When Peter the First reigned. Peter the Great and his paradise

PETER I ALEXEEVICH (THE GREAT)(05/30/1672-01/28/1725) - Tsar from 1682, first Russian Emperor from 1721.
Peter I was the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to N.K. Naryshkina.
At the end of April 1682, after the death of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, ten-year-old Peter was declared tsar. After the Streltsy uprising in May 1682, during which several relatives of the young tsar died, two tsars ascended the throne at the same time - Peter and his older brother Ivan, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage to M. Miloslavskaya. But by the state in 1682-1689. in fact, it was their elder sister, Princess Sofya Alekseevna, who ruled. The Miloslavskys ruled the Kremlin and took young Peter and his mother from there to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow. The young king devoted all his time to “military fun.” In Preobrazhenskoye and in the neighboring village of Semenovskoye, he created two “amusing” regiments. Later, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments became the first guards units in Russia.
Peter made friends with many foreigners who lived in the German settlement, not far from Preobrazhenskoye. Communicating with the Germans, British, French, Swedes, and Danes, Peter became more and more convinced that Russia was significantly behind Western Europe. He saw that in his homeland science and education were not so developed, there was no strong army, there was no navy. The Russian state, huge in its territory, had almost no influence on the life of Europe.
In January 1689, Peter’s wedding took place with Evdokia Lopukhina; in 1690, a son, Alexei Petrovich, was born into this marriage. In the summer of 1689, the archers began to prepare a new uprising against Peter I. The young tsar fled in fear to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, but it turned out that most of the troops went over to his side. The instigators of the uprising were executed, and Princess Sophia was removed from power. Peter and Ivan became independent rulers. The sickly Ivan took almost no part in state activities, and in 1696, after his death, Peter I became the sovereign tsar.
Peter received his first baptism of fire in the war with Turkey in 1695-1696. during the Azov campaigns. Then Azov, Turkey’s stronghold on the Black Sea, was taken. In a more convenient and deeper bay, Peter founded the new harbor of Taganrog.
In 1697-1698 With the Great Embassy, ​​under the name of Peter Mikhailov, the Tsar visited Europe for the first time. He studied shipbuilding in Holland, met with the sovereigns of various European powers, and hired many specialists to serve in Russia.
In the summer of 1698, when Peter was in England, a new Streltsy uprising broke out. Peter urgently returned from abroad and brutally dealt with the archers. He and his associates personally cut off the heads of the archers.
Over time, Peter turned from a hot-tempered youth into a grown man. His height exceeded two meters. Constant physical labor further developed his natural strength, and he became a real strongman. Peter was an educated man. He had deep knowledge of history, geography, shipbuilding, fortification, and artillery. He loved to make things with his own hands. No wonder he was called the “carpenter king.” Already in his youth, he knew up to fourteen crafts, and over the years he acquired a lot of technical knowledge.
Peter loved fun, jokes, feasts and feasts, which sometimes lasted for several days. In moments of thought, he preferred a quiet office and a pipe to tobacco. Even in adulthood, Peter remained very active, impetuous and restless. His companions could barely keep up with him, skipping. But the turbulent events of his life, the shocks of his childhood and youth affected Peter’s health. At the age of twenty, his head began to shake, and during excitement, convulsions passed through his face. He often had nervous attacks and bouts of unjustified anger. In a good mood, Peter gave his favorites the richest gifts. But his mood could change dramatically in a few seconds. And then he became uncontrollable, he could not only scream, but also use his fists or a baton. Since the 1690s Peter began to carry out reforms in all areas of Russian life. He used the experience of Western European countries in the development of industry, trade, and culture. Peter emphasized that his main concern was “the benefit of the Fatherland.” His words spoken to the soldiers on the eve of the Poltava battle became famous: " The hour has come that will decide the fate of the Fatherland. And so you should not think that you are fighting for Peter, but for the state entrusted to Peter, for your family, for the Fatherland, for the Orthodox faith and the church... But know about Peter that life is not dear to him, if only Russia lived in bliss and glory, for your welfare".
Peter sought to create a new, powerful Russian Empire, which would become one of the strongest, richest and most enlightened states in Europe. In the 1st quarter XVIII century Peter changed the system of government: instead of the Boyar Duma, the Senate was created, in 1708-1715. provincial reform was carried out in 1718-1721. orders were replaced by collegiums. A regular army and navy were created, conscription and compulsory military service were introduced for nobles. By the end of Peter's reign, about a hundred plants and factories were operating, and Russia began to export industrial goods: iron, copper and linen. Peter cared about the development of culture and education: many educational institutions were opened, the civil alphabet was adopted, the Academy of Sciences was founded (1725), theaters appeared, new printing houses were equipped, in which more and more new books were printed. In 1703, the first Russian newspaper Vedomosti was published. Foreign specialists were invited from Europe: engineers, craftsmen, doctors, officers. Peter sent Russian youths abroad to study sciences and crafts. In 1722, the Table of Ranks was adopted - a legislative act that brought all government ranks into the system. Service became the only way to obtain a government rank.
Since 1700, a new calendar was introduced in Russia from the Nativity of Christ and the celebration of the New Year on January 1, adopted in Western Europe. On May 16, 1703, on one of the islands at the mouth of the Neva River, Peter I founded the fortress of St. Petersburg. In 1712, St. Petersburg officially became the new capital of Russia.
Stone houses were built there, and streets were paved with stones for the first time in Russia.
Peter began to pursue a policy of limiting church power, church properties were transferred to the state. Since 1701, property issues were removed from the jurisdiction of the church. In 1721, the power of the patriarch was replaced by the power of the Synod, a collegial body that headed the church administration. The Synod reported directly to the sovereign.
After the conclusion of peace with Turkey in 1700, in the field of foreign policy, Peter I considered the main task to be the fight with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. In the summer of 1700, Russia entered into the war, which became known as the Northern War. During the Northern War (1700-1721), Peter showed himself to be a talented commander and a wonderful strategist. He beat the Swedish army several times - the best in Europe at that time.
The king repeatedly demonstrated personal courage. On May 7, 1703, near the Nyenschanz fortress, Russian soldiers under his command in thirty boats captured two Swedish ships. For this feat, Peter was awarded the highest order in the Russian state - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On June 27, 1709, during the Battle of Poltava, the tsar personally led one of the battalions of the Novgorod regiment and did not allow the Swedish troops to break through. The Northern War ended with the signing of the Peace of Nystadt between Sweden and Russia. Russia retained all the Baltic lands it had conquered (Estonia, Livonia, Courland, Ingermanland) and the opportunity to have a fleet in the Baltic Sea. Victory in the Northern War turned Russia into a powerful power with borders from the Baltic to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Now all European states had to reckon with it.
In 1710-1713 Russia took part in the war with Turkey. In 1711, Peter I led the Prut campaign, which ended in failure. Russia ceded the city of Azov to Turkey, and also promised to demolish the fortresses of Taganrog, Bogoroditsk and Kamenny Zaton. As a result of the Persian campaign of 1722-1723. Russia acquired land on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea.
On October 22, 1721, the Senate presented Peter I with the title of Emperor of All Russia, the title “Great” and “Father of the Fatherland.” Since then, all Russian sovereigns began to be called emperors, and Russia turned into the Russian Empire.
Petrine reforms had not only positive consequences. In the 1st quarter XVIII century A powerful bureaucratic system of state governance developed, subordinate only to the will of the king. For many years, the Russian state apparatus was dominated by foreigners, whom the tsar often trusted more than Russian subjects.
Peter's reforms and many years of war depleted the country's economy and placed a heavy burden on the working population of Russia. Peasants were forced to work more and more in corvee labor, and factory workers were permanently assigned to factories. Thousands of ordinary peasants and working people died from hunger, disease, under the whip of overseers at shipyards, during the construction of new fortresses and cities.
In 1718-1724. A tax reform was carried out, which increased the tax burden by 1.5-2 times. In addition, this reform led to even greater enslavement of the peasants. During the reign of Peter there were several major popular uprisings: in Astrakhan (1705-1706), on the Don, Slobodskaya Ukraine, the Volga region (1707-1708), in Bashkiria (1705-1711). The church policy of Peter I was also ambiguous. The complete subordination of the church to the state and the weakening of the role of the Orthodox clergy led to the destruction of traditional spiritual values. Peter's actions caused a negative reaction in the upper strata of Russian society. Peter sharply broke the usual way of life of the Russian people, especially the nobles. They had difficulty getting used to assemblies and refused to shave their beards or go to theaters. The tsar's son and heir, Alexei Petrovich, did not accept Peter's reforms. Accused of plotting against the tsar, in 1718 he was deprived of the throne and sentenced to death.
The tsar's first wife, Evdokia Lopukhina, was sent to a monastery. In 1703, the tsar’s wife became a simple peasant woman, Marta Skavronskaya, who took the name of Catherine in Orthodox baptism. But the official wedding took place only in 1712. Several children were born in this marriage, but the sons died in infancy, leaving two daughters alive - Anna (mother of the future Emperor Peter III) and Elizabeth, the future Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. In 1724, in the Assumption Cathedral, Peter I placed the imperial crown on the head of his wife.
In 1722, Peter I, who by that time had no male heirs, adopted a decree on succession to the throne: the heir was appointed at the will of the “ruling sovereign,” and the sovereign, having appointed an heir, could change his decision if he discovered that the heir did not justify hope. This decree laid the foundations for the palace coups of the 18th century. and became the reason for drawing up forged wills of sovereigns. In 1797, Paul I canceled the decree.
In the last months of his life, Peter was very ill and spent most of his time in bed. Before his death, the emperor did not have time to draw up a will and transfer power to his successor. On January 28, 1725, Peter I died as a result of illness. He was buried in Peter's Cathedral.

