The historian Klyuchevsky said that autocracy is quite unattractive, because the civil conscience will never reconcile with it. However, a person who combines this unnatural strength and self-sacrifice, risking himself for the good of the country, is worthy of exorbitant reverence.

Childhood

Peter, born on May 30, 1672, had almost no chance of the throne, since his father had older children. But fate constantly did everything so that this particular person, who went down in history as Peter the Great, was at the helm of Russia.

The villages - Vorobyevo and Preobrazhenskoye - witnessed the maturation of the future monarch, it was here that Peter's inquisitive mind and tough, purposeful temper were formed. He studied military affairs, mathematical sciences from experts from the German settlement, and at the age of 11 he even got his own amusing guard, conducting regular classes with her.

The beginning of the reign and the beginning of victories

It so happened that there were three contenders for the throne - Peter, his sickly brother Ivan and Princess Sophia, who until a certain time served as a regent. Starting from 1694, the sole power was in the hands of Peter Alekseevich, and the very next year was marked by the first attempt to pave the way for the country to the sea. This Azov campaign was unsuccessful, but the next one brought the desired result - largely thanks to the fleet built at the Voronezh shipyards, it was possible to split the Crimean Khanate.

"Great Embassy"

This is the name of Peter's long journey through Western Europe, which happened in 1697. One of the reasons for the trip was the desire to expand the anti-Turkish alliance. However, there were other tasks: to learn everything new that Europe had created, to hire skilful craftsmen to serve in Russia to train Russian people, and also to acquire high-quality military equipment. The embassy consisted of 250 people, several dozen remained in Europe to study.

Start of reforms

In April of the following year, Peter was forced to return to suppress the Streltsy rebellion raised by his sister Sophia in order to seize power. The rebellion was brutally suppressed, and just as resolutely the tsar set about changing the age-old Russian foundations. Russia was considered a backward country, and Peter decides to radically change the order in order to make his state civilized. Noble people were now forced to go beardless and in European clothes, social life was enriched with various amusements, and they began to celebrate the new year on January 1.

Northern War and continuation of reforms

Russia fought with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. Having begun in 1700 with failures, this war, which lasted until 1721, glorified the country, bringing Russia into the ranks of the leading European powers. The Battle of Poltava is especially famous, sung at one time by A.S. Pushkin.

1721 - the time of the formation of the Russian Empire, and its ruler began to be called the emperor. Peter continued to strive to ensure that the country was strong in all respects. Boards were formed - prototypes of future ministries, a "Table of Ranks" based on serviceability was established, a new capital, St. Petersburg, was laid. And the Northern War, which ended in victory, increased the power of the state.

Peter was criticized a lot for breaking age-old traditions. But the breakthrough he made was necessary at that time, otherwise Russia would have remained a backward country, and this could lead to adverse consequences. Peter 1 died in 1725, remaining the Great in history.

Brief information about Peter 1

The personality of Peter the Great stands apart in the history of Russia, since neither among his contemporaries, nor among his successors and descendants was there a person who could make such profound changes in the state, so infiltrate the historical memory of the Russian people, becoming at the same time semi-legendary, but the most striking her page. As a result of Peter's activities, Russia became an empire and took its place among the leading European powers.

Pyotr Alekseevich was born on June 9, 1672. His father was the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, and his mother, Natalia Naryshkina, was the second wife of the Tsar. At the age of 4, Peter lost his father, who died at 47. The upbringing of the prince was carried out by Nikita Zotov, who, by the standards of Russia at that time, was very educated. Peter was the youngest in a large family of Alexei Mikhailovich (13 children). In 1682, after the death of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the struggle between two boyar clans escalated at the court - the Miloslavskys (relatives of the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich) and the Naryshkins. The first believed that the sick Tsarevich Ivan should take the throne. The Naryshkins, like the patriarch, advocated the candidacy of a healthy and rather mobile 10-year-old Peter. As a result of the streltsy unrest, the zero option was chosen: both princes became kings, and their elder sister, Sophia, was appointed regent under them.

At first, Peter was little interested in state affairs: he often visited the German Sloboda, where he met his future associates Lefort and General Gordon. Most of the time Peter spent in the villages of Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky near Moscow, where he created amusing regiments for entertainment, which later became the first guards regiments - Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky.

In 1689, a break occurs between Peter and Sophia. Peter demands that his sister be removed to the Novodevichy Convent, because by this time Peter and Ivan had already reached the age of majority and had to rule on their own. From 1689 to 1696 Peter I and Ivan V were co-rulers until the latter died.

