Peter the first time of life. Peter I the Great - biography, information, personal life. General characteristics of the era

Medvedev Vsevolod

Introduction

1. The main milestones in the life of Peter Alekseevich Romanov

2. Peter's military victories

3. Development Russian science under Peter

Conclusion

Bibliography

Application

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Introduction

I love history very much. With pleasure and great interest I read historical books, I watch films.

For the most part, the history of the past is the history of battles and battles. History of wars for land and throne.

I learned about many mythical heroes and real great commanders, admirals and naval commanders, such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Hannibal, Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Peter I, Napoleon, Admiral Horatio Nelson, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Admiral Fedor Ushakov, Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, Admiral Vladimir Kornilov, submarine commander Alexander Marinesko, General Panfilov, and many others. I also learned about the heroic ships of the Russian Navy.

For several years now I have dreamed of seeing the Aurora cruiser, which is permanently moored in St. Petersburg. I read articles about him that I could find, watched the cartoon many times, learned the song from it, and even learned to play it on the piano. And in the summer of 2007, my parents and older brother and I visited St. Petersburg. Finally I saw the Aurora! I visited her on board, went down to the engine room with an excursion, looked at the cabins of the ship's command and the living conditions of the sailors. Checked out the museum. Interesting. True, the Aurora turned out to be not what I imagined it to be. And the city itself, in which I arrived, turned out to be different. I had no idea that St. Petersburg is like that!

St. Petersburg is a city that strikes the imagination. I didn't know he was so handsome, majestic.

But then I didn’t know anything else either: why Peter I built the city in this particular place.

One day we were standing on the embankment, when suddenly a cannon shot was heard. Everyone started. It turned out that it was in the Peter and Paul Fortress that a blank shot from a cannon was fired daily at noon. This has been done since ancient times to check the time, when everyone did not have a personal watch yet. I really wanted to visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. After all, I had never been in the fortresses before.

And here is the fortress. It's not so easy to get into it. Around the water. And only the bridge connects the fortress with the land. It looks like an island.

The tour started from the very gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress. We really ended up on an island called Hare. I learned that it was from the fortress built on this island and from the fortress of Kronstadt that St. Petersburg began. The founder of the city was Peter I. I managed to visit the museum "House of Peter I" (by the way, this is the only wooden building that has survived to this day since the founding of St. Petersburg), stand at the Summer Palace of Peter I in the Summer Garden, visit the Alexander Nevsky Holy Trinity Lavra, where the first monastery was founded, founded by decree of Peter I in memory of the victory of Russian troops over the Swedes in 1240 under the leadership of Prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevsky.

The more I learned about Tsar Peter Alekseevich, the more I thought about why he was Peter the Great? What does First mean? In what? First - in the sense of the best? Or the first one means the winner, the first place winner, which means the winner? Or the first - in the sense of a pioneer?

From the desire to answer these questions arosemy research topic: "Why Peter the FIRST?"

Object of study: the life and work of Tsar Peter Alekseevich Romanov.

I have read many books. I watched the film "Young Russia", the film "Peter the Great (1672-1725)". Learned the history of the formation of the Romanov dynasty.

Research methods:

1. a trip to the city of St. Petersburg;
2. study and analysis of literature on this issue;
3. viewing and analysis of film materials about the life of Peter I.

1 The main milestones in the life of Peter Alekseevich Romanov

I followed the events that took place in the life of Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov from his birth on May 13, 1672 to the day of his death on January 28, 1725.

1) Peter was the 14th child in the family of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, but first who was named Peter. That is why, later he will be called Tsar Peter I.

2) From an early age, Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich differed from his father Alexei Mikhailovich, who was called "the quietest." Pyotr walked briskly and noisily, and spoke loudly. Not the way the inhabitants of the Kremlin walked and talked, trying not to disturb the silence of its rooms.

3) C early years the prince was fascinated by war games. Especially for the entertainment of Petrusha, a “amusing army” was created, into which boys of the same age as the prince were recruited from different classes. And although the army was "amusing", everything in it was real: both a wooden fortress and cannons, however, firing turnips.

Peter grew up, and the boys grew up, accustomed to military affairs from an early age. It is this army, called the "Preobrazhensky Regiment", that will play an important role in the fate of Peter Alekseevich and Russia.

4) In 1682, after the early death of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, Peter was elected Tsar by a majority of votes. But due to his young age (10 years) and the presence of an older brother, Peter is called the second king after John, and the elder half-sister Sophia will rule the state in the coming years (with the support of archers).

Peter was furious in everything: in studies, in work, and in entertainment. In everything, no matter what he undertook, Peter put his whole soul, all his strength, all his knowledge.

1) The old English sailing boat found by the 16-year-old prince, which belonged to his grandfather Nikita Romanovich, became “the grandfather of everything Russian fleet". It is from this boat that Peter's passion for maritime affairs begins.

1. In Pereslavl, Pyotr Alekseevich builds his first shipyard.
2. The first are built later. large shipyards in Arkhangelsk.
3. In Amsterdam, the king orders first a large Russian warship equipped with 44 guns.

1. Since 1697, the sovereign reign of Peter I begins. In the spring of 1697. Russia equipped the Grand Embassy to Europe to train 50 young people in ship and military affairs. Peter left with them under the guise of a constable (the youngest Cossack rank) Mikhailov. He got a job at a shipyard and worked on an equal footing with everyone: he worked as a carpenter, joiner, mastered new tools for him, memorized the complex names of parts of the ship. Having worked at the shipyard for the entire period, from laying the frigate to launching it, Peter received a certificate from the ship's master Klaus Pohl: “The aforementioned master Mikhailov, he was diligent and reasonable carpenter, and Fine showed himself in tying, hammering, lifting, adjusting, stretching, weaving, caulking, planing, drilling, sawing, paving, tarring. A kind and skillful carpenter helped in the construction of the ship "Peter and Pavel", from the laying to its completion. Here is a certificate.

These few lines characterize the Russian tsar with the words DIGIOUS, REASONABLE, KIND, SKILLED. Peter was like that then, and he remained like that for the rest of his life, not afraid of physical work, easily finding a common language with ordinary working people, respectful of learned people and loving “different sciences”. It is not surprising that not a single king, king, emperor, sultan of Europe and Asia, either before or after Peter, possessed such an unusual, truly rare paper. Our Russian Tsar BEST . In addition, in this matter - it is not only the first but also the only one!

1. Europe taught Peter a lot. Including external gloss and tailoring of clothes. Having accepted noble boyars, he first of all cut off their beards with scissors, cut their caftans short. Boyars without a beard, but in short caftans - this was in Rus' first .
2. And even then, Tsar Peter ordered: starting from 1700, to count the New Year not from September 1, but from January 1. So, my friends, winter new year holidays We are indebted to Peter I.
3. Peter I infinitely loved his Russia. Therefore, in all his affairs he was guided by a conscious goal - to bring Russia into the ranks of the best European powers. And everything was subordinated to this goal.

Peter was very demanding of people, as well as himself. He demanded complete dedication from everyone, for the sake of Russia he did not spare anyone.

2 Military victories of Peter I

1. The appearance of a combat Russian fleet soon bore fruit: on August 8, 1700, peace was signed with the Turks. The Turkish fortress on Azov fell, giving Russia the cherished key to two seas at once. If we consider this event, then it should be noted that it became possible thanks to the enormous diligence of Peter, his love for Russia and faith in victory. Here Peter is the winner, which means best .
2. In 1700, on August 22, more than 20 years of the Northern War began. Its goal is to return the original Russian lands along the Gulf of Finland and the Neva. Open access to the Baltic Sea.

Peter trusts the Austrian general de Curie to lead the first battle. To the great chagrin of the king, this battle near Narva, suffering huge losses, the Russians lost. But Peter did not lose heart! He learned very important lessons from this defeat and said: “We will not give up. And we will learn how to fight from the Swedes.” This characterizes Peter as strong, courageous, steadfast and smart person ready to fight not only in spite of failures, but thanks to them. In that sense, he is the BEST.

1. By order of Peter, a new recruiting set is announced.
2. By order of Peter, the bells are removed from churches and monasteries and about 300 cannons and mortars are cast from them. This was in Rus' FIRST.

- After a while, having prepared and armed new soldiers and commanders, Peter carried out a new assault on Narva and this time emerged victorious! (which means BEST )

1. The next battle took place on Lake Peipsi. And a new victory! And as it should winner , Peter rode into Narva on a horse: “The glorious fortress is ours! Vivat!
2. May 16, 1703 On the hare island near the Gulf of Finland, at the direction of Peter the Great, the Peter and Paul Fortress is being laid. The same day is considered the founding day of the city of St. Petersburg (here Peter is the founder, which means - FIRST ).

1. At the end of 1708, the Swedish king Charles XII, with his 45,000th well-armed army, rushed to Moscow. There were fights. Peter himself led a detachment of cavalry to the village of Lesnoy and won the battle. (Peter is a winner, which means BEST )
2. In the spring of 1709, the famous Battle of Poltava took place. And there are Russians in it WON!
3. After Poltava, showing the whole world who the winner is, Peter declares St. Petersburg the capital of the Russian state.
4. In the spring of 1714, the Swedes revived again. Having lost the advantage on land, they strengthened their naval forces. Near the Gangut peninsula, the corps of Field Marshal Golitsyn fell into a difficult situation. The advantage was on the side of the Swedes. But, having carefully studied the map, Peter decided: where you can’t take it by force, take it into your mind and ingenuity. It was Russian ingenuity that helped decide the outcome of the battle. The Russians have won!