Peter I Alekseevich is the last Tsar of All Rus' and the first All-Russian Emperor, one of the most outstanding rulers of the Russian Empire. He was a true patriot of his state and did everything possible for its prosperity.

From his youth, Peter I showed great interest in various things, and was the first of the Russian tsars to make a long journey through European countries.

Thanks to this, he was able to accumulate a wealth of experience and carry out many important reforms that determined the direction of development in the 18th century.

In this article we will take a closer look at the characteristics of Peter the Great, and pay attention to his personality traits, as well as his successes in the political arena.

Biography of Peter 1

Peter 1 Alekseevich Romanov was born on May 30, 1672 in. His father, Alexei Mikhailovich, was the Tsar of the Russian Empire, and ruled it for 31 years.

Mother, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, was the daughter of a small nobleman. It is interesting that Peter was the 14th son of his father and the first of his mother.

Childhood and youth of Peter I

When the future emperor was 4 years old, his father Alexei Mikhailovich died, and Peter’s older brother, Fyodor 3 Alekseevich, took the throne.

The new tsar began raising little Peter, ordering him to be taught various sciences. Since at that time there was a struggle against foreign influence, his teachers were Russian clerks who did not have deep knowledge.

As a result, the boy was unable to receive a proper education, and until the end of his days he wrote with errors.

However, it is worth noting that Peter 1 managed to compensate for the shortcomings of basic education with rich practical training. Moreover, the biography of Peter I is notable precisely for his fantastic practice, and not for his theory.

History of Peter 1

Six years later, Fedor 3 died, and his son Ivan was to ascend to the Russian throne. However, the legal heir turned out to be a very sick and weak child.

Taking advantage of this, the Naryshkin family, in fact, organized a coup d'etat. Having secured the support of Patriarch Joachim, the Naryshkins made young Peter king the very next day.

26-year-old Peter I. The portrait by Kneller was presented by Peter in 1698 to the English king

However, the Miloslavskys, relatives of Tsarevich Ivan, declared the illegality of such a transfer of power and the infringement of their own rights.

