What countries was Peter 1. Peter the First. "Amusing" troops of Peter

There is a rather interesting story that when the writer Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy was working on his novel “Peter the Great,” he was faced with the rather unusual fact that the greatest of the Russian monarchs, the pride of the Romanov family, had nothing to do with either the family name or the Russian nationality in general!

This fact greatly excited the writer, and he, taking advantage of his acquaintance with another great dictator, and remembering the fate of other, careless writers, decided to turn to him for advice, especially since the information was in some sense quite close to the leader.

The information was provocative and ambiguous, Alexei Nikolaevich brought Stalin a document, namely a certain letter, which clearly indicated that Peter I by origin was not Russian at all, as previously thought, but Georgian!

What is noteworthy is that Stalin was not at all surprised by such an unusual incident. Moreover, after familiarizing himself with the documents, he asked Tolstoy to hide this fact, so as not to give him the opportunity to become public, arguing his desire quite simply: “Let’s leave them at least one “Russian” whom they can be proud of!”

And he recommended that the document that Tolstoy received be destroyed. The act would seem strange if we remember that Joseph Vissarionovich himself was a Georgian by origin. But if you look at it, it is absolutely logical from the point of view of the position of the leader of nations, since it is known that Stalin considered himself Russian! How else would he call himself the leader of the Russian people?

The information after this meeting, it would seem, should have been buried forever, but no offense to Alexei Nikolaevich, and he, like any writer, was an extremely sociable person, was told to a narrow circle of acquaintances, and then, according to the snowball principle, it was spread like a virus throughout to all the minds of the intelligentsia of that time.

What was this letter that was supposed to disappear? Most likely we are talking about a letter from Daria Archilovna Bagration-Mukhranskaya, daughter of Tsar Archil II of Imereti, to her cousin, daughter of the Mingrelian prince Dadiani.

The letter talks about a certain prophecy that she heard from the Georgian queen: “My mother told me about a certain Matveev, who had a prophetic dream in which Saint George the Victorious appeared to him and said to him: You have been chosen to inform the king about what is happening in Muscovy. a “KING OF KINGS” must be born who will make it a great empire. He was supposed to be born from the visiting Orthodox Tsar of Iveron from the same tribe of David as the Mother of God. And the daughter of Kirill Naryshkin, pure in heart. If you disobey this command, there will be a great pestilence. The will of God is the will.”

The prophecy clearly hinted at the urgent need for such an event, but another problem could actually contribute to such a turn of events.

The beginning of the end of the Romanov family

To understand the reasons for such a written appeal, it is necessary to turn to history and remember that the kingdom of Moscow at that time was a kingdom without a king, and the acting king, the monarch Alexei Mikhailovich, could not cope with the role assigned to him.

In fact, the country was ruled by Prince Miloslavsky, mired in palace intrigues, a swindler and an adventurer.

Context

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Matveev’s plan was simple: it was necessary to help the tsar get rid of kinship with the Miloslavskys and place “his” heir on the throne...

So in March 1669, after giving birth, the wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, died.

After which it was Matveev who betrothed Alexei Mikhailovich to the Crimean Tatar princess Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, the daughter of the Crimean Tatar murza Ismail Narysh, who at that time lived in Moscow and for convenience bore the name Kirill, which was quite convenient for the local nobility to pronounce.

It remained to resolve the issue with the heir, since the children born from the first wife were as frail as the tsar himself, and were unlikely, in Matveev’s opinion, to pose a threat.

In other words, as soon as the tsar was married to Princess Naryshkina, the question of an heir arose, and since at that time the tsar was seriously ill and physically weak, and his children were frail, it was decided to find a replacement for him, and that’s where The Georgian prince fell into the hands of the conspirators...

Who is Peter's father?

There are actually two theories; Peter’s fathers include two great Georgian princes from the Bagration family, these are:

Archil II (1647-1713) - king of Imereti (1661-1663, 1678-1679, 1690-1691, 1695-1696, 1698) and Kakheti (1664-1675), lyric poet, eldest son of the king of Kartli Vakhtang V. One of founders of the Georgian colony in Moscow.

Irakli I (Nazarali Khan; 1637 or 1642 - 1709) - king of Kartli (1688-1703), king of Kakheti (1703-1709). Son of Tsarevich David (1612-1648) and Elena Diasamidze (d. 1695), grandson of the King of Kartli and Kakheti Teimuraz I.