Russia showed its superiority both on land and at sea. The Senate awarded Peter the rank of vice admiral for "brave service to the fatherland" (I think that all of you will agree with me that here too Peter - BEST )

1. On August 30, 1721, a peace treaty was concluded with Sweden. (Russia is the winner; Peter - WINNER) The winners were saluted by the Peter and Paul Fortress, the guns of the gunship, the cannons of the ships. The Senate, the synod, the generals gathered in the Trinity Cathedral. Archbishop Theophan uttered solemn words:

- Sovereign Peter Alekseevich is worthy to be called the Father of the Fatherland, Emperor, GREAT.

Talking about Peter, I would also like to say that he treated the Russian soldier with great respect, care and love. In addition to the fact that Peter personally wanted to know how the soldier eats, how he lives, the tsar considered the victory of the Russian army as a collective feat of all the soldiers and officers participating in the battle and wanted to celebrate each distinguished one. Therefore, in the Petrine era, new orders and medals appear. The circulation of award medals often reached 3-4 thousand copies.

3 The development of Russian science under Peter I

While glorifying Peter's military victories, one should not forget that the tsar attached great importance to the formation and development of Russian science. According to his decrees, the following were opened in Russia:

1. in Moscow: the first in Russia, a “school of mathematical and navigational sciences” for “everyone who volunteers, as long as there are Bashkovites”;

1. in St. Petersburg opens the doors for engineering and navigation education first in Russia, the Maritime Academy;

1. opens an unprecedented for Rus' - a medical school, where they taught first Russian doctors;

1. in 1724, a year before his death, Peter I signed a decree establishing the Academy of Sciences with a university and a gymnasium. appeared in Russia first Russian students and high school students;

1. opened in St. Petersburg first Russian public museum - Kunstkamera, founded by Peter in 1714. The building of the Kunstkamera - the "Chamber of Rarities" was intended to store collections of "monsters and rarities" collected by Peter I. An observatory and a library were also located here;

1. under Peter in the first Russian printing houses print Russian books new font - "civilian", and not the former Church Slavonic;

1. a few days before his death, Peter drew up a plan for the development of the Northern Sea Route and appointed Commander Vitus Bering as the head of the expedition.

And one more interesting detail. Monument to Emperor Peter I, erected in 1782 at the request of Catherine II and sung by A.S. Pushkin, - first monument in Russia.

Conclusion

So, Peter was the first Peter in the Romanov dynasty, therefore, having ascended the throne, he began to be called Tsar Peter I.

Tsar Peter Alekseevich deserved to be called the FIRST by many of his deeds, both military and civilian. And these great deeds, accomplished by Peter I for the good and glory of the Fatherland, gave him the right to be called GREAT.

Therefore, Tsar Peter the Great - he first, he is the best, he is the winner , he is PETER THE GREAT!

List of used literature:

Annex 1

Peter I was the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. He was born on May 30, 1672, and became king in 1682, when he was only eight years old. The reign of Peter I is one of the most glorious pages in the history of Russia.

Peter I is the most prominent representative of the Romanov dynasty. He differed sharply from other autocrats. From childhood and all his life, Peter did not disdain simple labor, he was proud that he knew 14 crafts. A.S. Pushkin spoke well about this: “Either an academician, now a hero, now a navigator, then a carpenter, he was an all-encompassing soul on the throne, an eternal worker.”

Curious by nature, Peter studied all his life. And he demanded it from others. The tsar saw the backwardness of Russia and clearly understood the need for state reforms. Great importance had a journey of young Peter across Europe in 1697-1698. Staying in foreign lands for a year and a half finally shaped the personality of the young king. He received a lot of useful knowledge, got used to European culture, and he himself became a European in spirit. In addition, there was a rapprochement between Russia and the West. Since then, Russians began to live and study abroad; hundreds of foreigners were invited to Russia, many of whom aspired to come here at the behest of their souls and hearts. Finally, Peter comprehended the intricacies of great European politics and diplomacy. Returning home, the king boldly began to break the old, often wild and ignorant customs and practices that hampered the development of the country. He carried out major reforms in all spheres of state and public life.

First of all, they created regular army and fleet. This allowed Russia to defeat the Swedes in the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea. This war was called the Northern War and lasted 21 years: from 1700 to 1721. Under Peter, industry developed rapidly, arose a large number of manufactories and mining enterprises, trade flourished. The tsar took care of culture and education, new educational establishments, from which came a whole galaxy of talented scientists and technicians. Peter I encouraged scientists, engineers, architects, writers and artists in every possible way. In his era, many remarkable buildings and structures were erected.

In his policy, Peter sought to strengthen royal power and relied on wide circles of the nobility. When choosing assistants, the king was guided not by the nobility of their families, but by their intelligence and talents. But ordinary people under Peter I had a hard life: the oppression of the landlords intensified, taxes increased, which the autocrat mercilessly extorted for his transformations. The discontent of the peasants was brutally suppressed by the tsarist government.

The state apparatus was reformed. The place of the Boyar Duma was taken by the Senate, instead of orders, boards were established. Instead of the patriarchate abolished in 1700, Peter created a Synod and subordinated the church to the state. Administratively, Russia has become a bureaucratic-bureaucratic state with strict centralization of administration. Instead of the old uyezds, voivodeships and governorships, 10 provinces headed by governors were established, and later these provinces were divided into 47 provinces.

The reforms of Peter I took place in a sharp struggle with those who stubbornly held on to antiquity and opposed the reforms. The tsar suppressed all conspiracies of enemies with merciless cruelty. He did not even spare his own son Alexei, who led the resistance to his father's course. In 1718, a special court convened by the Tsar sentenced Tsarevich Alexei to death.

As a result of all the multifaceted activities of Peter I, Russia quickly turned into a great European power. In 1721, for particularly outstanding services, the Senate awarded Peter the titles of Emperor, Great and Father of the Fatherland. Russia was proclaimed an empire. Peter the Great died in Petersburg on January 28, 1725. He and his descendants are buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

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Brief history of the reign of Peter I

Childhood of Peter I

Future great emperor Peter the Great was born on May 30, 1672 in the family of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and was the most youngest child in family. Peter's mother was Natalya Naryshkina, who played a huge role in shaping her son's political views.

In 1676, after the death of Tsar Alexei, power passes to Fedor, Peter's half-brother. At the same time, Fedor himself insisted on the enhanced education of Peter, reproaching Naryshkin for being illiterate. A year later, Peter began to study hard. The teachers of the future ruler of Russia was the educated deacon Nikita Zotov, who was distinguished by his patience and kindness. He managed to enter the location of the restless prince, who only did what he got into fights with noble and archery children, and also spent all his free time climbing through the attics.

Since childhood, Peter was interested in geography, military affairs and history. The tsar carried his love of books through his whole life, reading already as a ruler and wanting to create his own book on the history of the Russian state. Also, he himself was engaged in compiling the alphabet, which would be easier for ordinary people to remember.

Ascension to the throne of Peter I

In 1682, without making a will, Tsar Fedor dies, and after his death, two candidates claim the Russian throne - the sickly Ivan and the daredevil Peter the Great. Enlisting the support of the clergy, the entourage of ten-year-old Peter puts him on the throne. However, the relatives of Ivan Miloslavsky, in pursuit of the goal of placing Sophia or Ivan on the throne, are preparing a streltsy revolt.

On May 15, an uprising begins in Moscow. Ivan's relatives start a rumor about the murder of the prince. Outraged by this, the archers advance to the Kremlin, where they are met by Natalya Naryshkina, along with Peter and Ivan. Even after being convinced of the lies of the Miloslavskys, the archers continued to kill and rob in the city for several more days, demanding the feeble-minded Ivan as king. After a truce was reached, as a result of which both brothers were appointed rulers, but until they came of age, their sister Sophia was to rule the country.

The formation of the personality of Peter I

Having witnessed the cruelty and recklessness of the archers during the riot, Peter hated them, wanting to avenge his mother's tears and the death of innocent people. During the reign of the regent, Peter and Natalia Naryshkina lived most of the time in Semenovsky, Kolomensky and Preobrazhensky villages. He left them only to participate in ceremonial receptions in Moscow.

The liveliness of mind, as well as the natural curiosity and firmness of Peter's character, led him to a passion for military affairs. He even collects "amusing regiments" in the villages, recruiting teenage boys from both noble and peasant families. Over time, such fun turned into real military exercises, and the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments become quite impressive. military force, which surpassed, according to the records of contemporaries, archers. In the same period, Peter plans to create a Russian fleet.

He gets acquainted with the basics of shipbuilding on the Yauza and Lake Pleshcheeva. At the same time, foreigners who lived in the German Quarter had a huge role in the strategic thinking of the prince. Many of them became faithful companions of Peter in the future.

At the age of seventeen, Peter the Great marries Evdokia Lopukhina, but a year later he becomes indifferent to his wife. At the same time, he is often seen with the daughter of a German merchant, Anna Mons.