As a result, the famous Streletsky revolt took place in 1682, as a result of which two kings were on the throne at the same time - Ivan and Peter.

From that moment on, many significant events occurred in the biography of the young autocrat.

It is worth emphasizing here that from an early age the boy was interested in military affairs. On his orders, fortifications were built, and real military equipment was used in staged battles.

Peter 1 put uniforms on his peers and marched with them along the city streets. Interestingly, he himself acted as a drummer, walking in front of his regiment.

After the formation of his own artillery, the king created a small “fleet”. Even then he wanted to dominate the sea and lead his ships into battle.

Tsar Peter 1

As a teenager, Peter 1 was not yet able to fully govern the state, so his half-sister Sofya Alekseevna, and then his mother Natalya Naryshkina, became his regent.

In 1689, Tsar Ivan officially transferred all power to his brother, as a result of which Peter 1 became the only full-fledged head of state.

After the death of his mother, his relatives, the Naryshkins, helped him manage the empire. However, the autocrat soon freed himself from their influence and began to independently rule the empire.

Reign of Peter 1

From that time on, Peter 1 stopped playing war games, and instead began to develop real plans for future military campaigns. He continued to wage war in Crimea against the Ottoman Empire, and also repeatedly organized the Azov campaigns.

As a result of this, he managed to take the Azov fortress, which became one of the first military successes in his biography. Then Peter 1 began building the port of Taganrog, although there was still no fleet as such in the state.

From that time on, the emperor set out to create a strong fleet at all costs in order to have influence on the sea. To do this, he made sure that young nobles could study ship craft in European countries.

It is worth noting that Peter I himself also learned to build ships, working as an ordinary carpenter. Thanks to this, he gained great respect among ordinary people who watched him work for the good of Russia.

Even then, Peter the Great saw many shortcomings in the state system and was preparing for serious reforms that would forever inscribe his name in.

He studied the government structure of the largest European countries, trying to adopt the best from them.

During this period of biography, a conspiracy was drawn up against Peter 1, as a result of which a Streltsy uprising was supposed to occur. However, the king managed to suppress the rebellion in time and punish all the conspirators.

After a long confrontation with the Ottoman Empire, Peter the Great decided to sign a peace agreement with it. After that, he started a war with.

He managed to capture several fortresses at the mouth of the Neva River, on which the glorious city of Peter the Great would be built in the future.

Wars of Peter the Great

After a series of successful military campaigns, Peter 1 managed to open access to the Baltic Sea, which would later be called the “window to Europe.”

Meanwhile, the military power of the Russian Empire was constantly increasing, and the glory of Peter the Great spread throughout Europe. Soon the Eastern Baltic states were annexed to Russia.

In 1709, the famous battle took place, in which the Swedish and Russian armies fought. As a result, the Swedes were completely defeated, and the remnants of the troops were taken prisoner.

By the way, this battle was superbly described in the famous poem “Poltava”. Here's a snippet:

There was that troubled time
When Russia is young,
Straining strength in struggles,
She was married to the genius of Peter.

It is worth noting that Peter 1 himself took part in battles, showing courage and bravery in battle. By his example, he inspired the Russian army, which was ready to fight for the emperor to the last drop of blood.

Studying Peter's relationship with the soldiers, one cannot help but recall the famous story about a careless soldier. Read more about this.

An interesting fact is that at the height of the Battle of Poltava, an enemy bullet shot through Peter I’s hat, passing just a few centimeters from his head. This once again proved the fact that the autocrat was not afraid to risk his life to defeat the enemy.

However, numerous military campaigns not only took the lives of valiant warriors, but also depleted the country's military resources. Things got to the point that the Russian Empire found itself in a situation where it was necessary to fight on 3 fronts simultaneously.

This forced Peter 1 to reconsider his views on foreign policy and make a number of important decisions.

He signed a peace agreement with the Turks, agreeing to give them back the fortress of Azov. By making such a sacrifice, he was able to save many human lives and military equipment.

After some time, Peter the Great began organizing campaigns to the east. Their result was the annexation of such cities as Omsk, Semipalatinsk and to Russia.

Interestingly, he even wanted to organize military expeditions to North America and India, but these plans were never destined to come true.

But Peter the Great was able to brilliantly carry out the Caspian campaign against Persia, conquering Baku, Derbent, Astrabad and many fortresses.

After his death, most of the conquered territories were lost, since their maintenance was not profitable for the state.

Reforms of Peter 1

Throughout his biography, Peter 1 implemented many reforms aimed at the benefit of the state. Interestingly, he became the first Russian ruler who began to call himself emperor.

The most important reforms concerned military affairs. In addition, it was during the reign of Peter 1 that the church began to submit to the state, which had never happened before.

The reforms of Peter the Great contributed to the development of industry and trade, as well as a departure from an outdated way of life.

For example, he imposed a tax on wearing a beard, wanting to impose European standards of appearance on the boyars. And although this caused a wave of discontent on the part of the Russian nobility, they still obeyed all his decrees.

Every year, medical, maritime, engineering and other schools were opened in the country, in which not only the children of officials, but also ordinary peasants could study. Peter 1 introduced the new Julian calendar, which is still used today.

While in Europe, the king saw many beautiful paintings that captured his imagination. As a result, upon arriving home, he began to provide financial support to artists in order to stimulate the development of Russian culture.

To be fair, it must be said that Peter 1 was often criticized for the violent method of implementing these reforms. Essentially, he forced people to change their thinking and also to carry out the projects he had in mind.

One of the most striking examples of this is the construction of St. Petersburg, which was carried out under difficult conditions. Many people could not withstand such stress and ran away.

Then the families of the fugitives were put in prison and remained there until the culprits returned back to the construction site.

Peter I

Soon Peter 1 formed a body of political investigation and court, which was transformed into the Secret Chancellery. Any person was prohibited from writing in closed rooms.