And in fact, after conducting a little investigation, I am forced to incline that it was Heraclius who could have become the father, because it was Heraclius who was in Moscow at the time suitable for the king’s conception, and Archil moved to Moscow only in 1681.

Tsarevich Irakli was known in Russia under the name Nikolai, which was more convenient for local people, and the patronymic Davydovich. Irakli was a close associate of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and even at the wedding of the Tsar and the Tatar princess he was appointed thousand, that is, the main manager of wedding celebrations.

It is fair to note that Tysyatsky’s duties also included becoming the godfather of the wedding couple. But as fate would have it, the Georgian prince helped the Tsar of Moscow not only with the choice of a name for his first-born, but also with his conception.

At the christening of the future emperor, in 1672, Heraclius fulfilled his duty and named the baby Peter, and in 1674 he left Russia, taking the throne of the principality of Kakheti, although to receive this title he had to convert to Islam.

Version two, dubious

According to the second version, the father of the future autocrat in 1671 was the Imeretian king Archil II, who had been staying at court for several months and fled from the pressure of Persia, who was practically forced to visit the princess’s bedroom under pressure, convincing him that according to divine providence his participation was extremely necessary. a godly deed, namely, the conception of “the one they were waiting for.”

Perhaps it was the dream of the practically holy man Matveev that forced the most noble Orthodox Tsar to enter the young princess.

The relationship between Peter and Archil can be evidenced by the fact that the official heir of the Georgian monarch, Prince Alexander, became the first general of the Russian army of Georgian origin, served with Peter in amusing regiments and died for the emperor in Swedish captivity.

And Archil’s other children: Matvey, David and sister Daria (Dardgen) received such preferences from Peter as lands in Russia, and were treated kindly by him in every possible way. In particular, it is a known fact that Peter went to celebrate his victory in the village of Vsekhsvyatskoye, the area of ​​​​present-day Sokol, to visit his sister Daria!

Also associated with this period in the life of the country is a wave of mass migration of the Georgian elite to Moscow. As proof of the relationship between the Georgian king Archil II and Peter I, they also cite the fact captured in the monarch’s letter to the Russian princess Naryshkina, in which he writes: “How is our naughty boy doing?”

Although “our naughty boy” can be said about both Tsarevich Nicholas and Peter, as a representative of the Bagration family. The second version is also supported by the fact that Peter I was surprisingly similar to the Imeretian king Archil II. Both were truly gigantic for that time, with identical facial features and characters, although this same version can also be used as evidence of the first, since the Georgian princes were directly related.

Everyone knew and everyone was silent

It seems that everyone knew about the king’s relatives at that time. So Princess Sophia wrote to Prince Golitsyn: “You cannot give power to an infidel!”

Peter's mother, Natalya Naryshkina, was also terribly afraid of what she had done, and repeatedly stated: “He cannot be a king!”

And the tsar himself, at the moment when the Georgian princess was wooed for him, declared publicly: “I will not marry people of the same name!”

Visual similarity, no other evidence needed

This is a must see. Remember from history: not a single Moscow king was distinguished by either height or Slavic appearance, but Peter is the most special of them.

According to historical documents, Peter I was quite tall even by today’s standards, since his height reached two meters, but what’s strange is that he wore size 38 shoes, and his clothing size was 48! But, nevertheless, it was precisely these features that he inherited from his Georgian relatives, since this description accurately suited the Bagration family. Peter was a pure European!

But not even visually, but in character, Peter definitely did not belong to the Romanov family; in all his habits, he was a real Caucasian.

Yes, he inherited the unimaginable cruelty of the Moscow kings, but this feature could have been inherited from his mother’s side, since their entire family was more Tatar than Slavic, and it was precisely this feature that gave him the opportunity to turn a fragment of the horde into a European state.

Conclusion

Peter I was not Russian, but he was a Russian, because despite his not entirely correct origin, he was still of royal blood, but he did not ascend either to the Romanov family, much less to the Rurik family.