Marriage and coming of age give Peter the Great the right to take the throne promised to him earlier. However, Sophia does not like this at all and in the summer of 1689 she tries to provoke an uprising of archers. The tsarevich takes refuge with his mother in the Trinity - Sergeyev Lavra, where the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments arrive to help him. In addition, on the side of the environment of Peter and Patriarch Joachim. Soon the rebellion was completely suppressed, and its participants were subjected to repression and execution. The regent Sophia herself is imprisoned by Peter in the Novodevichy Convent, where she remains until the end of her days.

Brief description of the policy and reforms of Peter I

Tsarevich Ivan soon dies and Peter becomes the sole ruler of Russia. However, he was in no hurry to study state affairs, entrusting them to his mother's entourage. After her death, the entire burden of power falls on Peter.

By that time, the king was completely obsessed with access to the ice-free sea. After the unsuccessful first Azov campaign, the ruler begins building a fleet, thanks to which he takes the fortress of Azov. After that, Peter participates in the Northern War, the victory in which gave the emperor access to the Baltic.

The domestic policy of Peter the Great is full of innovative ideas and transformations. During his reign, he carried out the following reforms:

• Social;
• Church;
• Medical;
• educational;
• Administrative;
• Industrial;
• Financial, etc.

Peter the Great died in 1725 from pneumonia. After him, his wife Catherine the First began to rule Russia.

The results of Peter's activities 1. Brief description.

Video lecture: a brief history of the reign of Peter I

Author Ksenia Belokhvostova asked a question in Other about cities and countries

What was the name of Peter 1? Explain why. and got the best answer

Answer from Irima[guru]
Great!
Peter I became tsar in 1682 when he was only 10 years old. Russia at that time was going through a difficult moment in its history: it was very far behind in its development from other European countries. There were almost no engineers and scientists in Russia, the army was poorly armed and trained, and there was no navy at all. There was a constant struggle for power between the tsar's close associates - the boyars and the nobles, the peasants rose up in revolts. The young tsar understood well that it was necessary to bring Russia out of backwardness, to build plants and factories. It was necessary to return to Russia the lands on the shores of the Baltic Sea, captured by Sweden. To solve all these problems, Russia needed, first of all, educated people. "I am a student and I need teachers" - Peter carved on his personal seal. He constantly studied himself and forced others to learn. Peter the Great introduced a lot of new things into the life of Russia: the order of state administration changed, a large number of plants and factories appeared, many new educational institutions were opened. An army and a navy were created, which won the war with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. This war was called the northern one and lasted 21 years - from 1700 to 1721. As a result of all this multifaceted activity of Peter, Russia turned into a European power. In 1721, the Senate for outstanding services solemnly awarded the tsar the title (title) of Peter the Great, Father of the Fatherland and Emperor of All Russia. Russia was proclaimed an empire - that was how large and strong states were called. Our camp has become great and powerful, thanks to one of its most famous rulers - Peter the Great. Great Peter created great Russia.

Answer from Arina Palagina[newbie]
for t that he was the first in all matters. author lev bidding.

Answer from Gulnara Samigullina[active]
for which he was the first in all matters. author Lev Torg

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: What was the name of Peter 1? Explain why.

Peter I Alekseevich the Great. Born May 30 (June 9), 1672 - died January 28 (February 8), 1725. The last king of all Rus' (since 1682) and the first All-Russian Emperor (since 1721).

As a representative of the Romanov dynasty, Peter was proclaimed king at the age of 10, began to rule independently from 1689. The formal co-ruler of Peter was his brother Ivan (until his death in 1696).

WITH young years showing interest in the sciences and foreign way of life, Peter was the first of the Russian tsars to make a long journey to the countries of Western Europe. Upon returning from it, in 1698, Peter launched large-scale reforms Russian state and social order.

One of the main achievements of Peter was the solution of the task set in the 16th century: the expansion of Russian territories in the Baltic region after the victory in the Great Northern War, which allowed him to take the title of Russian emperor in 1721.

IN historical science and in public opinion With late XVIII centuries to the present, there are diametrically opposed assessments of both the personality of Peter I and his role in the history of Russia.

In the official Russian historiography Peter was considered to be one of the most prominent statesmen that determined the direction of Russia's development in the 18th century. However, many historians, including N. M. Karamzin, V. O. Klyuchevsky, P. N. Milyukov and others, expressed sharply critical assessments.

Peter I the Great ( documentary)

Peter was born on the night of May 30 (June 9), 1672 (in 7180, according to the then accepted chronology “from the creation of the world”): “In the current year of May 180, on the 30th day, for the prayers of the holy Father, God forgave Our Queen and Grand Duchess Natalia Kirillovna, and gave birth to Us a son, the Blessed Tsarevich and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich of all Great and Small and White Russia, and his name day is June 29th.

The exact place of Peter's birth is unknown. Some historians indicated the birthplace of the Terem Palace of the Kremlin, and according to folk tales, Peter was born in the village of Kolomenskoye, and Izmailovo was also indicated.

The father - the tsar - had numerous offspring: Peter I was the 14th child, but the first from his second wife, Tsaritsa Natalya Naryshkina.

June 29 on the day of St. Apostles Peter and Paul, the prince was baptized in the Miracle Monastery (according to other sources in the church of Gregory of Neocaesarea, in Derbitsy), by archpriest Andrei Savinov and named Peter. The reason why he received the name "Peter" is not clear, perhaps as a euphonic correspondence to the name of his older brother, since he was born on the same day as . It was not found either among the Romanovs or the Naryshkins. The last representative of the Moscow Rurik dynasty with that name was Pyotr Dmitrievich, who died in 1428.

After spending a year with the queen, he was given to the education of nannies. In the 4th year of Peter's life, in 1676, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich died. The guardian of the tsarevich was his half-brother, godfather and new tsar Fyodor Alekseevich. Peter received a poor education, and until the end of his life he wrote with errors, using a poor lexicon. This was due to the fact that the then Patriarch of Moscow, Joachim, as part of the fight against “Latinization” and “foreign influence”, removed from the royal court the students of Simeon of Polotsk, who taught Peter’s older brothers, and insisted that worse educated clerks be engaged in Peter’s education. N. M. Zotov and A. Nesterov.

In addition, Peter did not have the opportunity to receive an education from a university graduate or from a teacher. high school, since there were no universities or secondary schools during Peter's childhood in the Russian kingdom, and among the estates of Russian society, only clerks, clerks and higher clergy were taught to read and write.

The clerks taught Peter to read and write from 1676 to 1680. Flaws basic education Peter was able to subsequently compensate with rich practical training.

The death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the accession of his eldest son Fyodor (from Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna, nee Miloslavskaya) pushed Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna and her relatives, the Naryshkins, into the background. Tsarina Natalya was forced to go to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow.

Streltsy revolt of 1682. Princess Sofia Alekseevna

April 27 (May 7), 1682, after 6 years of reign, the sickly king died Fedor III Alexeyevich. The question arose of who should inherit the throne: the older, sickly Ivan, according to custom, or the young Peter.

Enlisting the support of Patriarch Joachim, the Naryshkins and their supporters on April 27 (May 7), 1682, elevated Peter to the throne. In fact, the Naryshkin clan came to power and Artamon Matveev, summoned from exile, declared the “great guardian”.

Supporters found it difficult to support their pretender, who could not reign due to extremely poor health. The organizers actually palace coup announced the version of the hand-handed transfer of the “scepter” by the dying Fyodor Alekseevich to his younger brother Peter, but there was no reliable evidence of this.

The Miloslavskys, relatives of Tsarevich Ivan and by their mother, saw in the proclamation of Peter the Tsar an infringement of their interests. Streltsy, of which there were more than 20 thousand in Moscow, have long shown discontent and willfulness. Apparently, instigated by the Miloslavskys, on May 15 (May 25), 1682, they spoke openly: shouting that the Naryshkins had strangled Tsarevich Ivan, they moved to the Kremlin.

Natalya Kirillovna, hoping to calm the rebels, together with the patriarch and the boyars, led Peter and his brother to the Red Porch. However, the uprising was not over. In the first hours, the boyars Artamon Matveev and Mikhail Dolgoruky were killed, then other supporters of Queen Natalia, including her two brothers Naryshkins.

On May 26, elected representatives from the archery regiments came to the palace and demanded that the elder Ivan be recognized as the first tsar, and the younger Peter as the second. Fearing a repetition of the pogrom, the boyars agreed, and Patriarch Joachim immediately performed a solemn prayer service in the Assumption Cathedral for the health of the two named kings. On June 25, he crowned them to the kingdom.

On May 29, the archers insisted that Princess Sofya Alekseevna take over the government due to the infancy of her brothers. Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, together with her son Peter, the second tsar, had to retire from the court to a palace near Moscow in the village of Preobrazhensky. In the Armory of the Kremlin, a double throne for young tsars with a small window in the back was preserved, through which Princess Sophia and those close to her told them how to behave and what to say during palace ceremonies.

funny shelves

Peter spent all his free time away from the palace - in the villages of Vorobyov and Preobrazhensky. Every year his interest in military affairs increased. Peter dressed and armed his "amusing" army, which consisted of peers in boyish games.

In 1685, his "amusing", dressed in foreign caftans, marched in regimental formation through Moscow from Preobrazhensky to the village of Vorobyovo to the beat of drums. Peter himself served as a drummer.