If anyone knew about such a violation and did not report it to the king, he was subject to the death penalty. Using such harsh methods, Peter tried to fight anti-government conspiracies.

Personal life of Peter 1

In his youth, Peter 1 loved to be in the German settlement, enjoying foreign society. It was there that he first saw the German Anna Mons, with whom he immediately fell in love.

His mother was against his relationship with a German woman, so she insisted that he marry Evdokia Lopukhina. An interesting fact is that Peter did not contradict his mother and took Lopukhina as his wife.

Of course, in this forced marriage, their family life could not be called happy. They had two boys: Alexey and Alexander, the latter of whom died in early childhood.

Alexei was to become the legal heir to the throne after Peter 1. However, due to the fact that Evdokia tried to overthrow her husband from the throne and transfer power to her son, everything turned out completely differently.

Lopukhina was imprisoned in a monastery, and Alexei had to flee abroad. It is worth noting that Alexei himself never approved of his father’s reforms, and even called him a despot.

Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei. Ge N. N., 1871

In 1717, Alexei was found and arrested, and then sentenced to death for participating in a conspiracy. However, he died in prison, and under very mysterious circumstances.

Having divorced his wife, in 1703 Peter the Great became interested in 19-year-old Katerina (nee Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya). A whirlwind romance began between them, which lasted for many years.

Over time, they got married, but even before her marriage she gave birth to daughters Anna (1708) and Elizabeth (1709) from the emperor. Elizabeth later became empress (reigned 1741-1761)

Katerina was a very smart and insightful girl. She alone managed, with the help of affection and patience, to calm the king when he had acute attacks of headache.

Peter I with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called on a blue St. Andrew's ribbon and a star on his chest. J.-M. Nattier, 1717

They officially got married only in 1712. After that, they had 9 more children, most of whom died at an early age.

Peter the Great truly loved Katerina. The Order of St. Catherine was established in her honor and the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals was named. The Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (built under her daughter Elizaveta Petrovna) also bears the name of Catherine I.

Soon, another woman, Maria Cantemir, appeared in the biography of Peter 1, who remained the emperor’s favorite until the end of his life.

It is worth noting that Peter the Great was very tall - 203 cm. At that time, he was considered a real giant, and was head and shoulders taller than everyone else.

However, the size of his feet did not correspond to his height at all. The autocrat wore size 39 shoes and had very narrow shoulders. As an additional support, he always carried a cane with him on which he could lean.

Death of Peter

Despite the fact that outwardly Peter 1 seemed to be a very strong and healthy person, in fact he suffered from migraine attacks throughout his life.

In the last years of his life, he also began to suffer from kidney stones, which he tried to ignore.

At the beginning of 1725, the pain became so severe that he could no longer get out of bed. His health condition worsened every day, and his suffering became unbearable.

Peter 1 Alekseevich Romanov died on January 28, 1725 in the Winter Palace. The official cause of his death was pneumonia.

The Bronze Horseman is a monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg

However, an autopsy showed that death was due to inflammation of the bladder, which soon developed into gangrene.

Peter the Great was buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, and his wife Catherine 1 became the heir to the Russian throne.

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It was in matters of the heart that “min hertz” was much less lucky than in other matters. The love of my life asked to marry... someone else, the first wife frankly did not understand and did not share any of the initiatives, the second, after more than 20 years of dating, was caught cheating.

Peter himself, however, according to surviving documents, did not particularly suffer from loyalty to his other halves. WITH it is read that among Peter the Great’s mistresses there were maids of honor, wives of associates, and foreigners.

There were some very unattractive people among them. Yes, n For example, Elena Mayorova’s book “The Personal Life of Peter the Great” mentions the friends of Peter’s sister Natalya – Varvara and Daria. One of the daughters of steward Arsenyev, Varvara, allegedly did not have an attractive appearance - she had a hump. One day, in front of witnesses, Peter complained that she would not know a man’s love. And then he hastened to correct this injustice. Menshikov was having fun with Daria. After this, the girls wrote letters to their lovers when the latter were in Narva, Shlisselburg and St. Petersburg, and “tearfully asked” them to return quickly and pay a visit.

Catherine, knowing her husband’s love of love, kept a whole staff of pretty, educated girls at court, whose duties, however, are not delicately described by historians. And yet, you can name a few women who stand out from the background of endless mistresses.

Another youthful love of Peter. The future emperor met the daughter of a winemaker (according to other evidence, a goldsmith) Johann Mons when he once again arrived in a German settlement. The date of their first meeting is considered to be 1690, when the sovereign had already been married for about a year. But this circumstance did not prevent him from having an affair with a pretty German woman.

It’s difficult to call what happened between them love at first sight. Nevertheless, 18-year-old Anna, pushed by Peter’s friend Lefort and other well-wishers, actively pursued her goal. Result: the girl became the “Kukui queen” (after the second name of the German settlement - Kukui), received lands, the king’s favor and awe of herself. But she could not pretend to be a wife: it is unlikely that the Tsar’s mother, Natalya Naryshkina, would have allowed this, and Peter listened to her in many ways.

The sovereign’s relationship with his “official mistress” lasted about 10 years. The legal wife knew about the “monk,” but could not do anything because of her own, frankly speaking, low significance for Peter. The touching meetings between Peter and Mons ended because of the latter’s betrayal, noticed by pure chance. Thus, during the crossing in 1703, the Saxon envoy Koenigsek drowned in the Neva. In his things they found a portrait of Anna Mons, as well as many touching letters that she wrote to him. Peter, in a fit of anger, put her under house arrest.

The ruler, as they say, harbored a grudge against his first love all his life. According to evidence, when the Prussian envoy Georg-John von Keyserling asked for the girl’s hand in marriage, Peter and Menshikov pulled him down the stairs. The groom still managed to get the wedding, which took place in June 1711. Six months later, Anna’s husband died on the way to Berlin. She herself outlived him by three years.