Perhaps it was not his Horde origin that made him a reformer and actually an emperor, who turned the district Horde principality of Muscovy into the Russian Empire, even though he had to borrow the history of one of the occupied territories, but we will talk about this in the next story.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively from foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

Peter I is an extraordinary, but quite bright personality who left a mark in the history of the Russian state. His time was marked by processes of reform and transformation in all spheres: economic, social, political, cultural and church. New government bodies were created: the Senate and collegiums, which made it possible to strengthen local power and make the process more centralized. As a result of these events, the king's power began to be absolute. The country's authority at the international level has strengthened. Russia at the end of the reign of Peter I became an empire.

The position of the church in relation to the state has also undergone a change. She lost her independence. Undoubted successes have been achieved in the field of education and enlightenment: the first printing houses were opened, and one of the most beautiful cities in our country, St. Petersburg, was founded.

The pursuit of an active foreign policy led to the formation of a combat-ready army, a recruitment system and the creation of a navy. The result of the long-term war between Russia and Sweden was the possibility of the Russian fleet reaching the Baltic Sea. Of course, the costs of all these events placed a heavy burden on the common population of the country: a capitation tax was introduced, and they were recruited in large numbers for construction work. The result was a sharp deterioration in the position of one of the largest strata of the state - the peasants.

1695 and 1696 – Azov campaigns

1697-1698 – “Great Embassy” to Western Europe.

1700 – 1721 Northern War.

1707 – 1708 – Uprising on the Don led by K.A Bulavin.

1711 – establishment of the Senate.

1711 – Prut campaign

1708 - 1715 division of the state into provinces

1718 – 1721 – establishment of the college

1721 – creation of the Synod.

1722 – 1723 Persian campaign.

Need for reforms:

Reforms of Peter I

Socio-economic reforms of Peter I - imperial industrialization?

Peter I is often presented as a reformer who allowed Russia to move from feudal to capitalist relations. However, this can hardly be considered correct. The reforms he carried out were aimed primarily at creating and maintaining strong armed forces (army and navy). Of course, the reforms also strengthened Peter I’s own power, allowing him to declare himself emperor in 1721. But the results of economic and social transformations are largely controversial - in fact, he carried out the “industrialization” of the 18th century.

In the economy, Peter's reforms led to the fact that serfs began to work in factories. To provide factories with workers, peasants were forcibly torn off the land. It did not become any easier for the peasants who remained in the village - taxes on them almost doubled due to the change from household taxation to per capita taxation. The focus of manufactories on fulfilling government military orders led to the fact that Russian manufacturers were not interested in developing production and improving product quality. In addition, dependence on the state influenced their inertia in the political sphere and did not strive for representative government.

From a social point of view, Peter's reforms contributed to the strengthening of serfdom, and therefore worsened the situation of the majority of the Russian population. The nobles benefited most from his reforms - they were given equal rights with the boyars, effectively abolishing the boyars as an estate. In addition, those who were lucky enough to remain free at that time were given the opportunity to earn nobility according to the Table of Ranks. However, cultural transformations that complemented social reforms subsequently led to the actual identification of a separate noble subculture, little connected with the people and folk traditions.

Did Peter's reforms allow us to build capitalism in Russia? Hardly. After all, production was focused on state orders, and social relations were feudal. Has Russia's socio-economic situation improved after these reforms? Hardly. Petrine rule gave way to a series of palace coups, and during the time of Catherine II, with whom the rise of the Russian Empire is associated, the Pugachev uprising occurred. Was Peter I the only one who could make the transition to a more developed society? No. The Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was founded before him, Western manners were adopted by the Russian boyars and nobility before him, the streamlining of the administrative bureaucracy was carried out before him, manufactories (not state-owned!) were opened before him, etc.

Peter I bet on military strength - and won.

Peter the Great was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672 in Moscow. In the biography of Peter 1, it is important to note that he was the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. From the age of one he was raised by nannies. And after the death of his father, at the age of four, his half-brother and new Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich became Peter’s guardian.

From the age of 5, little Peter began to be taught the alphabet. The clerk N. M. Zotov gave him lessons. However, the future king received a weak education and was not literate.

Rise to power

In 1682, after the death of Fyodor Alekseevich, 10-year-old Peter and his brother Ivan were proclaimed kings. But in fact, their elder sister, Princess Sofya Alekseevna, took over the management.
At this time, Peter and his mother were forced to move away from the yard and move to the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Here Peter 1 developed an interest in military activities; he created “amusing” regiments, which later became the basis of the Russian army. He is interested in firearms and shipbuilding. He spends a lot of time in the German Settlement, becomes a fan of European life, and makes friends.