In 1686, 14-year-old Peter started artillery with his "amusing" ones. The gunsmith Fyodor Sommer showed the tsar grenade and firearms. 16 guns were delivered from the Pushkar Order. To control heavy guns, the tsar took adult servants eager for military affairs from the Stable Order, who were dressed in uniforms of foreign cut and identified as amusing gunners. Sergei Bukhvostov was the first to put on a foreign uniform. Subsequently, Peter ordered a bronze bust of this first Russian soldier, as he called Bukhvostov. The amusing regiment began to be called Preobrazhensky, in the place of its quartering - the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow.

In Preobrazhensky, opposite the palace, on the banks of the Yauza, a "fun town" was built. During the construction of the fortress, Peter himself worked actively, helping to cut logs and install cannons.

Here was quartered created by Peter "The Most Joking, The Most Drunk and the Most Maddened Cathedral"- a parody of Orthodox Church. The fortress itself was named Preshburg, probably after the then famous Austrian fortress Presburg (now Bratislava - the capital of Slovakia), which he heard about from Captain Sommer.

Then, in 1686, the first amusing ships appeared near Preshburg on the Yauza - a large shnyak and a plow with boats. During these years, Peter became interested in all the sciences that were associated with military affairs. Under the guidance of the Dutchman Timmerman, he studied arithmetic, geometry, and military sciences.

Walking one day with Timmerman in the village of Izmailovo, Peter went to the Linen Yard, in the barn of which he found an English boat.

In 1688, he instructed the Dutchman Karshten Brandt to repair, arm and equip this boat, and then lower it onto the Yauza River. However, Yauza and Millet Pond turned out to be cramped for the ship, so Peter went to Pereslavl-Zalessky, to Lake Pleshcheyevo, where he laid the first shipyard for the construction of ships.

There were already two "amusing" regiments: Semyonovsky, located in the village of Semyonovskoye, was added to Preobrazhensky. Preshburg already looked like a real fortress. Knowledgeable and experienced people were needed to command regiments and study military science. But among the Russian courtiers there were none. So Peter appeared in the German settlement.

The first marriage of Peter I

The German settlement was the closest "neighbor" of the village of Preobrazhenskoye, and Peter had been looking at her life with curiosity for a long time. More and more large quantity foreigners at the court of Tsar Peter, such as Franz Timmermann and Karsten Brandt, came from the German Quarter. All this imperceptibly led to the fact that the king became a frequent guest in the settlement, where he soon turned out to be a great admirer of the laid-back foreign life.

Peter lit a German pipe, began to attend German parties with dancing and drinking, met Patrick Gordon, Franz Lefort- future associates of Peter, started an affair with Anna Mons. Peter's mother strongly opposed this.

To reason with her 17-year-old son, Natalya Kirillovna decided to marry him to Evdokia Lopukhina, the daughter of a roundabout.

Peter did not argue with his mother, and on January 27, 1689, the wedding of the “younger” tsar was played. However, less than a month later, Peter left his wife and left for a few days at Lake Pleshcheyevo.

From this marriage, Peter had two sons: the eldest, Alexei, was heir to the throne until 1718, the youngest, Alexander, died in infancy.

Accession of Peter I

Peter's activity greatly disturbed Princess Sophia, who understood that with the coming of age of her half-brother, she would have to give up power. At one time, the supporters of the princess hatched a plan for the coronation, but Patriarch Joachim was categorically against it.

Hiking on Crimean Tatars, carried out in 1687 and 1689 by the favorite of the princess, Prince Vasily Golitsyn, were of little success, but were presented as major and generously rewarded victories, which caused discontent among many.

On July 8, 1689, on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the first public conflict took place between the matured Peter and the Ruler.

On that day, according to custom, procession from the Kremlin to the Kazan Cathedral. At the end of mass, Peter approached his sister and announced that she should not dare to go along with the men in the procession. Sophia accepted the challenge: she took the image of the Most Holy Theotokos in her hands and went for crosses and banners. Unprepared for such an outcome, Peter left the course.

On August 7, 1689, unexpectedly for everyone, a decisive event took place. On this day, Princess Sophia ordered the head of the archers, Fyodor Shaklovity, to equip more of his people to the Kremlin, as if to be escorted to the Donskoy Monastery on a pilgrimage. At the same time, a rumor spread about a letter with the news that Tsar Peter decided at night to occupy the Kremlin with his “amusing” regiments, kill the princess, Tsar Ivan’s brother, and seize power.

Shaklovity gathered archery regiments in order to march in a "great assembly" to Preobrazhenskoye and beat all the supporters of Peter for their intention to kill Princess Sophia. Then they sent three riders to observe what was happening in Preobrazhensky with the task to immediately inform if Tsar Peter went somewhere alone or with regiments.

Supporters of Peter among the archers sent two like-minded people to Preobrazhenskoye. After the report, Peter, with a small retinue, galloped in alarm to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. The consequence of the horrors of the streltsy performances experienced was Peter's illness: with strong excitement, he began to have convulsive movements of his face.

On August 8, both queens, Natalya and Evdokia, arrived at the monastery, followed by “amusing” regiments with artillery.

On August 16, a letter came from Peter, so that from all the regiments commanders and 10 privates were sent to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Princess Sophia strictly forbade this command to be carried out on pain of death, and a letter was sent to Tsar Peter with a notice that it was impossible to fulfill his request.

On August 27, a new letter of tsar Peter came - to go to all the regiments to the Trinity. Most of the troops obeyed the legitimate king, and Princess Sophia had to admit defeat. She herself went to the Trinity Monastery, but in the village of Vozdvizhenskoye she was met by Peter's envoys with orders to return to Moscow.

Soon Sophia was imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent under strict supervision.

On October 7, Fyodor Shaklovity was captured and then executed. The elder brother, Tsar Ivan (or John), met Peter in the Assumption Cathedral and in fact gave him all power.

Since 1689, he did not take part in the reign, although until his death on January 29 (February 8), 1696, he nominally continued to be co-tsar.

After the overthrow of Princess Sophia, power passed into the hands of people who rallied around Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna. She tried to accustom her son to public administration, entrusting him with private affairs, which Peter found boring.

The most important decisions (declaration of war, election of the Patriarch, etc.) were made without taking into account the opinion of the young tsar. This led to conflicts. For example, at the beginning of 1692, offended by the fact that against his will Moscow government refused to resume the war with the Ottoman Empire, the tsar did not want to return from Pereyaslavl to meet the Persian ambassador, and the first persons of the government of Natalya Kirillovna (L.K. Naryshkin with B.A. Golitsyn) were forced to personally follow him.

On January 1, 1692, at the behest of Peter I, in Preobrazhenskoye, the “appointment” of N. M. Zotov to “all Yauza and all Kokuy patriarchs” was the tsar’s response to the appointment of Patriarch Adrian, committed against his will. After the death of Natalya Kirillovna, the tsar did not begin to remove the government of L.K. Naryshkin - B.A. Golitsyn, formed by his mother, but he ensured that it strictly carried out his will.

Azov campaigns of 1695 and 1696

The priority of Peter I in the first years of autocracy was the continuation of the war with the Ottoman Empire and the Crimea. Instead of campaigns against the Crimea, undertaken during the reign of Princess Sophia, Peter I decided to strike at the Turkish fortress of Azov, located at the confluence of the Don River into the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

The first Azov campaign, which began in the spring of 1695, ended unsuccessfully in September of the same year due to the lack of a fleet and the unwillingness of the Russian army to operate far from supply bases. However, already in the autumn of 1695, preparations began for a new campaign. In Voronezh, the construction of a rowing Russian flotilla began.

Behind a short time a flotilla was built from different ships, led by the 36-gun ship "Apostle Peter".

In May 1696, the 40,000-strong Russian army under the command of Generalissimo Shein again laid siege to Azov, only this time the Russian flotilla blocked the fortress from the sea. Peter I took part in the siege with the rank of captain in a galley. Without waiting for the assault, on July 19, 1696, the fortress surrendered. So the first exit of Russia to the southern seas was opened.

The result of the Azov campaigns was the capture of the fortress of Azov, the beginning of the construction of the port of Taganrog, the possibility of an attack on the Crimean peninsula from the sea, which significantly secured the southern borders of Russia. However, Peter failed to get access to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait: he remained under control Ottoman Empire. Forces for the war with Turkey, as well as a full-fledged navy, Russia has not yet had.

To finance the construction of the fleet, new types of taxes were introduced: landowners were united in the so-called kumpanships of 10 thousand households, each of which had to build a ship with their own money. At this time, the first signs of dissatisfaction with the activities of Peter appear. The conspiracy of Zikler, who was trying to organize a streltsy uprising, was uncovered.

In the summer of 1699, the first large Russian ship "Fortress" (46-gun) took the Russian ambassador to Constantinople for peace negotiations. The very existence of such a ship persuaded the Sultan to conclude peace in July 1700, which left the fortress of Azov behind Russia.

During the construction of the fleet and the reorganization of the army, Peter was forced to rely on foreign specialists. Having completed the Azov campaigns, he decides to send young nobles for training abroad, and soon he himself sets off on his first trip to Europe.

Grand Embassy 1697-1698

In March 1697 in Western Europe The Great Embassy was sent through Livonia, the main purpose of which was to find allies against the Ottoman Empire. General-Admiral F. Ya. Lefort, General F. A. Golovin, head Embassy order P. B. Voznitsyn.

In total, up to 250 people entered the embassy, ​​among which, under the name of the constable of the Preobrazhensky regiment Peter Mikhailov, was Tsar Peter I himself. For the first time, the Russian Tsar undertook a trip outside his state.