Unloved, but still legal wife of the first Russian emperor. However, she reciprocated his feelings, not sharing any of the sovereign’s undertakings. Relatives received conflicting letters: either he was an uncouth man, or he was Petrusha’s beloved. No matter how the queen treated Peter Romanov, he sent her to a monastery in 1698 after nine years of marriage. Evdokia became nun Elena in Suzdal.

Let us note that she behaved quite freely. After some time, the monastic vestments finally took pride of place in the closet. The boyars often went to Evdokia to pay their respects, and in the evenings she herself conducted conversations with Elder Dosifei. At some point, her former neighbor, who, like the Lopukhins, lived on Solyanka, Stepan Glebov, came to visit the ruler’s first wife. According to some documents, if Tsarina Natalya had not considered Evdokia worthy of the Russian throne, the girl would have bore the surname Glebova, not Romanova, after her marriage. An affair broke out between a nun and a married Transfiguration officer. Soon Stepan lost interest in Evdokia: in vain she wrote to him “Dear friend, my sweetheart” and asked to inform him about his affairs.

Nevertheless, the fact of the affair was. And the tender letters were found not by the addressee, but by captain-lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky regiment Grigory Skornyakov-Pisarev, who was sent by Peter in the case of the escape of his son Alexei. The monarch did not believe that the prince could independently come up with a scheme to return to the old order, and then promptly hide abroad. The Tsar blamed his ex-wife for imposing on their common son a rejection of all the transformations given to Peter with sweat and blood.

As a result, Evdokia was punished with a whip and exiled to Ladoga, to the Assumption Monastery, where conditions were much harsher than in Suzdal. She was able to return shortly before her death.

Glebov was tortured using methods that were not used even against murderers. So, if even a strong man, as a rule, received no more than 15 blows of the whip in “one pass” due to the risk of physically not being able to withstand more, then Lopukhina’s lover received 34. After that, hot coals were applied to Glebov’s open wounds. At the end of this torment he was tied to board studded with nails, where they kept him for three days. TO They executed a former military man and impaled him on a blunt stake. According to documents, he died at about 16 hours (A.I. Rakitin "Mysterious crimes of the past").

She is Ekaterina Alekseevna, she is the first empress, she is Catherine I - the laundress met by Peter in 1705. Before that, she was listed as the mistress of Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev and Alexander Menshikov. It would seem that Petra could not find a more faithful friend. She follows him on military campaigns, to negotiate with Turkey, and to relax on the waters. She even allegedly kept a detachment of girls for the king’s entertainment. In general, as a wife, the former laundress showed enviable qualities. Consider the fact that she went on one of the hikes in the last months of pregnancy. By the way, Martha Catherine gave birth to children tirelessly, but many babies died in infancy. Only two daughters celebrated their 18th birthday: Elizaveta and Anna.

But Martha, who seemed to be an ideal wife, was not distinguished by fidelity. Moreover, her lover was Anna Mons’s brother William, who ended up at court, despite, frankly speaking, the difficult relationship between her relative and Peter.

The queen was four years older than the young man. Having entered the service at the age of 20, he managed to take part in the battles of Lesnaya and Poltava. Gradually he became a confidant of the sovereign. Moreover, he was so trusted that his houses in Moscow, entire villages in the regions, golden statues and cavalry, which could almost compete with Peter’s, were “not noticed.” Even Menshikov, who was threatened with the chopping block or, at best, exile for taking bribes, went to him for advice. The “gift” then helped settle the issue.

The affair with Mons came to light, according to the old Russian tradition, suddenly. One of William’s close associates - according to various sources, Ivan Balakirev or Yegor Stoletov - told his friend about the existence of “dangerous letters”, which almost included a recipe for poison for the sovereign, mixed with declarations of love between young people. In November 1724, a denunciation from this “friend” was passed on to Peter’s lackey I . After this, Balakirev was sent to hard labor for three years, having previously been beaten with batogs. Stoletov was given 10 years of hard labor after being whipped. Matryona Balk, who knew about the novel, was sent to Siberia. Well, Mons paid for love with his own head. Officially, he was executed for embezzlement.

I feel sorry for you... I’m very sorry, but there’s nothing to do, I need to execute you! - allegedly said Peter, who came to personally say goodbye to Mons (Andrei Ilyin, “The Sovereign’s People”).

Peter's last passionate love I . The girl first saw him in 1711. Maria, unlike most of the ladies of the emperor's heart, is described as a fragile, well-educated girl who gravitated toward the exact sciences. Neither Maria nor her mother were keen on the idea of ​​constantly appearing at the assemblies, so the women said they were sick. Peter gathered a council of doctors who shook their heads. As a result, women had to go to all the evenings, since the idea of ​​“excusing themselves for health reasons” failed (Elena Mayorova, “Personal Life of Peter the Great”).

The romance broke out in 1721, when the girl was 21 years old. Soon the king began to appear in public with two women. In 1722, Peter set off on the Persian campaign (the Russian army and navy moved to the South-Eastern Transcaucasia and Dagestan, which then belonged to Persia). The sovereign was accompanied by Catherine and Maria. In Astrakhan, Kantemir was forced to stay. According to reports from the French consul in St. Petersburg, Lavi, and the plenipotentiary minister at the Russian court, Campredon, to their rulers, Peter’s mistress was pregnant, and childbirth was expected in the near future. It was further reported that the woman gave birth to a healthy boy, who was strangled by a man sent either by Catherine or Peter Tolstoy. The second version is doubtful, since Tolstoy contributed to the rapprochement between Mary and Peter.

One way or another, the royal lover to Cantemir lost interest after learning about the unsuccessful birth. The next time Mary corresponded with Peter took place shortly before the death of the sovereign, after the story of Catherine’s betrayal was revealed. The emperor asked the girl to return.