In 1689, Sophia was removed from the throne, and power passed to Peter I, and the management of the country was entrusted to his mother and uncle L.K. Naryshkin.

The reign of the king

Peter continued the war with Crimea and took the fortress of Azov. Further actions of Peter I were aimed at creating a powerful fleet. Peter I's foreign policy at that time was focused on finding allies in the war with the Ottoman Empire. For this purpose, Peter went to Europe.

At this time, the activities of Peter I consisted only of creating political unions. He studies shipbuilding, structure, and culture of other countries. Returned to Russia after news of the Streltsy mutiny. As a result of the trip, he wanted to change Russia, for which several innovations were made. For example, chronology according to the Julian calendar was introduced.

To develop trade, access to the Baltic Sea was required. So the next stage of the reign of Peter I was the war with Sweden. Having made peace with Turkey, he captured the fortress of Noteburg and Nyenschanz. In May 1703, construction of St. Petersburg began. Next year, Narva and Dorpat were taken. In June 1709, Sweden was defeated in the Battle of Poltava. Soon after the death of Charles XII, peace was concluded between Russia and Sweden. New lands were annexed to Russia, and access to the Baltic Sea was gained.

Reforming Russia

In October 1721, the title of emperor was adopted in the biography of Peter the Great.

Also during his reign, Kamchatka was annexed and the shores of the Caspian Sea were conquered.

Peter I carried out military reform several times. It mainly concerned the collection of money for the maintenance of the army and navy. It was carried out, in short, by force.

Further reforms of Peter I accelerated the technical and economic development of Russia. He carried out church reform, financial reform, transformations in industry, culture, and trade. In education, he also carried out a number of reforms aimed at mass education: he opened many schools for children and the first gymnasium in Russia (1705).

Death and legacy

Before his death, Peter I was very ill, but continued to rule the state. Peter the Great died on January 28 (February 8), 1725 from inflammation of the bladder. The throne passed to his wife, Empress Catherine I.

The strong personality of Peter I, who sought to change not only the state, but also the people, played a vital role in the history of Russia.

Cities were named after the Great Emperor after his death.

Monuments to Peter I were erected not only in Russia, but also in many European countries. One of the most famous is the Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg.

Other biography options

• Contemporaries and historians note that Peter I was distinguished by his tall height, more than two meters, beautiful, lively facial features and noble posture. Despite his formidable dimensions, the king still could not be called a hero - shoe size 39 and clothing size 48. Such disproportion was observed in literally everything: his shoulders were too narrow for his gigantic height, his hands and head were too small. His frequent dashing and fast walking did not save the situation. Those around him did not feel the strength and power in him. He conquered others.
• see all

Peter the Great inherited a cumbersome and clumsy country. The symbols of his reforms were a club and pincers. With the help of the first, he prompted careless officials and punished bribe-takers, and with the latter, he tore out hardened dogmas from the heads of his subordinates, sometimes along with his teeth. His ideal is a state machine that works like a clock, without material needs and physical disabilities. He admired the scientific and technological achievements of Europe, but did not accept liberal values ​​at all. With superhuman efforts, he laid the foundations of the power of the new Russia.

Rebellious Age

The debate about the origin of Peter the Great still continues. His actions were too unusual against the backdrop of Muscovy at that time. During his time, there were rumors about a substitution in Holland. Now there are opinions that Peter was not the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. But even if he is not his father's offspring, what does that mean for the country he built?

The future Emperor Peter I was born on June 9, 1672 in the royal chambers in Moscow. His mother was from a seedy noble family of the Naryshkins. Male children from the first wife of the Miloslavsky family either died in infancy or, like Tsar Fedor and Ivan Alekseevich, had poor health.

Petrusha's childhood was marred by violence. The struggle for power between the Naryshkins and the Miloslavskys ended with the Streltsy rebellion, which brought Princess Sophia to power. Tsars Peter and Ivan rule nominally. Sophia is not afraid of the weak-minded Ivan, but Peter grew up as a strong and strong boy, and staged amusing battles with amusing troops. Subsequently, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments would become the key to brilliant victories.