Peter visited Riga, Koenigsberg, Brandenburg, Holland, England, Austria, a visit to Venice and to the Pope was planned.

The embassy recruited several hundred shipbuilding specialists to Russia and purchased military and other equipment.

In addition to negotiations, Peter devoted a lot of time to the study of shipbuilding, military affairs and other sciences. Peter worked as a carpenter at the shipyards of the East India Company, with the participation of the king, the ship "Peter and Paul" was built.

In England, he visited a foundry, an arsenal, parliament, Oxford University, the Greenwich Observatory and the Mint, whose caretaker at that time was Isaac Newton. He was primarily interested in the technical achievements of Western countries, and not in the legal system.

It is said that when Peter visited the Palace of Westminster, he saw there "lawyers", that is, barristers, in their robes and wigs. He asked: “What kind of people are these and what are they doing here?” They answered him: "These are all lawyers, Your Majesty." "Legalists! Peter was surprised. - Why are they? There are only two lawyers in my whole kingdom, and I propose to hang one of them when I return home.”

True, having visited the English parliament incognito, where the speeches of the deputies before King William III were translated to him, the tsar said: “It’s fun to hear when the sons of the patronymic tell the king clearly the truth, this should be learned from the British.”

The Great Embassy did not achieve its main goal: it was not possible to create a coalition against the Ottoman Empire due to the preparation of a number of European powers for the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). However, thanks to this war, favorable conditions were created for Russia's struggle for the Baltic. So there was a reorientation foreign policy Russia since south direction to the north.

Peter in Russia

In July 1698, the Great Embassy was interrupted by the news of a new streltsy rebellion in Moscow, which was suppressed even before the arrival of Peter. Upon the arrival of the tsar in Moscow (August 25), a search and inquiry began, the result of which was a one-time execution of about 800 archers(except for those executed during the suppression of the rebellion), and subsequently several hundred more until the spring of 1699.

Princess Sophia was tonsured a nun under the name of Susanna and sent to the Novodevichy Convent where she spent the rest of her life. The same fate befell Peter's unloved wife - Evdokia Lopukhina, who was forcibly sent to the Suzdal Monastery even against the will of the clergy.

During the 15 months of his stay abroad, Peter saw a lot and learned a lot. After the return of the tsar on August 25, 1698, his reforming activity began, initially aimed at changing the external signs that distinguish the Old Slavonic way of life from the Western European.

In the Transfiguration Palace, Peter suddenly began to cut the beards of the nobles, and already on August 29, 1698, the famous decree was issued "On wearing a German dress, on shaving beards and mustaches, on walking schismatics in the attire indicated for them" , which banned the wearing of beards from September 1.

“I want to transform secular goats, that is, citizens, and the clergy, that is, monks and priests. First, that without beards they should look good like Europeans, and others, so that, although with beards, they would teach parishioners in churches Christian virtues in the same way that I saw and heard pastors teaching in Germany..

The new 7208th year according to the Russian-Byzantine calendar (“from the creation of the world”) became the 1700th year according to the Julian calendar. Peter also introduced the celebration of the New Year on January 1, and not on the day of the autumnal equinox, as was celebrated earlier.

In his special decree it was written: “Because in Russia they consider the New Year in different ways, from now on stop fooling people's heads and count the New Year everywhere from the first of January. And as a sign of a good undertaking and fun, congratulate each other on the New Year, wishing well-being in business and prosperity in the family. In honor of the New Year, make decorations from fir trees, amuse children, ride sleds from the mountains. And for adults, drunkenness and massacre should not be committed - there are enough other days for that ”.

Northern War 1700-1721

Kozhukhovsky maneuvers (1694) showed Peter the advantage of the regiments of the "foreign system" over the archers. The Azov campaigns, in which four regular regiments took part (Preobrazhensky, Semyonovsky, Lefortovsky and Butyrsky regiments), finally convinced Peter of the low suitability of the troops of the old organization.

Therefore, in 1698, the old army was disbanded, except for 4 regular regiments, which became the basis of the new army.

Preparing for the war with Sweden, Peter ordered in 1699 to make a general recruitment and begin training recruits according to the model established by the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovites. At the same time, a large number of foreign officers were recruited.

The war was supposed to start with the siege of Narva, so the main focus was on the organization of the infantry. There was simply not enough time to create all the necessary military structure. There were legends about the impatience of the king, he was eager to enter the war and test his army in action. Management, a combat support service, a strong equipped rear still had to be created.

After returning from the Grand Embassy, ​​the tsar began to prepare for a war with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea.

In 1699, the Northern Alliance was created against the Swedish king Charles XII, which, in addition to Russia, included Denmark, Saxony and the Commonwealth, led by the Saxon elector and the Polish king August II. driving force Union was the desire of August II to take away Livonia from Sweden. For help, he promised Russia the return of lands that previously belonged to the Russians (Ingermanland and Karelia).

For Russia to enter the war, it was necessary to make peace with the Ottoman Empire. After reaching a truce with the Turkish Sultan for a period of 30 years On August 19, 1700, Russia declared war on Sweden. under the pretext of revenge for the insult shown to Tsar Peter in Riga.

In turn, the plan of Charles XII was to defeat the opponents one by one. Shortly after the bombing of Copenhagen, Denmark on August 8, 1700 withdrew from the war, even before Russia entered it. The attempts of August II to capture Riga ended unsuccessfully. After that, Charles XII turned against Russia.

The beginning of the war for Peter was discouraging: the newly recruited army, handed over to the Saxon field marshal Duke de Croa, was defeated near Narva on November 19 (30), 1700. This defeat showed that everything had to start virtually all over again.

Considering that Russia was sufficiently weakened, Charles XII went to Livonia in order to direct all his forces against Augustus II.

However, Peter, continuing the reforms of the army according to the European model, resumed hostilities. Already in the autumn of 1702, the Russian army, in the presence of the tsar, captured the Noteburg fortress (renamed Shlisselburg), in the spring of 1703, the Nienschanz fortress at the mouth of the Neva.

On May 10 (21), 1703, for the bold capture of two Swedish ships at the mouth of the Neva, Peter (then held the rank of captain of the Bombardier Company of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment) received a certificate approved by him Order of Saint Andrew the First-Called.

Here On May 16 (27), 1703, the construction of St. Petersburg began, and on the island of Kotlin the base of the Russian fleet was located - the fortress of Kronshlot (later Kronstadt). The exit to the Baltic Sea was broken.

In 1704, after the capture of Derpt and Narva, Russia gained a foothold in the Eastern Baltic. On the offer to make peace, Peter I was refused. After the deposition of Augustus II in 1706 and his replacement by the Polish king Stanisław Leszczynski, Charles XII began his fatal campaign against Russia.

Having passed the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the king did not dare to continue the attack on Smolensk. Enlisting the support of the Little Russian Hetman Ivan Mazepa, Karl moved troops south for food reasons and with the intention of strengthening the army with Mazepa's supporters. In the battle of Lesnaya on September 28 (October 9), 1708, Peter personally led the corvolant and defeated the Swedish corps of Lewenhaupt, which was going to join the army of Charles XII from Livonia. The Swedish army lost reinforcements and convoys with military supplies. Later, Peter celebrated the anniversary of this battle as a turning point in the Northern War.

In the Battle of Poltava on June 27 (July 8), 1709, in which the army of Charles XII was utterly defeated, Peter again commanded on the battlefield. Peter's hat was shot through. After the victory, he accepted the rank of first lieutenant general and schautbenacht from the blue flag.

Türkiye intervened in 1710. After the defeat in the Prut campaign in 1711, Russia returned Azov to Turkey and destroyed Taganrog, but due to this, it was possible to conclude another truce with the Turks.

Peter again focused on the war with the Swedes, in 1713 the Swedes were defeated in Pomerania and lost all possessions in continental Europe. However, thanks to the dominance of Sweden at sea, the Northern War dragged on. The Baltic Fleet was just being created by Russia, but managed to win the first victory in the Gangut battle in the summer of 1714.

In 1716, Peter led the combined fleet from Russia, England, Denmark and Holland, but due to disagreements in the camp of the allies, it was not possible to organize an attack on Sweden.

As it gets stronger Baltic Fleet Russia Sweden felt the danger of an invasion of their lands. In 1718, peace negotiations began, interrupted by the sudden death of Charles XII. The Swedish queen Ulrika Eleonora resumed the war, hoping for help from England.

The devastating landings of the Russians in 1720 on the Swedish coast prompted Sweden to resume negotiations. August 30 (September 10), 1721 between Russia and Sweden was concluded Peace of Nystadt, which ended the 21-year war.

Russia received access to the Baltic Sea, annexed the territory of Ingria, part of Karelia, Estonia and Livonia. Russia became a great European power, in commemoration of which on October 22 (November 2), 1721 Peter, at the request of the senators, took the title of Father of the Fatherland, Emperor of All Russia, Peter the Great: "... we thought, with the butt of the ancients, especially the Roman and Greek peoples, the boldness to perceive, on the day of the celebration and the announcement of the only glorious and prosperous world concluded by these century labors throughout Russia, after reading the treatise thereof in the church, according to our most humble gratitude for the intercession of this world, to bring his petition to you publicly, so that he deigns to accept from us, as from his faithful subjects, in gratitude the title of the Father of the Fatherland, the Emperor of All Russia, Peter the Great, as usual from the Roman Senate for the noble deeds of emperors, their such titles publicly presented to them as a gift and signed on statutes for memory in eternal childbirth"(Senators' petition to Tsar Peter I. October 22, 1721).