Peter understood that the position of Russia did not allow her to fully implement her foreign policy plans, as well as to develop steadily internally. It was necessary to get access to the ice-free Black Sea in order to give an additional impetus to domestic trade and industry. That is why Peter continues the work begun by Sophia and intensifies the fight against Turkey within the framework of the Holy League, but instead of the traditional campaign to the Crimea, the young king throws all his energy to the south, under Azov, which he failed to take in 1695, but after construction in the winter of 1695 -1696 flotilla in Voronezh Azov was taken. The further participation of Russia in the Holy League, however, began to lose its meaning - Europe was preparing for the war for the Spanish Succession, so the fight against Turkey ceased to be a priority for the Austrian Habsburgs, and without the support of the allies, Russia could not resist the Ottomans.

In 1697-1698, Peter traveled incognito around Europe as part of the Great Embassy under the name of bombardier Peter Mikhailov. Then he makes personal acquaintances with the monarchs of the leading European countries. Abroad, Peter received extensive knowledge in navigation, artillery, and shipbuilding. After meeting with Augustus II, the Saxon elector and the Polish king, Peter decides to move the center of foreign policy activity from south to north and go to the shores of the Baltic Sea, which were to be recaptured from Sweden, the most powerful state in the then Baltic.

In an effort to make the state more efficient, Peter I carried out public administration reforms (the Senate, boards, bodies of higher state control and political investigation were created, the church was subordinate to the state, the Spiritual Regulations were introduced, the country was divided into provinces, a new capital was built - St. Petersburg).

Understanding the backwardness of Russia in industrial development from the leading European powers, Peter used their experience in various fields - in manufacturing, trade, and culture. The sovereign paid great attention and even forcibly forced the nobles and merchants to develop the knowledge and enterprises necessary for the country. This includes: the creation of manufactories, metallurgical, mining and other plants, shipyards, marinas, canals. Peter perfectly understood how important the military successes of the country were, therefore he personally led the army in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, took part in the development of strategic and tactical operations during the Northern War of 1700-1721, the Prut campaign of 1711, the Persian campaign of 1722-23.

7 Comments

Valuev Anton Vadimovich

February 8 is the Day of Russian Science, founded by Peter I the Great, an outstanding statesman and public figure, the Tsar - a reformer, the founder of the Russian Empire. It was through his work that the Academy of Sciences was established in St. Petersburg, in which outstanding representatives of domestic and foreign science worked from generation to generation for the benefit of Russia. Let me congratulate my colleagues on their professional holiday and wish them interesting work, constantly improving their knowledge and experience, while always remaining true to their convictions, striving to multiply the centuries-old traditions of Russian science.

Valuev Anton Vadimovich/ Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

By decree of Peter the Great, the Senate, the highest body of state executive power, was established in St. Petersburg. The Senate lasted from 1711 to 1917. One of the most important and influential institutions in the system of secular government of the Russian Empire.

Valuev Anton Vadimovich/ Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

The Great Embassy of the young sovereign Peter Alekseevich is considered a turning point in the history of the European modernization of the socio-political system of Russia. During the Embassy, ​​the future emperor saw Western Europe with his own eyes and appreciated its great potential. After returning to their homeland, the renewal processes accelerated many times over. Diplomatic and trade-economic relations, industrial production, science, culture and military affairs developed rapidly. In a sense, this was the real "window to Europe" that Tsar Peter opened for Russia.

Valuev Anton Vadimovich/ Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

The talent of a statesman is visible in his attitude to the development of the human factor, personality, social potential of the country. And here Peter I did a lot to strengthen both public ties and internal stability, and, as a result, the positions of the Russian Empire on the world stage. The personnel policy of the Petrine era was based on two foundations: the talent of each person - regardless of his social origin - and his desire to be useful to the Fatherland. In 1714, by the Decree of Peter, the production of nobles to the rank of officer was prohibited, if before that they had not served as ordinary soldiers. Six years later, in a new decree, Peter secured the right of every senior officer to receive a patent of nobility and transfer the title of nobility by inheritance. In practice, this meant that thanks to his talents and the courage and heroism shown in real conditions, a person honestly earned the right to move to another, higher class. This was an important step in updating the class hierarchy of the Russian Empire.