After the death of Peter the Great, she again fell out of favor with Catherine. Under Peter II moved to Moscow. Later she was a maid of honor. Towards the end of her life, Maria wanted to take monastic vows into a monastery, but her brother, Antiochus, dissuaded her from doing so. For unexplained reasons, the woman never got married, rejecting all those asking for her hand and heart.

In this material we are talking only about those who left at least some significant mark in the life of Peter the Great. In general, historians often mention that Peter the Great had crowds of mistresses. Among them are maids of honor, associates, and wives of associates. Some even talk about the men in this love nest. Note that the last statement does not find serious facts in its favor.

Peter the Great is a rather remarkable personality, both from the side of a person and from the side of a ruler. His numerous changes in the country, decrees and attempts to organize life in a new way were not perceived positively by everyone. However, it cannot be denied that during his reign a new impetus was given for the development of the Russian Empire of that time.

The Great Peter the Great introduced innovations that made it possible to reckon with the Russian Empire on a global level. These were not only external achievements, but also internal reforms.

An extraordinary personality in the history of Russia - Tsar Peter the Great

There were a lot of outstanding sovereigns and rulers in the Russian state. Each of them contributed to its development. One of these was Tsar Peter I. His reign was marked by various innovations in various fields, as well as reforms that brought Russia to a new level.

What can you say about the time when Tsar Peter the Great reigned? Briefly, it can be characterized as a series of changes in the way of life of Russian people, as well as a new direction in the development of the state itself. After his trip to Europe, Peter became interested in the idea of ​​a full-fledged navy for his country.

During his royal years, Peter the Great changed a lot in the country. He is the first ruler who gave direction for changing the culture of Russia towards Europe. Many of his followers continued his endeavors, and this led to the fact that they were not forgotten.

Peter's childhood

If we now talk about whether his childhood years influenced the future fate of the tsar, his behavior in politics, then we can answer that absolutely. Little Peter was always precocious, and his distance from the royal court allowed him to look at the world in a completely different way. No one hampered him in his development, and no one forbade him to feed his craving for learning everything new and interesting.

The future Tsar Peter the Great was born in 1672, on June 9. His mother was Naryshkina Natalya Kirillovna, who was the second wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Until he was four years old, he lived at court, loved and pampered by his mother, who doted on him. In 1676, his father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, died. Fyodor Alekseevich, who was Peter's older half-brother, ascended the throne.

From that moment on, a new life began both in the state and in the royal family. By order of the new king (who was also his half-brother), Peter began to learn to read and write. Science came quite easily to him; he was a rather inquisitive child who was interested in a lot of things. The teacher of the future ruler was clerk Nikita Zotov, who did not scold the restless student too much. Thanks to him, Peter read many wonderful books that Zotov brought him from the armory.

The result of all this was a further genuine interest in history, and even in the future he had a dream of a book that would tell about the history of Russia. Peter was also passionate about the art of war and was interested in geography. At an older age, he compiled a fairly easy and simple to learn alphabet. However, if we talk about the systematic acquisition of knowledge, the king did not have this.

Ascension to the throne

Peter the Great was enthroned when he was ten years old. This happened after the death of his half-brother Fyodor Alekseevich, in 1682. However, it should be noted that there were two contenders for the throne. This is Peter's older half-brother, John, who was quite sickly from birth. Perhaps this is why the clergy decided that the ruler should be a younger, but stronger candidate. Due to the fact that Peter was still a minor, the Tsar’s mother, Natalya Kirillovna, ruled on his behalf.

However, this did not please the equally noble relatives of the second contender for the throne - the Miloslavskys. All this discontent, and even the suspicion that Tsar John was killed by the Naryshkins, led to an uprising that happened on May 15. This event later became known as the “streltsy riot.” On this day, some boyars who were Peter's mentors were killed. What happened made an indelible impression on the young king.

After the Streltsy rebellion, two were crowned kings - John and Peter 1, the former having a dominant position. Their elder sister Sophia, who was the real ruler, was appointed regent. Peter and his mother again left for Preobrazhenskoye. By the way, numerous of his relatives and associates were also either exiled or killed.

Life of Peter in Preobrazhenskoe

Peter's life after the May 1682 events remained just as secluded. Only occasionally did he come to Moscow, when there was a need for his presence at official receptions. The rest of the time he continued to live in the village of Preobrazhenskoye.

At this time, he became interested in studying military affairs, which led to the formation of still children's amusing regiments. They recruited guys around his age who wanted to learn the art of war, since all these initial children's games grew into just that. Over time, a small military town is formed in Preobrazhenskoye, and the children's amusing regiments grow into adults and become quite an impressive force to be reckoned with.

It was at this time that the future Tsar Peter the Great had the idea of ​​his own fleet. One day he discovered a broken boat in an old barn, and he got the idea of ​​fixing it. After some time, Peter found the man who repaired it. So, the boat was launched. However, the Yauza River was too small for such a vessel; it was dragged to a pond near Izmailovo, which also seemed too small for the future ruler.

Ultimately, Peter’s new hobby continued on Lake Pleshchevo, near Pereyaslavl. It was here that the formation of the future fleet of the Russian Empire began. Peter himself not only commanded, but also studied various crafts (blacksmith, joiner, carpenter, and studied printing).

Peter did not receive a systematic education at one time, but when the need arose to study arithmetic and geometry, he did so. This knowledge was needed in order to learn how to use an astrolabe.

Over the course of these years, as Peter gained his knowledge in various fields, he gained many associates. These are, for example, Prince Romodanovsky, Fyodor Apraksin, Alexey Menshikov. Each of these people played a role in the nature of the future reign of Peter the Great.

Peter's family life

Peter's personal life was quite difficult. He was seventeen years old when he got married. This happened at the insistence of the mother. Evdokia Lopukhina became Petru's wife.

There was never any understanding between the spouses. A year after his marriage, he became interested in Anna Mons, which led to a final disagreement. The first family history of Peter the Great ended with Evdokia Lopukhina being exiled to a monastery. This happened in 1698.