Russian-Turkish war 1710-1713. Prut campaign

After the defeat in the Battle of Poltava, the Swedish king Charles XII took refuge in the possessions of the Ottoman Empire, the city of Bendery. Peter I concluded an agreement with Turkey on the expulsion of Charles XII from Turkish territory, but then the Swedish king was allowed to stay and threaten the southern border of Russia with the help of part of the Ukrainian Cossacks and Crimean Tatars.

Seeking the expulsion of Charles XII, Peter I began to threaten Turkey with war, but in response, on November 20, 1710, the Sultan himself declared war on Russia. The real cause of the war was the capture of Azov by Russian troops in 1696 and the appearance of the Russian fleet in the Sea of ​​Azov.

The Turkish war was limited to a winter raid of the Crimean Tatars, vassals of the Ottoman Empire, into Ukraine. Russia waged war on 3 fronts: the troops made campaigns against the Tatars in the Crimea and the Kuban, Peter I himself, relying on the help of the rulers of Wallachia and Moldavia, decided to make a deep campaign to the Danube, where he hoped to raise Christian vassals of the Ottoman Empire to fight the Turks.

On March 6 (17), 1711, Peter I went to the troops from Moscow with his faithful girlfriend Ekaterina Alekseevna, whom he ordered to be considered his wife and queen (even before the official wedding, which took place in 1712).

The army crossed the border of Moldova in June 1711, but already on July 20, 1711, 190 thousand Turks and Crimean Tatars pressed the 38 thousandth Russian army to the right bank of the Prut River, completely surrounding it. In a seemingly hopeless situation, Peter managed to conclude the Prut peace treaty with the Grand Vizier, according to which the army and the tsar himself escaped capture, but in return Russia gave Azov to Turkey and lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov.

From August 1711, there was no fighting, although in the process of negotiating the final treaty, Turkey threatened several times to resume the war. Only in June 1713 was the Adrianople peace treaty concluded, which generally confirmed the terms of the Prut agreement. Russia got the opportunity to continue the Northern War without a 2nd front, although it lost the gains of the Azov campaigns.

The expansion of Russia to the east under Peter I did not stop. In 1716, the Buchholz expedition founded Omsk at the confluence of the Irtysh and Om., upstream of the Irtysh: Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semipalatinsk and other fortresses.

In 1716-1717, a detachment of Bekovich-Cherkassky was sent to Central Asia with the aim of persuading the Khiva khan to citizenship and reconnoitering the way to India. However, the Russian detachment was destroyed by the khan. During the reign of Peter I, Kamchatka was annexed to Russia. Peter planned an expedition through Pacific Ocean to America (intent on establishing Russian colonies there), but he did not manage to carry out his plan.

Caspian campaign 1722-1723

The largest foreign policy event of Peter after the Northern War was the Caspian (or Persian) campaign in 1722-1724. The conditions for the campaign were created as a result of Persian civil strife and the actual collapse of the once powerful state.

July 18, 1722, after asking for help from his son Persian Shah Tokhmas Mirza, a 22,000-strong Russian detachment sailed from Astrakhan across the Caspian Sea. In August, Derbent surrendered, after which the Russians returned to Astrakhan due to problems with provisions.

In the next 1723, the western coast of the Caspian Sea with the fortresses of Baku, Resht, and Astrabad was conquered. Further progress was stopped by the threat of the Ottoman Empire entering the war, which seized the western and central Transcaucasus.

On September 12, 1723, the Treaty of Petersburg was concluded with Persia, according to which Russian Empire included the western and southern coasts of the Caspian with the cities of Derbent and Baku and the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astrabad. Russia and Persia also entered into a defensive alliance against Turkey, which, however, turned out to be inoperative.

Under the Treaty of Constantinople of June 12, 1724, Turkey recognized all Russian acquisitions in the western part of the Caspian Sea and renounced further claims to Persia. The junction of the borders between Russia, Turkey and Persia was established at the confluence of the Araks and Kura rivers. In Persia, the turmoil continued, and Turkey challenged the provisions of the Treaty of Constantinople before the border was clearly established. It should be noted that soon after Peter's death, these possessions were lost due to the high losses of garrisons from diseases, and, in the opinion of Queen Anna Ioannovna, the hopelessness of the region.

Russian Empire under Peter I

After the victory in the Northern War and the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt in September 1721, the Senate and the Synod decided to present Peter with the title of emperor of all Russia with the following wording: “as usual, from the Roman Senate, for the noble deeds of emperors, such titles were publicly presented to them as a gift and signed on statutes for memory in eternal birth”.

October 22 (November 2), 1721, Peter I took the title, not just honorary, but testifying to new role Russia in international affairs. Prussia and Holland immediately recognized the new title of Russian Tsar, Sweden in 1723, Turkey in 1739, England and Austria in 1742, France and Spain in 1745, and finally Poland in 1764.

Secretary of the Prussian Embassy in Russia in 1717-1733, I.-G. Fokkerodt, at the request of who was working on the history of the reign of Peter, wrote memoirs about Russia under Peter. Fokkerodt tried to estimate the population of the Russian Empire by the end of the reign of Peter I. According to his information, the number of taxpayers was 5 million 198 thousand people, from which the number of peasants and townspeople, including females, was estimated at about 10 million.

Many souls were concealed by the landowners, a second revision increased the number tax showers to almost 6 million people.

There were up to 500 thousand Russian nobles with families, up to 200 thousand officials, and clergymen with families up to 300 thousand souls.

The inhabitants of the conquered regions, who were not under the total tax, were estimated to be from 500 to 600 thousand souls. Cossacks with families in the Ukraine, on the Don and Yaik, and in the border towns were considered to be from 700 to 800 thousand souls. The number of Siberian peoples was unknown, but Fokkerodt put it up to a million people.

Thus, the population of the Russian Empire under Peter the Great was up to 15 million subjects and was inferior in Europe in number only to France (about 20 million).

Calculated Soviet historian Yaroslav Vodarsky, the number of men and male children increased from 1678 to 1719 from 5.6 to 7.8 million. Thus, taking the number of women approximately equal to the number men, the total population of Russia during this period increased from 11.2 to 15.6 million people.

Reforms of Peter I

All internal state activity of Peter can be conditionally divided into two periods: 1695-1715 and 1715-1725.

The peculiarity of the first stage was the haste and not always thoughtful nature, which was explained by the conduct of the Northern War. The reforms were aimed primarily at raising funds for the war, were carried out by force and often did not lead to the desired result. In addition to state reforms, extensive reforms were carried out at the first stage in order to modernize the way of life. In the second period, the reforms were more systematic.

A number of historians, such as V. O. Klyuchevsky, pointed out that the reforms of Peter I were not something fundamentally new, but were only a continuation of those transformations that were carried out during the 17th century. Other historians (for example, Sergei Solovyov), on the contrary, emphasized the revolutionary nature of Peter's transformations.

Peter reformed government controlled, transformations in the army, a navy was created, a reform of church administration was carried out in the spirit of Caesaropapism, aimed at eliminating church jurisdiction autonomous from the state and subordinating the Russian church hierarchy to the emperor.

Financial reform was also carried out, measures were taken to develop industry and trade.

After returning from the Great Embassy, ​​Peter I led the fight against the external manifestations of the "outdated" way of life (the most famous ban on beards), but no less paid attention to the introduction of the nobility to education and secular Europeanized culture. Secular educational institutions began to appear, the first Russian newspaper was founded, translations of many books into Russian appeared. Success in the service of Peter made the nobles dependent on education.

Peter was clearly aware of the need for enlightenment, and took a number of drastic measures to this end.

On January 14 (25), 1701, a school of mathematical and navigational sciences was opened in Moscow.

In 1701-1721, artillery, engineering and medical schools were opened in Moscow, an engineering school and a naval academy in St. Petersburg, mining schools at the Olonets and Ural factories.

In 1705, the first gymnasium in Russia was opened.

The goals of mass education were to be served by the digital schools created by decree of 1714 in provincial cities, called upon "to teach children of all ranks to read and write, numbers and geometry."

It was supposed to create two such schools in each province, where education was supposed to be free. For soldiers' children, garrison schools were opened, for the training of priests, starting from 1721, a network of theological schools was created.

Peter's decrees introduced compulsory education nobles and clergy, but a similar measure for the urban population met with fierce resistance and was canceled.

Peter's attempt to create an all-estate primary school failed (the creation of a network of schools ceased after his death, most of the digital schools under his successors were redesigned into class schools for the training of the clergy), but nevertheless, during his reign, the foundations were laid for the spread of education in Russia.

Peter created new printing houses, in which 1312 titles of books were printed in 1700-1725 (twice as many as in the entire previous history of Russian book printing). Thanks to the rise of printing, paper consumption increased from 4,000 to 8,000 sheets at the end of the 17th century to 50,000 sheets in 1719.

There have been changes in the Russian language, which included 4.5 thousand new words borrowed from European languages.

In 1724, Peter approved the charter of the Academy of Sciences being organized (it opened a few months after his death).