Valuev Anton Vadimovich/ Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

May 18 is a doubly important date in the military history of our Fatherland. In 1703, at the mouth of the Neva, thirty Russian boats under the command of Peter I, during a daring raid, captured two Swedish military frigates, Astrild and Gedan. This event is considered the beginning of the heroic history of the Baltic Fleet. A year later, in order to strengthen military positions in the Baltic, by decree of Peter I, Kronshlot, the fort of Kronstadt, was founded. Three centuries have passed since then, and the Baltic Fleet and Kronstadt have always defended and defend the interests of Russia. Solemn events on this day are held in St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, cities of Russian naval glory. The founder of the Russian Empire, the Baltic Fleet, Kronstadt - vivat !!!

Smart Ivan Mikhailovich

Nice, informative article. Although it is worth noting that in the course of pro-Western official history, "improved" in the matter of distorting the Truth since the time of the first Romanov-Westerners, Peter Romanov looks like a benefactor of the Fatherland, the "father of the peoples" of Russia-Eurasia.
But the Russian people still retained information that "the Germans replaced the tsar" - either in infancy, or already in his youth (A.A. Gordeev). And most likely, the truth is that Peter the 1st was recruited by Catholic Jesuits, who tirelessly carry out their work on the implementation of "Drang nah Osten" - "Onslaught on the East" (B.P. Kutuzov).
For "... it must be said that under Peter I, the colonialists were no longer embarrassed to "spend the human resources" of the country they captured -" in the era of Peter the Great "population decline
Muscovite Rus was, according to various historians and researchers, about 20 to 40% of the total population.
However, the population of Muscovite Russia was also declining as a result of the flight of the people from the despotism of the colonialists. And the people fled from them mainly to Tataria (see below).
Actually, I must say, Peter Romanov began the “Europeanization” of Russia-Muscovy with his family. First of all, he imprisoned his wife from a native Russian family, Evdokia Lopukhina, in a monastery - in prison, that is. She dared to object to the bullying of her husband and his Western European entourage over the Fatherland - in that, apparently, she seriously interfered with the "implementation of Western culture and progress.")
But the girl Mons from the German settlement helped Peter in every possible way in that introduction. Peter changed his Russian wife for her - a beauty and a clever girl. And the son of Alexei, since he, too, stubbornly did not want to “Europeanize” with age, was put to death. But before that, Peter, using all the skills he had learned from the Jesuit teachers, long and stubbornly "led the search" for Alexei. That is, under torture he interrogated his son - why is he opposed to this "Europeanization", and who are his accomplices in this "dark" and villainous, according to the "tsar-enlightener" case (7)...."

(From the book "HERITAGE OF THE TATARS" (Moscow, Algorithm, 2012). Author G.R. Enikeev).

Also, about all this and much more hidden from us from the true history of the Fatherland, read in the book “The Great Horde: Friends, Enemies and Heirs. (Moscow-Tatar coalition: XIV–XVII centuries)”– (Moscow, Algorithm, 2011). The author is the same.

Valuev Anton Vadimovich/ Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

Russia owes many transformations to Peter the Great. So, it was precisely according to his decree of December 15, 1699 that the Julian chronology and the Julian calendar were approved in Russia. Since then, the New Year in our country began to be celebrated not from September 1, but from January 1. Under Peter the Great, many of the most important cultural attributes of this folk celebration were laid - decorated fir trees, fireworks, New Year's carnivals and many other winter entertainments. On the eve of the New Year holidays, according to tradition, it is customary to sum up the results of the past year and hopefully make plans for the future. I would like to wish all colleagues and project participants pleasant New Year's Eve troubles, more joy, family warmth, comfort, happiness. May new creative plans, successful and interesting ideas await us in the New Year 2016, may they come true!

Date of publication or update 12/15/2017

Contents: Rulers

Peter I Alekseevich the Great
Years of life: 1672-1725
Reign: 1689-1725

Russian Tsar (1682). The first Russian emperor (since 1721), an outstanding statesman, diplomat and commander, all his activities are connected with reforms.

From the Romanov dynasty.

In the 1680s under the guidance of the Dutchman F. Timmerman and the Russian master R. Kartsev Peter I studied shipbuilding, and in 1684 he sailed on his boat on the Yauza, and later on Lake Pereyaslav, where he laid the first shipyard for the construction of ships.

On January 27, 1689, by decree of his mother, Peter married Evdokia Lopukhina, the daughter of a Moscow boyar. But the newlyweds spent time with friends in the German Quarter. There, in 1691, he met the daughter of a German craftsman, Anna Mons, who became his lover. But according to Russian custom, when he married, he was considered an adult and could claim independent rule.

But Princess Sophia did not want to lose power and organized a revolt of archers against Peter. Upon learning of this, Peter hid in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Remembering how the archers killed many of his relatives, he experienced real horror. Since that time, Peter had a nervous tic and convulsions.