From his first marriage, the tsar had a son, Alexei (born in 1690). There is a rather tragic story associated with him. It is not known exactly for what reason, but Peter did not love his own son. Perhaps this happened because he was not at all like his father, and also did not at all welcome some of his reformatory introductions. Be that as it may, in 1718 Tsarevich Alexei dies. This episode itself is quite mysterious, since many talked about torture, as a result of which Peter’s son died. By the way, hostility towards Alexei also spread to his son (grandson Peter).

In 1703, Martha Skavronskaya, who later became Catherine I, entered the tsar’s life. For a long time she was Peter’s mistress, and in 1712 they got married. In 1724, Catherine was crowned empress. Peter the Great, whose biography of family life is truly fascinating, was very attached to his second wife. During their life together, Catherine bore him several children, but only two daughters survived - Elizaveta and Anna.

Peter treated his second wife very well, one might even say he loved her. However, this did not stop him from sometimes having affairs on the side. Catherine herself did the same. In 1725, she was caught having an affair with Willem Mons, who was a chamberlain. It was a scandalous story, as a result of which the lover was executed.

The beginning of the real reign of Peter

For a long time, Peter was only second in line to the throne. Of course, these years were not in vain; he studied a lot and became a full-fledged person. However, in 1689 there was a new Streltsy uprising, which was prepared by his sister Sophia, who was ruling at that time. She did not take into account that Peter is no longer the younger brother he used to be. Two personal royal regiments - Preobrazhensky and Streletsky, as well as all the patriarchs of Rus' - came to his defense. The rebellion was suppressed, and Sophia spent the rest of her days in the Novodevichy Convent.

After these events, Peter became more interested in the affairs of the state, but still transferred most of them onto the shoulders of his relatives. The real reign of Peter the Great began in 1695. In 1696, his brother John died, and he remained the sole ruler of the country. From this time on, innovations began in the Russian Empire.

King's Wars

There were several wars in which Peter the Great took part. The biography of the king shows how purposeful he was. This is proven by his first campaign against Azov in 1695. It ended in failure, but this did not stop the young king. Having analyzed all the mistakes, Peter carried out a second assault in July 1696, which ended successfully.

After the Azov campaigns, the tsar decided that the country needed its own specialists, both in military affairs and in shipbuilding. He sent several nobles for training, and then decided to travel around Europe himself. This lasted a year and a half.

In 1700, Peter begins the Great Northern War, which lasted twenty-one years. The result of this war was the signed Treaty of Nystadt, which gave him access to the Baltic Sea. By the way, it was this event that led to Tsar Peter I receiving the title of emperor. The resulting lands formed the Russian Empire.

Estate reform

Despite the war, the emperor did not forget to pursue the country's internal policy. Numerous decrees of Peter the Great affected various spheres of life in Russia and beyond.

One of the important reforms was the clear division and consolidation of rights and responsibilities between nobles, peasants and city residents.

Nobles. In this class, innovations concerned primarily compulsory literacy training for males. Those who could not pass the exam were not allowed to receive officer rank, and they were also not allowed to marry. A table of ranks was introduced, which allowed even those who by birth did not have the right to receive nobility.

In 1714, a decree was issued that allowed only one scion from a noble family to inherit all property.

Peasants. For this class, poll taxes were introduced instead of household taxes. Also, those slaves who went to serve as soldiers were freed from serfdom.

City. For urban residents, the transformation consisted in the fact that they were divided into “regular” (divided into guilds) and “irregular” (other people). Also in 1722, craft workshops appeared.

Military and judicial reforms

Peter the Great also carried out reforms for the army. It was he who began recruiting into the army every year from young people who had reached the age of fifteen. They were sent for military training. This resulted in the army becoming stronger and more experienced. A powerful fleet was created and judicial reform was carried out. Appellate and provincial courts appeared, which were subordinate to the governors.

Administrative reform

At the time when Peter the Great ruled, reforms also affected government administration. For example, the ruling king could appoint his successor during his lifetime, which was previously impossible. It could be absolutely anyone.

Also in 1711, by order of the tsar, a new state body appeared - the Governing Senate. Anyone could also enter it; it was the king’s privilege to appoint its members.

In 1718, instead of the Moscow orders, 12 boards appeared, each of which covered its own area of ​​activity (for example, military, income and expenses, etc.).

At the same time, by decree of Emperor Peter, eight provinces were created (later there were eleven). The provinces were divided into provinces, the latter into counties.

Other reforms

The time of Peter the Great was rich in other equally important reforms. For example, they affected the Church, which lost its independence and became dependent on the state. Subsequently, the Holy Synod was established, whose members were appointed by the sovereign.

Great reforms took place in the culture of the Russian people. The king, after returning from a trip to Europe, ordered the beards to be cut off and the faces of men to be smoothly shaved (this did not apply only to priests). Peter also introduced the wearing of European clothing for the boyars. In addition, balls and other music appeared for the upper class, as well as tobacco for men, which the king brought from his travels.

An important point was the change in calendar calculation, as well as the postponement of the start of the new year from the first of September to the first of January. This happened in December 1699.

Culture in the country had a special position. The sovereign founded many schools that provided knowledge of foreign languages, mathematics and other technical sciences. A lot of foreign literature has been translated into Russian.

Results of Peter's reign

Peter the Great, whose reign was replete with many changes, led Russia to a new direction in its development. The country now has a fairly strong fleet, as well as a regular army. The economy has stabilized.

The reign of Peter the Great also had a positive impact on the social sphere. Medicine began to develop, the number of pharmacies and hospitals increased. Science and culture have reached a new level.

In addition, the state of the economy and finances in the country has improved. Russia has reached a new international level and has also concluded several important agreements.

End of reign and successor of Peter

The death of the king is shrouded in mystery and speculation. It is known that he died on January 28, 1725. However, what led him to this?