Of particular importance was the construction of stone St. Petersburg, in which foreign architects took part and which was carried out according to the plan developed by the tsar. He created a new urban environment with previously unfamiliar forms of life and pastime (theatre, masquerades). The interior decoration of houses, the way of life, the composition of food, etc., changed. By a special decree of the tsar in 1718, assemblies were introduced, representing a new form of communication between people in Russia. At the assemblies, the nobles danced and mingled freely, unlike earlier feasts and feasts.

The reforms carried out by Peter I affected not only politics, economics, but also art. Peter invited foreign artists to Russia and at the same time sent talented young people to study "arts" abroad. In the second quarter of the XVIII century. "Peter's pensioners" began to return to Russia, bringing with them new artistic experience and acquired skills.

On December 30, 1701 (January 10, 1702), Peter issued a decree ordering to write full names in petitions and other documents instead of pejorative half-names (Ivashka, Senka, etc.), not to fall on your knees before the king, to wear a hat in the cold in winter in front of the house where the king is, do not shoot. He explained the need for these innovations as follows: “Less meanness, more zeal for service and loyalty to me and the state - this honor is characteristic of the king ...”.

Peter tried to change the position of women in Russian society. He by special decrees (1700, 1702 and 1724) forbade forced marriage and marriage.

It was prescribed that there should be at least six weeks between the betrothal and the wedding, "so that the bride and groom may recognize each other". If during this time, it was said in the decree, “the bridegroom will not want to take the bride, or the bride will not want to marry the groom” no matter how parents insist, "in being free".

Since 1702, the bride herself (and not just her relatives) was given the formal right to terminate the betrothal and upset the arranged marriage, and neither of the parties had the right to “strike with a forfeit”.

Legislative prescriptions 1696-1704 about public festivities introduced the obligation to participate in the celebrations and festivities of all Russians, including "female".

From the “old” in the structure of the nobility under Peter, the former serfdom of the service class remained unchanged through the personal service of each service person to the state. But in this enslavement, its form has changed somewhat. Now they were obliged to serve in the regular regiments and in the navy, as well as in the civil service in all those administrative and judicial institutions that were transformed from the old ones and arose anew.

The decree of uniform inheritance of 1714 regulated the legal status of the nobility and secured the legal merger of such forms of land ownership as patrimony and estate.

From the reign of Peter I, the peasants began to be divided into serfs (landlords), monastic and state peasants. All three categories were recorded in the revision tales and subjected to a poll tax.

Since 1724, the owner's peasants could leave their villages to work and for other needs only with the written permission of the master, witnessed by the zemstvo commissar and the colonel of the regiment that was stationed in the area. Thus, the landowner's power over the personality of the peasants received even more opportunities to increase, taking both the personality and property of the privately owned peasant into their unaccountable disposal. From that time on, this new state of the rural worker received the name of the "serf" or "revisionist" soul.

In general, Peter's reforms were aimed at strengthening the state and familiarizing the elite with European culture while strengthening absolutism. In the course of the reforms, the technical and economic backwardness of Russia from a number of other European states was overcome, access to the Baltic Sea was won, and transformations were carried out in many areas of the life of Russian society.

Gradually, among the nobility, a different system of values, worldview, aesthetic ideas took shape, which was fundamentally different from the values ​​and worldview of most representatives of other estates. At the same time, the people's forces were extremely depleted, the prerequisites (Decree of Succession) were created for the crisis of the supreme power, which led to the "epoch of palace coups".

Having set himself the goal of arming the economy with the best Western production technologies, Peter reorganized all sectors of the national economy.

During the Great Embassy, ​​the tsar studied various aspects of European life, including technical ones. He learned the basics of the then dominant economic theory- mercantilism.

The mercantilists based their economic doctrine on two propositions: first, each nation, in order not to become impoverished, must produce everything it needs, without turning to the help of other people's labor, the labor of other peoples; second, every nation, in order to grow rich, must export as much as possible the manufactured products from its country and import foreign products as little as possible.

Under Peter, the development of geological exploration begins, thanks to which deposits of metal ore are found in the Urals. Only in the Urals were built under Peter at least 27 metallurgical plants. Gunpowder factories, sawmills, glass manufactories were founded in Moscow, Tula, St. Petersburg. In Astrakhan, Samara, Krasnoyarsk, the production of potash, sulfur, saltpeter was established, sailing, linen and cloth manufactories were created. This made it possible to start phasing out imports.

By the end of the reign of Peter I, there were already 233 factories, including more than 90 large manufactories built during his reign. The largest were shipyards (3.5 thousand people worked at the St. Petersburg shipyard alone), sailing manufactories and mining and metallurgical plants (25 thousand workers worked at 9 Ural factories), there were a number of other enterprises with a number of employees from 500 to 1000 people.

For supply new capital the first canals in Russia were dug.

Peter's transformations were achieved through violence against the population, its complete subordination to the will of the monarch, and the eradication of any dissent. Even Pushkin, who sincerely admired Peter, wrote that many of his decrees were "cruel, capricious and, it seems, written with a whip", as if "broke out of an impatient autocratic landowner."

Klyuchevsky points out that the triumph of the absolute monarchy, which sought to drag its subjects from the Middle Ages into the present by force, contained a fundamental contradiction: "Peter's reform was a struggle of despotism with the people, with their inertia. He hoped, by a storm of power, to provoke self-activity in an enslaved society and through the slave-owning nobility to establish European science in Russia... wanted the slave, remaining a slave, to act consciously and freely.

The construction of St. Petersburg from 1704 to 1717 was mainly carried out by the forces of "working people" mobilized as part of natural labor service. They felled the forest, filled up the swamps, built embankments, etc.

In 1704, up to 40,000 working people were summoned to St. Petersburg from various provinces, mostly serfs, landlords and state peasants. In 1707, many workers fled, sent to St. Petersburg from the Belozersky region. Peter I ordered to take the family members of the fugitives - their fathers, mothers, wives, children "or who live in their houses" and keep them in prisons until the fugitives are found.

The factory workers of the time of Peter the Great came from a wide variety of strata of the population: runaway serfs, vagabonds, beggars, even criminals - all of them, according to strict orders, were taken and sent to “work” in factories.

Peter could not stand "walking" people who were not attached to any business, it was ordered to seize them, not sparing even the monastic rank, and send them to factories. There were frequent cases when, in order to supply factories, and especially factories, with working hands, villages and villages of peasants were attributed to factories and factories, as was still practiced in the 17th century. Such assigned to the factory worked for it and in it by order of the owner.

In November 1702, a decree was issued stating: “From now on, in Moscow and in the Moscow Judgment Order, no matter what ranks, people or from cities governors and clerks, and from monasteries to send authorities, and landowners and estates will bring their people and peasants, and those people and peasants will learn to say behind themselves“ the sovereign’s word and deed,” and without asking those people in the Moscow Court Order, send them to the Preobrazhensky Order to the steward to Prince Fedor Yuryevich Romodanovsky. Yes, and in the cities, governors and clerks of such people who will teach themselves to say “the sovereign’s word and deed”, send them to Moscow without asking”.

In 1718, the Secret Chancellery was created to investigate the case of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich., then other political cases of extreme importance were transferred to her.

On August 18, 1718, a decree was issued, which, under the threat of the death penalty, was forbidden to "write locked up." The non-bearer also relied on this the death penalty. This decree was aimed at combating anti-government "anonymous letters".

The decree of Peter I, issued in 1702, proclaimed religious tolerance as one of the main state principles.

“One must deal with the opponents of the church with meekness and understanding,” said Peter. “The Lord gave kings power over the nations, but Christ alone has power over the conscience of the people.” But this decree did not apply to the Old Believers.

In 1716, to facilitate their accounting, they were given the opportunity of a semi-legal existence, on the condition that they pay "for this split all payments doubled." At the same time, control and punishment of those who evaded registration and payment of double tax was strengthened.

Those who did not confess and did not pay double tax were ordered to be fined, each time increasing the rate of the fine, and even sent to hard labor. For seduction into schism (seduction was considered any Old Believer worship or the performance of trebs), as before Peter I, the death penalty was due, which was confirmed in 1722.

Old Believer priests were declared either schismatic teachers, if they were Old Believer mentors, or traitors to Orthodoxy, if they used to be priests, and they were punished for both. Schismatic sketes and chapels were ruined. Through torture, punishment with a whip, tearing out of the nostrils, threats of executions and exile, Bishop Pitirim of Nizhny Novgorod managed to return a considerable number of Old Believers to the bosom of the official church, but most of them soon "fallen into schism" again. Deacon Alexander Pitirim, who headed the Kerzhensky Old Believers, forced him to renounce the Old Believers, shackling him and threatening him with beatings, as a result of which the deacon “feared from him, from the bishop, great torment, and exile, and nostrils of tearing, as if it had been done to others.”

When Alexander complained in a letter to Peter I about the actions of Pitirim, he was subjected to terrible torture and on May 21, 1720 was executed.

The adoption of the imperial title by Peter I, as the Old Believers believed, testified that he was the Antichrist, as this emphasized the continuity of state power from Catholic Rome. The antichrist nature of Peter was also, according to the Old Believers, evidenced by the calendar changes made during his reign and the census he introduced for the head salary.

Family of Peter I

For the first time, Peter married at the age of 17 at the insistence of his mother to Evdokia Lopukhina in 1689. A year later, Tsarevich Alexei was born to them, who was brought up with his mother in terms that were alien to Peter's reformist activities. The rest of the children of Peter and Evdokia died shortly after birth. In 1698, Evdokia Lopukhina was involved in the Streltsy rebellion, the purpose of which was to raise her son to the kingdom, and was exiled to a monastery.

