 1700, the management of church affairs passed to a specially created Synod. And all these and other transformations were superimposed by the unbridled temper of the king. In the words of the historian Valishevsky: “In everything that Peter did, he brought too much swiftness, too much personal rudeness, and in particular, too much passion. He hit right and left. And therefore, by correcting, he spoiled everything. The fury of the king, reaching to rage, his mockery of the people knew no restraint. He could attack Generalissimo Shane with wild abuse, and Romodanovsky and Zotov, who were trying to appease him, people close to him, inflict severe wounds: one had severed fingers, the other had wounds on his head; he could beat his friend Menshikov for not taking off his sword at the assembly during the dances; could kill a servant with a stick for taking off his hat too slowly; he could order that the 80-year-old boyar M. Golovin be forced to sit naked, in a jester's cap, for an hour on the Neva ice because he refused, dressed as a devil, to participate in the jester's procession. After that, Golovin fell ill and soon died. So the tsar behaved not only at home: in the Copenhagen Museum, Peter mutilated the mummy, because he was refused to sell it for the Kunstkamera. Many such examples could be cited.

The Petrine era is a time of constant wars. The Azov campaigns of 1695–1696, the Northern War of 1700–1721, the Prut campaign of 1711, the campaign against the Caspian in 1722. All this required a huge amount of both people and money. A huge army and navy were created. Recruits were often brought into the cities in chains. Many lands were depopulated. In general, during the reign of Peter I, Russia lost almost a third of its population. Throughout the state, it was forbidden to cut down large trees, and for felling an oak, it was generally relied the death penalty. For the maintenance of the army, new requisitions were introduced: recruiting, dragoon, ship, household and official paper. New dues were introduced: for fishing, domestic baths, mills, inns. The sale of salt and tobacco passed into the hands of the treasury. Even oak coffins were transferred to the treasury and then sold for 4 times more. But money was still not enough.

The difficult nature of Peter was reflected in his family life. Even at the age of 16, his mother, in order to ward off the German settlement, married him to Evdokia Lopukhina, whom he never loved. Evdokia bore him two sons: Alexander, who died in infancy, and Alexei. After the death of Natalya Kirillovna, relations between the spouses deteriorated sharply. Peter even wanted to execute his wife, but limited himself to forcibly tonsure her as a nun in the Intercession Monastery in Suzdal. The 26-year-old queen was not given a penny for maintenance, and she was forced to ask her relatives for money. At the same time, Peter had two mistresses in the German settlement: the daughter of the silversmith Betticher and the daughter of the wine merchant Mons - Anna, who became the first titled favorite of the king. He gave her palaces, estates, but when her love affair with the Saxon envoy Keyserling was revealed, the vengeful Peter took away almost everything he gave, and even kept her in prison for some time. A vindictive but not inconsolable lover, he quickly found a replacement for her. Among his favorites were at one time Anisya Tolstaya, and Varvara Arsenyeva, and a number of other representatives of noble families. Quite often the choice of the tsar stopped and on simple servants. In 1703, another woman appeared who played a special role in the life of the monarch - Marta Skavronskaya, who later became Peter's wife under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna. After the Russian troops occupied Marienburg, she was a servant and mistress of Field Marshal B. Sheremetev, then A. Menshikov, who introduced her to the tsar. Martha converted to Orthodoxy, bore Peter three daughters and a son, Peter Petrovich, who died in 1719. But only in 1724 did Peter crown her. At the same time, a scandal broke out: the tsar became aware of the love affair between Catherine and Willem Mons, the brother of the former favorite. Monet was executed, and his head in a jar of alcohol, by order of the king, was in his wife's bedroom for several days.

Against the background of these events, the tragedy of Peter's son, Alexei, stands out clearly. His fear of his father reached the point that, on the advice of friends, he even wanted to renounce the inheritance. Peter saw this as a conspiracy and ordered his son to be sent to a monastery. Alexei fled and took refuge with his mistress, first in Vienna and then in Naples. But they were found and lured to Russia. The father promised his son forgiveness if he would name the accomplices. But instead of forgiveness, Peter sent him to the casemate of the Peter and Paul Fortress and ordered an investigation to begin. The prince was tortured five times in a week. The father was also present. To end the torment, Alexei slandered himself: they say, he wanted to get the throne with the help of the troops of the Austrian emperor. On June 24, 1718, a court of 127 people unanimously sentenced Alexei to death. The choice of execution was given to the discretion of the king. Little is known about how Alexei died: either from poison, or from suffocation, or he was cut off his head, or he died under torture. However, the participants in the investigation received awards, titles, and villages. The very next day, Peter celebrated the ninth anniversary of the Battle of Poltava with grandeur.

With the end of the Northern War in 1721, Russia was proclaimed an empire, and the Senate awarded Peter the titles of "Father of the Fatherland", "Emperor" and "Great".

The turbulent life of the king "gave" him a bouquet of diseases by the age of 50, but most of all he suffered from uremia. Mineral water did not help either. For the last three months, Peter spent most of his time in bed, although on the days of relief he took part in the festivities. In mid-January, the attacks of the disease became more frequent. Kidney dysfunction led to blockage of the urinary tract. The performed operation did not give anything. Blood poisoning has begun. The question of succession to the throne arose sharply, since the sons of the king by this time were not alive. On January 27, Peter wanted to write an order for the succession to the throne. They gave him paper, but he could write only two words: “Give everything ...” In addition, he lost his speech. The next day he died in terrible agony. His body remained unburied for 40 days. It was exhibited on a velvet bed embroidered with gold in the palace hall, upholstered with carpets that Peter received as a gift from Louis XV during his stay in Paris. His wife Ekaterina Alekseevna was proclaimed empress.

Peter I We strongly condemn A.S. Ter-Oganyan for his lack of perseverance. After all, he was at first - the south began to fight, Azov, Taganrog. And the capital - at first I wanted to move it there! - So it was necessary to stand on this to the end! - says Oganyan. - And how much everything else would be

Bruce and Peter the Great Not everyone tells the truth about Bruce: there are those who lie a lot. Another empty talker will blow smoke, just to fool people ... And the true story about Bruce is one of the stories of history. Just think what a luxurious mind the man had! And he walked on science, and that's all

Pyotr Aleinikov He was a man who was licked (kissed, that means) by a wolf in the zoo! He was very loved by the people. No one else was as popular as he was—no one! The desire of people to see him at home at the table (if only at home!), Wide Russian treats

ALEINIKOV Petr ALEINIKOV Petr (film actor: “Oncoming” (1932), “Peasants” (1935; Petka), “Seven Courageous” (1936; the main role is the cook Petya Moliboga), “Komsomolsk” (1938; Komsomol member Peter Aleinikov), "Tractor Drivers" (Savka), "Noise, Town" (the main role is the inventor Vasya Zvyagin)

Chapter I. Peter the Great and Tula blacksmiths The Petrine era. - Titan-king and poor Rus'. – Mining in Rus' before Peter. - Founding of the first ironworks. - Peter's concerns about mining. – The role of “random” people in history. - Nikita and Akinfiy Demidov. – Childhood and

“Great Peter would be alive ...” In the early sixties, in the editorial office fiction Lenizdat brought a thick notebook, on the hard cover of which was written: "Barn Book". Soon this prosaic inscription was slightly corrected. "Cupid Book"

Peter the Great Peter I the Great - last king of all Rus' and the first All-Russian Emperor, was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672, and died on January 28 (February 8), 1725. Peter ascended the throne in 1682, when he was only ten years old, and ruled independently, without the help of a regent , Peter