Peter I, Emperor of All Russia. Engraving from the early 19th century.

But soon Petr Alekseevich came to his senses and brutally suppressed the uprising. In September 1689, Princess Sophia was exiled to the Novodevichy Convent, and her supporters were executed. In 1689, having removed his sister from power, Pyotr Alekseevich became the de facto tsar. After the death of his mother in 1695, and in 1696 of his brother-co-ruler Ivan V, on January 29, 1696, he became an autocrat, the only king of all Russia and legally.

Peter I, Emperor of All Russia. Portrait. Unknown artist of the late 18th century.

Barely established on the throne, Peter I personally participated in the Azov campaigns against Turkey (1695-1696), which ended with the capture of Azov and access to the shores of the Sea of ​​​​Azov. Thus, the first exit of Russia to the southern seas was opened.

Under the guise of studying maritime affairs and shipbuilding, Peter went as a volunteer at the Great Embassy in 1697-1698. to Europe. There, under the name of Peter Mikhailov, the tsar took a full course in artillery sciences in Brandenburg and Koenigsberg, worked as a carpenter at the shipyards of Amsterdam, studied ship architecture and drawing plans, and completed a theoretical course in shipbuilding in England. By his order, instruments, weapons, books were purchased in England, foreign craftsmen and scientists were invited. The British said about Peter that there was no such craft that the Russian Tsar would not have met.

Portrait Peter I. Artist A. Antropov. 1767.

At the same time, the Great Embassy prepared the creation of the Northern Alliance against Sweden, which finally took shape only 2 years later (1699). In the summer of 1697 Peter I held negotiations with the Austrian emperor, but having received news of the impending uprising of the archers, which was organized by Princess Sophia, who promised many privileges in the event of the overthrow of Peter, returned to Russia. On August 26, 1698, the investigation into the Streltsy case did not spare any of the rebels (1182 people were executed, Sophia and her sister Marfa were tonsured nuns).

Returning to Russia Peter I began his transformational work.

In February 1699, on his orders, unreliable archery regiments were disbanded and the formation of regular ones - soldiers and dragoons - began. Decrees were soon signed, under pain of fines and floggings, ordering men to “cut their beards”, wear European-style clothes, and women to open their hair. Since 1700, a new calendar was introduced with the beginning of the year on January 1 (instead of September 1) and the reckoning from the "Christmas". All these actions Peter I provided for the breaking of old customs.

However, Peter I began a major transformation in government. country. Over the course of more than 35 years of his reign, he managed to carry out many reforms in the field of culture and education. Thus, the monopoly of the clergy on education was abolished, and secular schools were opened. Under Peter, the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences (1701), the Medical and Surgical School (1707) - the future Military Medical Academy, the Naval Academy (1715), the Engineering and Artillery Schools (1719), schools of translators at the colleges. In 1719, the first museum in Russian history began to operate - the Kunstkamera with a public library.

Monument to Peter the Great at the House of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg.

ABC books, educational maps were published, a systematic study of the country's geography and cartography was laid. The spread of literacy was facilitated by the reform of the alphabet (cursive was replaced with civil type, 1708), the publication of the first Russian printed newspaper Vedomosti (since 1703). In the era Peter I many buildings were erected for state and cultural institutions, the architectural ensemble of Peterhof (Petrodvorets).

However, reform efforts Peter I proceeded in a sharp struggle with the conservative opposition. The reforms aroused the resistance of the boyars and the clergy (conspiracy of I. Tsikler, 1697).

In 1700 Peter I concluded the Treaty of Constantinople with Turkey and started a war with Sweden in alliance with Poland and Denmark. Peter's opponent was the 18-year-old Swedish king Charles XII. In November 1700, they first encountered Peter near Narva. The troops of Charles XII won this battle, since Russia did not yet have a strong army. But Peter learned a lesson from this defeat and actively set about strengthening the armed forces of Russia. Already in 1702, all the lands along the Niva to the Gulf of Finland were cleared of Swedish troops.

Monument to Peter the Great in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

However, the war with Sweden, called the Northern War, still continued. On June 27, 1709, under the fortress of Poltava, the great Battle of Poltava took place, ending in the complete defeat of the Swedish army. Peter I he himself led his troops and participated in the battle on an equal footing with everyone else. He encouraged and inspired the soldiers, saying his famous words: “You are fighting not for Peter, but for the state entrusted to Peter. Historians write that on the same day, Tsar Peter arranged a big feast, invited captured Swedish generals to it and, returning their swords to them, said: "... I drink to the health of you, my teachers in the art of war." After the Battle of Poltava, Peter forever secured access to the Baltic Sea. From now on, foreign countries were forced to reckon with the strong power of Russia.