Alexei Petrovich, the official heir to the Russian throne, condemned the transformation of his father, and eventually fled to Vienna under the patronage of a relative of his wife (Charlotte of Brunswick) Emperor Charles VI, where he sought support in the overthrow of Peter I. In 1717, the prince was persuaded to return home, where he was taken into custody.

On June 24 (July 5), 1718, the Supreme Court, which consisted of 127 people, sentenced Alexei to death, finding him guilty of high treason. On June 26 (July 7), 1718, the prince, without waiting for the execution of the sentence, died in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The true cause of the death of Tsarevich Alexei has not yet been reliably established. From his marriage with Princess Charlotte of Brunswick, Tsarevich Alexei left his son Peter Alekseevich (1715-1730), who became Emperor Peter II in 1727, and his daughter Natalia Alekseevna (1714-1728).

In 1703, Peter I met 19-year-old Katerina, nee Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya(the widow of the dragoon Johann Kruse), captured by Russian troops as war booty during the capture of the Swedish fortress of Marienburg.

Peter took the former maid from the Baltic peasants from Alexander Menshikov and made her his mistress. In 1704, Katerina gave birth to their first child, named Peter, the next year, Pavel (both died soon after). Even before her legal marriage to Peter, Katerina gave birth to daughters Anna (1708) and Elizabeth (1709). Elizabeth later became Empress (ruled 1741-1761).

Katerina alone could cope with the tsar in his fits of anger, knew how to calm Peter's attacks of convulsive headache with kindness and patient attention. The sound of Katerina's voice calmed Peter. Then she “sitting him down and taking it, caressing it, by the head, which she scratched lightly. This had a magical effect on him, he fell asleep in a few minutes. In order not to disturb his sleep, she held his head on her breast, sitting motionless for two or three hours. After that, he woke up completely fresh and vigorous.

The official wedding of Peter I with Ekaterina Alekseevna took place on February 19, 1712, shortly after returning from the Prut campaign.

In 1724, Peter crowned Catherine as empress and co-ruler.

Ekaterina Alekseevna gave birth to her husband 11 children, but most of them died in childhood, except for Anna and Elizabeth.

After the death of Peter in January 1725, Ekaterina Alekseevna, with the support of the serving nobility and guards regiments, became the first ruling Russian empress, but she did not reign for long and died in 1727, vacating the throne for Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich. The first wife of Peter the Great, Evdokia Lopukhina, outlived her happy rival and died in 1731, having managed to see the reign of her grandson Peter Alekseevich.

Children of Peter I:

With Evdokia Lopukhina:

Alexey Petrovich 02/18/1690 - 06/26/1718. He was considered the official heir to the throne until his arrest. He was married in 1711 to Princess Sophia-Charlotte of Braunschweig-Wolfenbittel, sister of Elizabeth, wife of Emperor Charles VI. Children: Natalya (1714-28) and Peter (1715-30), later Emperor Peter II.

Alexander 10/03/1691 05/14/1692

Alexander Petrovich died in 1692.

Paul 1693 - 1693

He was born and died in 1693, which is why sometimes the existence of a third son from Evdokia Lopukhina is questioned.

With Catherine:

Catherine 1707-1708.

Illegitimate, died in infancy.

Anna Petrovna 02/07/1708 - 05/15/1728. In 1725 she married the German Duke Karl-Friedrich. She left for Kiel, where she gave birth to a son, Karl Peter Ulrich (later Russian Emperor Peter III).

Elizaveta Petrovna 12/29/1709 - 01/05/1762. Empress since 1741. In 1744 she entered into a secret marriage with A. G. Razumovsky, from whom, according to contemporaries, she gave birth to several children.

Natalia 03/03/1713 - 05/27/1715

Margarita 09/03/1714 - 07/27/1715

Peter 10/29/1715 - 04/25/1719 Was considered the official heir to the crown from 06/26/1718 until his death.

Pavel 01/02/1717 - 01/03/1717

Natalya 08/31/1718 - 03/15/1725.

Decree of Peter I on the succession to the throne

IN last years the reign of Peter the Great, the question of succession to the throne arose: who would take the throne after the death of the emperor.

Tsarevich Pyotr Petrovich (1715-1719, son of Ekaterina Alekseevna), announced at the abdication of Alexei Petrovich as heir to the throne, died in childhood.

The son of Tsarevich Alexei and Princess Charlotte, Peter Alekseevich, became the direct heir. However, if you follow the custom and declare the son of the disgraced Alexei the heir, then the hopes of the opponents of the reforms to return the old order were aroused, and on the other hand, fears arose among Peter's associates, who voted for the execution of Alexei.

On February 5 (16), 1722, Peter issued a Decree on the succession to the throne (cancelled by Paul I 75 years later), in which he abolished the ancient custom of transferring the throne to direct male descendants, but allowed the appointment of any worthy person as heir at the will of the monarch. The text of this most important decree justified the need for this measure: "what for it was prudent to do this charter, so that it was always in the will of the ruling sovereign, to whom he wants, to determine the inheritance, and to the determined one, seeing what obscenity, he will cancel, so that children and descendants do not fall into such anger, as it is written above, having this bridle on you".

The decree was so unusual for Russian society that it was necessary to explain it and require the consent of the subjects under oath. The schismatics were indignant: “He took a Swede for himself, and that queen will not give birth to children, and he issued a decree to kiss the cross for the future sovereign, and kiss the cross for the Swede. Of course, the Swede will reign.”

Peter Alekseevich was removed from the throne, but the question of succession to the throne remained open. Many believed that either Anna or Elizabeth, Peter's daughter from his marriage to Ekaterina Alekseevna, would take the throne.

But in 1724, Anna renounced any claims to the Russian throne after she became engaged to the Duke of Holstein, Karl-Friedrich. If the throne was taken by the youngest daughter Elizabeth, who was 15 years old (in 1724), then the Duke of Holstein would rule instead of her, who dreamed of returning the lands conquered by the Danes with the help of Russia.

Peter and his nieces, the daughters of Ivan's older brother, were not satisfied: Anna Kurlyandskaya, Ekaterina Mecklenburgskaya and Praskovya Ioannovna. Only one candidate remained - Peter's wife, Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna. Peter needed a person who would continue the work he started, his transformation.

On May 7, 1724, Peter crowned Catherine empress and co-ruler, but after a short time he was suspected of adultery (the case of Mons). The decree of 1722 violated the usual way of succession to the throne, but Peter did not have time to appoint an heir before his death.

Death of Peter I

In the last years of his reign, Peter was very ill (presumably, kidney stone disease, complicated by uremia).

In the summer of 1724, his illness intensified, in September he felt better, but after a while the attacks intensified. In October, Peter went to inspect the Ladoga Canal, contrary to the advice of his life physician Blumentrost. From Olonets, Peter traveled to Staraya Russa and in November went by boat to St. Petersburg.

At Lakhta, he had to, standing waist-deep in water, rescue a boat with soldiers that had run aground. The attacks of the disease intensified, but Peter, not paying attention to them, continued to deal with state affairs. On January 17 (28), 1725, he had such a bad time that he ordered to put a camp church in the room next to his bedroom, and on January 22 (February 2) he confessed. The strength began to leave the patient, he no longer screamed, as before, from severe pain, but only moaned.

On January 27 (February 7), all those sentenced to death or hard labor were amnestied (excluding murderers and those convicted of repeated robbery). On the same day, at the end of the second hour, Peter demanded paper, began to write, but the pen fell out of his hands, only two words could be made out of what was written: “Give everything back ...”.

The tsar then ordered his daughter Anna Petrovna to be called so that she would write under his dictation, but when she arrived, Peter had already fallen into oblivion. The story about the words of Peter "Give everything..." and the order to call Anna is known only from the notes of the Holstein Privy Councilor G. F. Bassevich. According to N. I. Pavlenko and V. P. Kozlov, it is a tendentious fiction with the aim of hinting at the rights of Anna Petrovna, the wife of the Holstein Duke Karl Friedrich, to the Russian throne.

When it became obvious that the emperor was dying, the question arose of who would take the place of Peter. The Senate, the Synod and the generals - all institutions that did not have the formal right to control the fate of the throne, even before Peter's death, gathered on the night of January 27 (February 7) to January 28 (February 8) to decide on the successor of Peter the Great.

Guards officers entered the meeting room, two guards regiment, and under the drumbeat of the troops withdrawn by the party of Ekaterina Alekseevna and Menshikov, the Senate adopted a unanimous decision by 4 o'clock in the morning on January 28 (February 8). By decision of the Senate, the throne was inherited by Peter's wife, Ekaterina Alekseevna, who became the first Russian empress on January 28 (February 8), 1725 under the name Catherine I.

At the beginning of the sixth hour in the morning on January 28 (February 8), 1725, Peter the Great died in terrible agony in his winter palace at the Winter Canal, according to the official version, from pneumonia. He was buried in the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. An autopsy showed the following: "a sharp narrowing in the region of the back of the urethra, hardening of the neck of the bladder and Antonov fire." Death followed from inflammation of the bladder, which turned into gangrene due to urinary retention caused by a narrowing of the urethra.

The famous court icon painter Simon Ushakov painted an image on a cypress board. Life-Giving Trinity and the Apostle Peter. After the death of Peter I, this icon was installed over the imperial tombstone.