Young Peter poses a serious threat to Princess Sophia, but for the time being he is not interested in state affairs. He spends his free time in the German Settlement and sees with his own eyes the benefits of the Western lifestyle. On the Yauza River he builds amusing ships, and trains his fellows in the European style and supplies them with artillery. In the year of Peter's coming of age, Sophia again tries to provoke another Streltsy riot in order to kill the young king in the commotion. Peter flees to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he concentrates his strength. The Streltsy masses recognize its legitimacy and leave Sophia. The latter is imprisoned in the Novodevichy monastery.

Moscow period of rule

After the overthrow of Sophia, little changed in Peter's life. The Naryshkin clique rules on his behalf, and Peter continues to take amusing fortresses and master crafts. He teaches arithmetic, geometry and military science. He is surrounded by foreigners, many of whom will become his comrades in transforming the state. His mother tries to return him to the fold of tradition and marries Evdokia Lopukhina, from an old boyar family. But Peter also likes European women, so, having hastily fulfilled his marital duty, he disappears in the German Settlement. Anna Mons, the charming daughter of a German wine merchant, is waiting for him there.

When, after the death of his mother, Peter began to rule independently, he was already an adherent of the European style of life. More precisely, he admired the Dutch and Germans, remaining almost indifferent to Catholic countries. However, the new king is in no hurry to introduce new orders. He needed the aura of a successful commander, and in 1695 he was going on a campaign against Turkey. The Azov fortress can only be taken the next year, when a newly created flotilla blocks it from the sea.

Grand Embassy

The Tsar understands: Russia is suffocating without access to the seas. Building a fleet requires a lot of money. Heavy taxes are imposed on all classes. Leaving the country in the care of the boyar Fyodor Romodanovsky, for whom he invented the title of Prince Caesar, Peter goes on a pilgrimage across Europe. The formal reason for the visit was to search for allies to fight Turkey. He entrusted this mission to Admiral General F. Lefort and General F. Golovin. Peter himself hid under the name of the sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Peter Mikhailov.

In Holland, he takes part in the construction of the ship "Peter and Paul", trying himself in all crafts. He is only interested in the technical achievements of the West. In matters of government, he was an eastern despot, he himself participated in executions and torture and mercilessly suppressed any manifestations of popular unrest. Tsar Peter also visited the cradle of European democracy, England, where he visited parliament, a foundry, an arsenal, Oxford University, the Greenwich Observatory and the Mint, the caretaker of which at that time was Sir Isaac Newton. Peter purchases equipment and specialists in shipbuilding.

Meanwhile, a Streltsy revolt breaks out in the country, which is brutally suppressed until the Tsar returns. The investigation points to the mastermind of the rebellion - Princess Sophia. Peter's rage and contempt for the old order only intensifies. He does not want to wait any longer and issues a decree banning beards for the nobility and introducing German dress. In 1700, the Julian calendar was introduced, replacing the Byzantine one, according to which the year 7208 in Russia was from the creation of the world. It is interesting to read his instructions and decrees now. They have a lot of humor and peasant ingenuity. So in one of them we read that “a subordinate in front of his superiors should look dashing and stupid, so as not to embarrass his superiors with his understanding.”

North War

Peter the Great continued the work of Ivan the Terrible, who waged the Livonian War for access to the Baltic Sea. His military reforms begin with the introduction of conscription, according to which soldiers had to serve for 25 years. Serf Russia sends the most violent and passionate peasants into the army. This is the secret of the brilliant victories of Russia in the eighteenth century. But noble children are also required to serve, and they are given a Table of Ranks.

In preparation for war with Sweden, Peter put together the Northern Union, which included Denmark, Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The campaign got off to a bad start. Denmark is forced to withdraw from the war, and the Russians are defeated at Narva. However, military reforms continued, and already in the autumn of 1702, the Russians began to kick the Swedes out of the Baltic cities: Noteburg, Nieschanz, Dorpat and Narva. Swedish King Charles XII invades Ukraine to unite with Hetman Ivan Mazepa. Here Russian weapons crowned themselves with victories in the Battle of Lesnaya (October 9, 1708) and in the Battle of Poltava (July 8, 1709).

The defeated Charles XII flees to Istanbul and incites the Sultan to go to war with Russia. In the summer of 1711, Peter went on the Prut campaign against Turkey, which ended with the encirclement of Russian troops. The Tsar manages to pay off with jewelry, which was taken off by Peter's new wife Marta Skavronskaya, a pupil of the Lutheran pastor Ernst Gluck. According to the new peace treaty, Russia gave the Azov fortress to Turkey and lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov.