Tsar Peter I did a lot for Russia. Under him, industry actively developed, trade expanded. New cities began to be built all over Russia, and in the old ones the streets were illuminated. With the emergence of the all-Russian market, the economic potential of the central government grew. And the reunification of Ukraine and Russia and the development of Siberia turned Russia into the greatest state in the world.

During the time of Peter the Great, exploration of ore resources was actively carried out, iron foundries and weapons factories were built in the Urals and Central Russia, canals and new strategic roads were laid, shipyards were built, and new cities arose along with them.

However, the burden of the Northern War and the reforms laid a heavy burden on the peasantry, which constituted the majority of the population of Russia. Discontent erupted in popular uprisings (Astrakhan uprising, 1705; Peasant war led by K.A. Bulavin, 1707–1708; unrest of the Bashkirs in 1705–1711), which were suppressed by Peter with cruelty and indifference.

After the suppression of the Bulavin rebellion Peter I carried out a regional reform of 1708-1710, dividing the country into 8 provinces headed by governors and governors-general. In 1719 the provinces were divided into provinces, provinces into counties.

The Decree of Uniform Heritage of 1714 equalized estates and patrimonies, introduced majorat (granting the right to inherit real estate to the eldest of the sons), the purpose of which was to ensure the stable growth of noble land ownership.

Domestic affairs not only did not occupy Tsar Peter, but rather depressing. His son Alexei showed disagreement with his father's vision of proper government. After his father's threats, Alexei fled to Europe in 1716. Peter, declaring his son a traitor, imprisoned him in a fortress and in 1718 personally sentenced Alexei to death. After these events, suspiciousness, unpredictability and cruelty settled in the character of the king.

Strengthening its positions on the Baltic Sea, Peter I back in 1703, he laid the city of St. Petersburg at the mouth of the Neva River, which turned into a sea trading port, designed to serve the needs of all of Russia. With the foundation of this city, Peter "cut a window to Europe."

In 1720 he wrote the Naval Charter, completed the reform of city government. The Chief Magistrate was created in the capital (as a collegium) and magistrates in the cities.

In 1721, Peter finally concluded the Treaty of Nishtad, which put an end to the Northern War. According to the Treaty of Nishtad, Russia regained the Novgorod lands near Ladoga, which had been torn away from it, and acquired Vyborg in Finland and the entire Baltic region with Ravel and Riga. For this victory, Peter I received the title of "Father of the Fatherland, Emperor of All Russia, Peter the Great". Thus, the long process of formation of the Russian Empire was formally completed.

In 1722, the Table of Ranks for all military, civilian and court official ranks was published, according to which the family nobility could be obtained "for impeccable service to the emperor and the state."

The Persian campaign of Peter in 1722-1723 secured the western coast of the Caspian Sea with the cities of Derbent and Baku for Russia. There at Peter I For the first time in the history of Russia, permanent diplomatic missions and consulates were established.

In 1724, a decree was issued on the opening of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences with a gymnasium and a university.

In October 1724, Tsar Peter caught a bad cold while rescuing soldiers who were drowning during a flood in the Gulf of Finland. The tsar died of pneumonia on January 28, 1725, without leaving a will about his heir.

Later Peter I was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The transformations he carried out made Russia a strong, developed, civilized country, introduced it into the community of great world powers.

Peter was married twice:

on Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina (1670-1731), from 1689 to 1698, after which she was forcibly sent to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery. She bore Peter I three sons.

on Catherine I Alekseevna (1684-1727), nee Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya, being the mistress (since 1703) and wife (since 1712) of Peter I bore him 11 children: 6 daughters and 5 sons.