Many people talk about an illness from which he did not fully recover, but went to the Ladoga Canal on business. The king was returning home by sea when he saw a ship in distress. It was late, cold and rainy autumn. Peter helped drowning people, but got very wet and as a result caught a severe cold. He never recovered from all this.

All this time, while Tsar Peter was ill, prayers were held in many churches for the health of the Tsar. Everyone understood that this was truly a great ruler who had done a lot for the country and could have done so much more.

There was another rumor that the tsar was poisoned, and it could have been A. Menshikov, close to Peter. Be that as it may, after his death Peter the Great did not leave a will. The throne is inherited by Peter's wife Catherine I. There is also a legend about this. They say that before his death the king wanted to write his will, but managed to write only a couple of words and died.

The personality of the king in modern cinema

The biography and history of Peter the Great is so entertaining that a dozen films have been made about him, as well as several television series. In addition, there are paintings about individual representatives of his family (for example, about his deceased son Alexei).

Each of the films reveals the personality of the king in its own way. For example, the television series “Testament” plays out the dying years of the king. Of course, there is a mixture of truth and fiction here. An important point will be that Peter the Great never wrote a will, which will be explained in vivid detail in the film.

Of course, this is one of many paintings. Some were based on works of art (for example, A. N. Tolstoy’s novel “Peter I”). Thus, as we see, the odious personality of Emperor Peter I worries the minds of people today. This great politician and reformer pushed Russia to develop, to study new things, and also to enter the international arena.

Peter the Great is called “The Great” for his vigorous activity related to the transformation of Russia into a great European country, reforms in military affairs, in the judicial branch, in church affairs and others. He was one of the greatest men of his time, possessed of giant stature, enormous physical strength, he did not disdain hard physical labor, in addition, he was the founder of the glorious and legendary Russian fleet, famous for his military campaigns against the Tatars, Turks and Swedes. The king had good health, but lived only fifty-three years and died in great agony. So what is the cause of Peter's death?
According to historians, a year before his death, in 1724, the tsar became very ill, but soon began to recover and the illness seemed to have subsided. But after a short period of time, Peter fell ill again. The doctors tried to restore the king’s iron health, but he, in anger from his illness, almost killed the unfortunate doctors. Then the illness went away again. One day, in November of the same year, the emperor was sailing along the Neva and saw how one of the sides ran aground. There were sailors on board. Peter jumped into the cold, autumn water and began to save people, being knee-deep in the water. This had a fatal effect, the king fell ill. His health deteriorated more and more, and on January 28, 1725, he died in bed, not even having time to leave a will. Various reasons were given. Many Europeans who served Peter or with him as diplomats expressed their own versions. Someone said that Peter suffered from stranguria, his comrade Lefort argued that the emperor suffered from urinary stones. Russian historian M.N. Pokrovsky stated that the tsar died from syphilis, which he received in Europe. Thus, the cause of Peter’s death could be either one or completely different.
The person who was then in charge of Peter’s treatment was Blumentrost. As the king’s illness progressed, Doctor Bidloo was prescribed to help him. They were engaged in improving the health of the autocrat. At first he felt better after being examined by doctors. Peter recovered a little and even intended to go abroad. But a few days later, attacks reappeared, and the monarch’s health condition worsened. On the night of January twenty-first, the king felt better, he slept well and everything seemed to be fine, but, as often happens, relief came before death. The emperor developed a severe fever, fainted and died in great agony, as stated above.
Historians of our time express different opinions regarding the causes of the death of Peter the Great.
There is a version of poisoning. The hypothesis is this: the king died before he could announce an official heir. Catherine comes to power with the help of His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov. Alexander Danilovich came from the lower classes, was the son of a simple peasant and achieved such a position at court only thanks to Peter’s disposition towards him. The Emperor was often dissatisfied with Menshikov for his constant embezzlement. In addition, the eminence grise once patronized the love affair of the king’s wife with the foreigner Vilim Mons. The monarch would never have known about this if it had not been for the note about lovers that was planted on him. Mons was executed, but for Menshikov this accident passed. At the direction of the tsar, the case of abuses of “Aleksashka” was carried out for a long time. His Serene Highness could have been interested in eliminating Peter. He did not benefit from the recovery of the monarch, nor from the coming to power of a party of influential courtiers, for they nominated the grandson of Tsar Peter the Second to the throne. Menshikov won only with the accession of Catherine, who was not distinguished by great intelligence and foresight; through her it was possible to calmly govern the state.
Similar versions were expressed by Peter’s contemporaries. With the execution of Mons, Catherine herself could either end up in a monastery, as Peter did with his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina, or the tsar could find another way of retribution. Take the same block. European kings did not shy away from this method of eliminating women who cheated on them. Therefore, both Catherine and Menshikov were interested primarily in eliminating Peter, who was quick to kill. The pedestal of power on which Alexander Danilovich stood and has been shaking so much lately. Peter no longer placed his trust in him and removed him from some leadership positions.
Immediately after the death of the emperor, rumors began to circulate about his poisoning. As you know, there is no smoke without fire. Knowing the mind of the king, it was not difficult to guess that the emperor guessed who needed to transfer the throne, namely his grandson Peter. The Tsarevich was surrounded by associates devoted to the monarch, with whom he had been together for a long time, and Menshikov and Catherine could not help but understand that with the coming to power of Peter the Second, there would be no heavenly life for them, even if their rivals would leave them alive
So how could Peter's death be caused? One day, he was presented with candy as a gift. After this, he began to feel unwell, vomiting, numbness and abdominal pain appeared.
But Doctor of Medical Sciences L.L. Khundanov argued that there could be no special poison. At that time, they often tried to cure a person with arsenic, a large amount of the latter could lead to death. Instead, the professor says that the most likely cause of the king's death is an urinary stricture. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption at the “most drunken” and “most jocular” orgies, as well as hypothermia in the water, could have affected. All this could cause an exacerbation, which could then progress.