But failures in the east can no longer hinder the successes of the Russian army in the Baltic states. After the mysterious death of Charles XII, the Swedes no longer resist. According to the Treaty of Nystad (September 10, 1721), Russia gains access to the Baltic Sea, as well as the territory of Ingria, part of Karelia, Estland and Livonia. At the request of the Senate, Tsar Peter accepted the title of the Great, Father of the Fatherland and Emperor of All Russia.

Pincers and club

Peter the Great's reforms were aimed not only at modernizing society and the state. The colossal expenses for the army and for the construction of the new capital, St. Petersburg, forced the tsar to introduce new taxes, ruining the already impoverished peasantry. An Asian gentleman moved into the family of civilized peoples, hastily dressed in European clothes, armed with European technologies, but did not want to hear anything, in order to give his slaves at least some human rights. Therefore, it is not surprising that even a hundred years after Peter’s death one could read in the capital’s newspapers: “Puppies of a purebred bitch and a 17-year-old girl, trained in women’s crafts, are for sale.”

The administrative-command system created by Peter the Great elevated him to the rank of absolute monarch. By bringing people from the lower classes closer to him, he had no intention of breaking the social hierarchy. The enlightened elite no longer saw their brothers in the peasants, as was the case in Muscovite Rus'. The European way of life, to which the nobility was accustomed, required financial support, so the oppression and enslavement of the serfs only intensified. The once homogeneous society is divided into white and black bones, which 200 years later will lead to a bloody outcome of the revolution and civil war in Russia.

Death and aftermath

Having repealed the law on succession to the throne, Peter himself fell into its snare. Government concerns and excessive libations undermined his health. To his credit, it must be said that he did not spare either himself or others. While inspecting the Ladoga Canal, the Tsar rushes into the water to save stranded soldiers. Kidney stone disease, complicated by uremia, worsens. There is neither time nor energy, but the emperor hesitates with his will. It seems that he simply does not know who to pass the throne to. On February 8, 1725, Peter the Great died in terrible agony, without saying who he would like to see on the Russian throne.

The death of Peter ushered in the era of Guards coups, when empresses and sovereigns were placed on the throne by a handful of nobles who had secured the support of elite regiments. The last Guards coup was attempted by the Decembrists on Senate Square in 1825.

The meaning of Peter's reforms is contradictory, but this is normal for all Russian reformers. The country with the coldest climate and the most risky agriculture will always strive to minimize development costs, devoting all its efforts to basic survival. And when the lag becomes critical, society pushes forward the next “transformer”, who will have to take the rap for the mistakes and excesses of accelerated development. It’s a paradox, but reforms in Russia have always been in the name of preserving one’s own identity, to strengthen the state machine, through updating it with the latest technical achievements. For the sake of the survival of Russian civilization, which embraces Europe and Asia, remaining unlike either one or the other.

Peter I - the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to Natalya Naryshkina - was born on May 30, 1672. As a child, Peter was educated at home, from a young age he knew German, then studied Dutch, English and French. With the help of palace craftsmen (carpentry, turning, weapons, blacksmithing, etc.). The future emperor was physically strong, agile, inquisitive and capable, and had a good memory.

In April 1682, Peter was elevated to the throne after the death of a childless man, bypassing his elder half-brother Ivan. However, the sister of Peter and Ivan - and the relatives of Alexei Mikhailovich's first wife - the Miloslavskys used the Streltsy uprising in Moscow for a palace coup. In May 1682, adherents and relatives of the Naryshkins were killed or exiled, Ivan was declared the “senior” tsar, and Peter was declared the “junior” tsar under the ruler Sophia.

Under Sophia, Peter lived in the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow. Here, from his peers, Peter formed “amusing regiments” - the future imperial guard. In those same years, the prince met the son of the court groom, Alexander Menshikov, who later became the “right hand” of the emperor.

In the 2nd half of the 1680s, clashes began between Peter and Sofia Alekseevna, who strived for autocracy. In August 1689, having received news of Sophia’s preparation for a palace coup, Peter hastily left Preobrazhensky for the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where troops loyal to him and his supporters arrived. Armed detachments of nobles, assembled by the messengers of Peter I, surrounded Moscow, Sophia was removed from power and imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, her associates were exiled or executed.