At Peter I Alekseevich the Great officially had 14 children:

Alexei (1690 - 1718) - father of the Russian Emperor Peter IIa (1715-1730)

Alexander (1691 - 1692)

Pavel (born and died 1693)

Peter (1704 - 1707)

Pavel (1705 - 1707)

Catherine (1706 - 1708)

Anna (1708-1728) - mother of the Russian Emperor Peter IIIa (1728-1762)

Elizabeth (1709 - 1761) - Empress of Russia (1741-1762)

Natalia (1713 - 1715)

Margarita (1714 - 1715)

Peter (1715 - 1719)

Pavel (born and died 1717)

Natalia (1718 - 1725)

Peter (1719 - 1723)

Image Peter I Alekseevich the Great was embodied in the cinema ("Tsarevich Alexei", ​​1918; "Peter the Great", 1938; "Tobacco Captain", 1972; "The Tale of How Tsar Peter the Arap Married", 1976; "Peter's Youth", 1980; "In the Beginning Glorious Deeds", 1980, "Young Russia", 1982; "Dmitry Kantemir", 1974; "Demidovs", 1983; "Peter the Great" / "Peter the Great", 1985; "Tsarevich Alexei", ​​1997; "Secrets of palace coups ", 2000; "Prayer for Hetman Mazepa" / "Prayer for Hetman Mazepa", 2001; "Servant of the Sovereigns", 2006).

His extraordinary appearance was captured by artists (A.N. Benois, M.V. Lomonosov, E.E. Lansere, V.I. Surikov, V.A. Serov). Novels and novels about Peter were written: Tolstoy A. N. "Peter the First", A. S. Pushkin "Poltava" and "The Bronze Horseman", "Arap of Peter the Great", Merezhkovsky D. S. "Peter and Alexei", ​​Anatoly Brusnikin - "Ninth Spas", Gregory Keyes series "Age of Madness".

In memory of the great tsar, numerous monuments were built in St. Petersburg (“The Bronze Horseman” by E.M. Falcone, 1782; a bronze statue of B.K. Rastrelli, 1743, a bronze seated sculpture of M.M. Shemyakin in the Peter and Paul Fortress, Kronstadt (F Zhak), the cities of Arkhangelsk, Taganrog, Petrodvorets (M.M. Antokolsky), Tula, Petrozavodsk (I.N. Schroeder and I.A. Monighetti), Moscow (Z. Tsereteli). In 2007, a monument was erected in Astrakhan on the Volga embankment, and in 2008 in Sochi. Peter I Alekseevich were opened in Leningrad, Tallinn, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vologda, Liepaja. The monument to Peter I in Arkhangelsk is depicted on a modern ticket of the Bank of Russia on a banknote of 500 rubles.

The Academy of Defense Security and Law Enforcement Problems established Order of Peter the Great.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries and the assessment of historians, the emperor, like many smart, strong-willed, decisive, talented people who spare no effort in the name of a cherished goal, was strict not only to himself, but also to others. Sometimes Tsar Peter was cruel and ruthless, did not take into account the interests and lives of those who were weaker than him. Energetic, purposeful, greedy for new knowledge, Tsar Peter the Great, for all his inconsistency, went down in history as an emperor who managed to radically change the face of Russia and the course of history for many centuries.

In our time, there are a large number of books and records about the life of Peter 1. In this article we will tell a brief biography of the first Emperor of All Russia - Peter Alekseevich Romanov (Peter 1). A large number of large and significant transformations for the Russian state are associated with his name.

Date and place of birth

The last Tsar of All Russia was born on June 9, 1672, according to folk tales, Peter was born in the village of Kolomenskoye.

Family and parents of Peter 1

Peter 1 was the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. Parents were of different social status. His father is the second Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty, while his mother is a small noblewoman. Natalya Kirillovna was the second wife of Alexei Mikhailovich, his first wife, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, died in childbirth.
Peter 1 had two wives: the first was Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, the second was Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova (Ekaterina 1). During his life, the Emperor of Russia had 10 children (2 from his first marriage and 8 from his second). Unfortunately, most of the children died in childhood.

Childhood of Peter the Great

From an early age, Peter was very fond of playing with military toys, seeing this, his father appointed the experienced Colonel Menesius as a mentor in military affairs. It is worth noting that Alexei Mikhailovich organized the “Petrov regiment”, a small military association that served as the basis for teaching military affairs in a playful way. This regiment had a real uniform and weapons. Later, such associations began to be called "amusing regiments." Here Peter passed his first real military-practical training. At the age of ten, Peter 1 had already begun to rule Russia. It was 1682.

The reign of Peter 1. Briefly

Peter the Great finally transformed the Muscovite kingdom into the Russian Empire. Under him, Russia became Russia: a multinational power with access to the southern and northern seas.
Peter 1 is the creator of the Russian fleet, the date of foundation of which can be called 1696. Forever in the history of Russia there was a memory of the Battle of Poltava, in which Russia won. In the war with Turkey, he conquered Azov, and the Northern War with Sweden ensured Russia's access to the Baltic Sea.
Another great deed is the founding of St. Petersburg. Under him, the first printed domestic newspaper Vedomosti began to appear. He created the conditions for the development of various sciences, urban planning industry. The indomitable energy of Peter allowed him to master many professions - from carpentry to sailor. One of them was that while in Holland, the emperor learned the basics of dental treatment (namely, he learned how to pull them out).
Ordered to celebrate the New Year on the first of January. It is to him that we owe the cheerful custom of decorating Christmas trees for this holiday.
Peter 1 died in 1725 after a long illness, which he received while rescuing people from a sinking ship, pulling them out of the icy water.

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History of the reign of Emperor Peter I

The personality of Peter the Great stands apart in Russian history, because everything that his contemporaries, successors and followers did did not stand next to those deep state transformations that this ruler was able to introduce into the historical memory of the people. As a result of Peter's wise rule, Russia was able to become an empire, taking its place among the developed states of Europe!

Childhood and youth of the future first emperor of Russia.

Pyotr Alekseevich was born in the summer of June 9, 1672 in the family of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. His mother was the second wife of the king - Natalya Naryshkina. At the age of four, he is left without a father, who died at the age of forty-seven.

Nikita Zotov, who was considered quite educated for the period of then Russia, took up the upbringing and education of the young prince. It is worth noting the fact that Peter was the youngest in a considerable family of Tsar Alexei, who had thirteen children. In 1682, the struggle of the boyar clans - the Naryshkins and the Miloslavskys, relatives of the first and second wives of the late tsar, begins at the royal court.

The latter advocated that the sick Tsarevich Ivan act as the new ruler of the state. The reverse side, having enlisted the support of the patriarch, insisted that the healthy and mobile ten-year-old Peter should become the ruler of Russia. As a result, a compromise option was approved, according to which both princes became kings with a common regent - their elder sister Sophia.

As a teenager, the future ruler discovers a craving for the art of war. At his request and command, “amusing” regiments are created, which are engaged in imitating real military operations, helping to form the skills of a commander in Peter. In the future, the "amusing" regiments turn into the guards and personal support of Peter. Also, Peter is fond of shipbuilding, for this a flotilla was created on the Yauza River.

Contemporaries note that at first Peter was not at all interested in the politics and affairs of the state. He often traveled to Nemetskaya Sloboda, where the tsar met his future associates, General Gordon and Lefort. At the same time, the young ruler spent most of his time in Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky villages. Amusing regiments were also formed there, which later turned into the first guards regiments - Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky.

The year 1689 was marked by the consumption of opinions between Sophia and Peter, who demanded that her sister remove her to the monastery, because both Ivan and Peter had to rule independently by this time, since both had come of age. From 1689 to 1696 both brothers were rulers until Ivan died.

Peter was aware that the position of modern Russia does not allow her to realize the foreign policy plans of the ruler. In addition, the country in that state could not develop internally. The most important step towards correcting the current situation was to gain access to the Black Sea, which, of course, would give an impetus to Russian industry and trade.

For this reason, Tsar Peter decides to continue the work that his sister started, intensifying the fight against Turkey within the framework of the Holy League. However, instead of the usual campaign for Russia in the Crimea, the ruler throws forces under Azov to the south. And although this year it was not possible to take Azov, it was taken the next year after the necessary flotilla was built in Voronezh. At the same time, further participation in the Holy League of Russia gradually lost its meaning, because Europe was preparing forces for the war for the Spanish Succession. Because of this, the war with Turkey lost its relevance for the Austrian Habsburgs. In turn, Russia without allies could not oppose the Ottomans.

Azov campaigns of Peter I

One of the most urgent and key tasks facing the future emperor was the continuation of military operations against the Crimean Khanate. The first attempt to capture the fortress of Azov was made by Russian troops in 1695, but the lack of preparedness of the military company did not allow the siege to be successfully completed in the end. One of the factors of failure was the lack of a full-fledged fleet in the Russian state. The result of the first siege of Azov was Peter's realization of the need for a radical transformation of the Russian army and the creation of a fleet.

Before the second siege of the Azov fortress in 1696, the Russian army was more than doubled, the first full-fledged warships appeared, with the help of which the city was blocked from the sea. The result of the siege was the capture of the fortress by Russian troops and the foundation of the first Russian fortress on the Sea of ​​Azov - Taganrog.

"Great Embassy" to Western European countries

Peter 1 as part of the great embassy under the pseudonym "Peter Mikhailov"

After the successful capture of the fortress of Azov, Peter decides to travel to Western European countries in order to strengthen the allied relations of the European powers and the Russian state against the offensive of the Turks. In addition to the main goal, Peter sought to study the Western European way of life, learn about the achievements of technological progress.

Thus, from 1697 to 1698, Tsar Peter the Great traveled incognito throughout Europe as part of the Great Embassy, ​​taking the name of the scorer Peter Mikhailov. During this period, the ruler personally got acquainted with the monarchs of the richest and most developed countries in Europe. In addition, from this journey the king brings extensive knowledge of shipbuilding, artillery, and navigation. After his audience with the Polish king August II, the Russian tsar gives the order to move the center of foreign policy activity from south to north and gain access to the Baltic Sea. Only Sweden, which at that time was one of the most powerful Baltic states, stood in the way of Peter.

Going to Europe as part of the “Great Embassy” was one of the fateful decisions of Peter I. There he got acquainted with the achievements of Western European technical thought, got an idea of ​​the way of life, got acquainted with the basics of navigation and shipbuilding. Visits to local cultural attractions, theaters and museums, manufactories and schools laid the foundation for future Peter's reforms.

The era of Peter's reforms and economic reforms

Construction of factories and manufactories	If at the beginning of Peter's reign in Russia there were a little less than thirty manufactories and factories, then in the year of Peter's reign their number more than tripled to 100 pieces. Under Peter, metallurgy and textile manufactories begin to develop. Entire industries arise that have not existed in Russia before: shipbuilding, silk spinning, glass making, and paper production.
Trade	New roads are being improved and built, foreign trade is significantly increasing, the center of which is the new capital of the empire, the city of St. Petersburg. Exports are twice as high as imports.
Social politics	Peter I vigorously introduces the European order into the life of the Russian state. A new order of reckoning has been introduced. The first population census was conducted and the poll tax was introduced. A decree was issued banning peasants from leaving the landowner to work.

The results of the reign of Peter I

Wanting to make Russia more developed in all respects, the tsar introduces state reforms, creating collegiums, the Senate, as well as bodies of higher state control. Also, Peter introduces the Spiritual Regulations, subordinates the church to the state, builds a new capital, St. Petersburg, and divides the country into separate provinces.

Realizing that Russia lagged far behind the European powers in industrial development, the tsar uses the experience brought from Europe in various fields - in culture, trade and manufacturing.

The Russian sovereign forcibly forced merchants and nobles to receive and develop the knowledge necessary for the country. No less successful was the foreign policy of the king. He personally led military operations in the Azov campaigns, and also developed tactical and strategic operations for the Northern War, the Prut and Persian campaigns.

Tsar Peter the Great died on February 18, 1725 due to pneumonia, received during the rescue of fishermen.

Chronological table: "The reign of Peter I"

1695-1696	The first and second campaigns of Peter I to the fortress of Azov.
1697-1698	Peter I as part of the "Great Embassy" goes to Western European countries.
1698	Not far from the captured fortress of Azov, the first Russian fortress on the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, Taganrog, is founded.
1698	Streltsy uprising in Moscow
1698	Peter establishes the first Russian military order - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
1699	The beginning of the administrative reforms of Peter I, the foundation of the town hall in Moscow.
1699	Allied treaties with Denmark and Saxony directed against Sweden.
1699	A printing house was set up in Amsterdam to print books in Russian.
1699	Peter I changes the chronology in Russia according to the Western European type (from the birth of Christ) and postpones the celebration of the new year to January 1.
1700	The defeat of Russian troops near Narva
1700	Beginning of the Northern War
1700-1702	Foundation of the first Ural metallurgical plants
1701	Opening of the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences
1702	Russian troops occupy the Noteburg fortress (Oreshek)
1703	Founding of St. Petersburg
1704	Russian troops capture Narva and Dorpat
1705	The first recruitment among the peasant population. Formation of a recruiting system.
1708	Provincial reform
1708	Invasion of Charles XII on Ukrainian lands.
1709	Poltava battle
1710	Capture of the cities of Vyborg, Riga and Revel
1711	Establishment of the Senate
1711	Prut campaign
1713	The first arms factory in Russia was founded in Tula
1713-1714	Russian troops occupied Finland.
1714	Gangut battle. The first victory of the Russian fleet.
1716	Adoption of military regulations
1717-1721	Establishment of the first colleges and ministries
1718	The first census was conducted and the poll tax was introduced
1720	Establishment of the Holy Synod. The abolition of the patriarchy.
1721	End of the northern war.
1722	Adoption of the "Table of Ranks"
1722	Publication of the "Decree on the succession to the throne"
1722-1723	War with Persia
1725	Death of Peter I

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