After the death of Ivan Alekseevich (1696), Peter I became the sovereign tsar.

Possessing a strong will, determination and great capacity for work, Peter I expanded his knowledge and skills in various fields throughout his life, paying special attention to military and naval affairs. In 1689-1693, under the guidance of the Dutch master Timmerman and the Russian master Kartsev, Peter I learned to build ships on Lake Pereslavl. In 1697-1698, during his first trip abroad, he took a full course in artillery sciences in Konigsberg, worked as a carpenter for six months in the shipyards of Amsterdam (Holland), studying naval architecture and drawing plans, and completed a theoretical course in shipbuilding in England.

By order of Peter I, books, instruments, and weapons were purchased abroad, and foreign craftsmen and scientists were invited. Peter I met with Leibniz, Newton and other scientists, and in 1717 he was elected an honorary member of the Paris Academy of Sciences.

During his reign, Peter I carried out major reforms aimed at overcoming Russia's backwardness from the advanced countries of the West. The transformations affected all spheres of public life. Peter I expanded the ownership rights of landowners over the property and personality of serfs, replaced the household taxation of peasants with a capitation tax, issued a decree on possession peasants who were allowed to be acquired by the owners of manufactories, practiced the mass registration of state and tribute peasants to state-owned and private factories, the mobilization of peasants and townspeople into the army and for the construction of cities, fortresses, canals, etc. The Decree on Single Inheritance (1714) equalized estates and fiefdoms, giving their owners the right to transfer real estate to one of their sons, and thereby secured noble ownership of the land. The Table of Ranks (1722) established the order of rank in the military and civil service not according to nobility, but according to personal abilities and merits.

Peter I contributed to the rise of the country's productive forces, encouraged the development of domestic manufactories, communications, domestic and foreign trade.

The reforms of the state apparatus under Peter I were an important step towards the transformation of the Russian autocracy of the 17th century into the bureaucratic-noble monarchy of the 18th century with its bureaucracy and service classes. The place of the Boyar Duma was taken by the Senate (1711), instead of orders, collegiums were established (1718), the control apparatus was first represented by “fiscals” (1711), and then by prosecutors headed by the Prosecutor General. In place of the patriarchate, a Spiritual College, or Synod, was established, which was under the control of the government. Administrative reform was of great importance. In 1708-1709, instead of counties, voivodeships and governorships, 8 (then 10) provinces headed by governors were established. In 1719, the provinces were divided into 47 provinces.

As a military leader, Peter I stands among the most educated and talented builders of the armed forces, generals and naval commanders of Russian and world history of the 18th century. His whole life's work was to strengthen Russia's military power and increase its role in the international arena. He had to continue the war with Turkey, which began in 1686, and wage a long-term struggle for Russia's access to the sea in the North and South. As a result of the Azov campaigns (1695-1696), Azov was occupied by Russian troops, and Russia fortified itself on the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov. In the long Northern War (1700-1721), Russia, under the leadership of Peter I, achieved complete victory and gained access to the Baltic Sea, which gave it the opportunity to establish direct ties with Western countries. After the Persian campaign (1722-1723), the western coast of the Caspian Sea with the cities of Derbent and Baku went to Russia.

Under Peter I, for the first time in the history of Russia, permanent diplomatic missions and consulates were established abroad, and outdated forms of diplomatic relations and etiquette were abolished.

Peter I also carried out major reforms in the field of culture and education. A secular school appeared, and the clergy's monopoly on education was eliminated. Peter I founded the Pushkar School (1699), the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences (1701), and the Medical and Surgical School; The first Russian public theater was opened. In St. Petersburg, the Naval Academy (1715), engineering and artillery schools (1719), schools of translators at collegiums were established, the first Russian museum was opened - the Kunstkamera (1719) with a public library. In 1700, a new calendar was introduced with the beginning of the year on January 1 (instead of September 1) and chronology from the “Nativity of Christ”, and not from the “Creation of the World”.

By order of Peter I, various expeditions were carried out, including to Central Asia, the Far East, and Siberia, and a systematic study of the country's geography and cartography began.

Peter I was married twice: to Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina and Marta Skavronskaya (later Empress Catherine I); had a son Alexei from his first marriage and daughters Anna and Elizabeth from his second (besides them, 8 children of Peter I died in early childhood).

Peter I died in 1725 and was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources