Date of publication or update 12/15/2017
Peter I Alekseevich the Great
Years of life: 1672-1725
Reign: 1689-1725
Russian Tsar (1682). The first Russian emperor (since 1721), an outstanding statesman, diplomat and commander, all his activities were related to reforms.
From the Romanov dynasty.
In the 1680s. under the leadership of the Dutchman F. Timmerman and the Russian master R. Kartsev Peter I studied shipbuilding, and in 1684 he sailed on his boat along the Yauza River, and later along Lake Pereyaslavl, where he founded the first shipyard for the construction of ships.
On January 27, 1689, Peter, by order of his mother, married Evdokia Lopukhina, the daughter of a Moscow boyar. But the newlyweds spent time with friends in the German settlement. There, in 1691, he met the daughter of a German artisan, Anna Mons, who became his lover. But according to Russian custom, having married, he was considered an adult and could lay claim to independent rule.
But Princess Sophia did not want to lose power and organized a revolt of the archers against Peter. Having learned about this, Peter hid in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Remembering how the archers killed many of his relatives, he experienced real horror. From that time on, Peter developed nervous tics and convulsions.
Peter I, Emperor of All Russia. Engraving from the early 19th century.
But soon Petr Alekseevich came to his senses and brutally suppressed the uprising. In September 1689, Princess Sophia was exiled to the Novodevichy Convent, and her supporters were executed. In 1689, having removed his sister from power, Peter Alekseevich became the de facto king. After the death of his mother in 1695, and in 1696 of his brother-co-ruler Ivan V, on January 29, 1696, he became an autocrat, the sole king of all Rus' and legally.
Peter I, Emperor of All Russia. Portrait. Unknown artist of the late 18th century.
Having barely established himself on the throne, Peter I personally participated in the Azov campaigns against Turkey (1695–1696), which ended with the capture of Azov and access to the shores of the Sea of Azov. Thus, Russia's first access to the southern seas was opened.
Under the guise of studying maritime affairs and shipbuilding, Peter volunteered at the Great Embassy in 1697–1698. to Europe. There, under the name of Peter Mikhailov, the tsar completed a full course of artillery sciences in Brandenburg and Koenigsberg, worked as a carpenter in the shipyards of Amsterdam, studied naval architecture and plan drawing, and completed a theoretical course in shipbuilding in England. On his orders, instruments, weapons, and books were purchased in England, and foreign craftsmen and scientists were invited. The British said about Peter that there was no craft that the Russian Tsar would not have become familiar with.
Portrait Peter I. Artist A. Antropov. 1767
At the same time, the Grand Embassy prepared the creation of the Northern Alliance against Sweden, which finally took shape only 2 years later (1699). Summer 1697 Peter I held negotiations with the Austrian emperor, but having received news of the impending uprising of the Streltsy, which was organized by Princess Sophia, who promised many privileges in the event of the overthrow of Peter, he returned to Russia. On August 26, 1698, the investigation into the Streltsy case did not spare any of the rebels (1,182 people were executed, Sophia and her sister Martha were tonsured as nuns).
Returning to Russia, Peter I began his transformative activities.
In February 1699, on his orders, the unreliable rifle regiments were disbanded and the formation of regular soldiers and dragoons began. Soon, decrees were signed, under pain of fines and flogging, ordering men to “cut their beards,” wear European-style clothing, and women to uncover their hair. Since 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”. All these actions Peter I provided for the breaking of ancient mores.
At the same time Peter I began serious changes in government. country. Over the course of more than 35 years of rule, he managed to carry out many reforms in the field of culture and education. Thus, the monopoly of the clergy on education was eliminated, and secular schools were opened. Under Peter, the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences (1701), the Medical-Surgical School (1707) - the future Military Medical Academy, the Naval Academy (1715), the Engineering and Artillery Schools (1719), and translator schools were opened. at the collegiums. In 1719, the first museum in Russian history began to operate - the Kunstkamera with a public library.
Monument to Peter the Great at the House of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg.
ABC books and educational maps were published, and a systematic study of the country's geography and cartography began. The spread of literacy was facilitated by the reform of the alphabet (cursive was replaced by civil script, 1708), and the publication of the first Russian printed newspaper Vedomosti (from 1703). In the era Peter I many buildings for state and cultural institutions, the architectural ensemble of Peterhof (Petrodvorets) were erected.
However, reform activities Peter I took place in a bitter struggle with the conservative opposition. The reforms provoked resistance from the boyars and clergy (conspiracy of I. Tsikler, 1697).
In 1700 Peter I concluded the Peace of Constantinople with Turkey and began a war with Sweden in alliance with Poland and Denmark. Peter's opponent was the 18-year-old Swedish king Charles XII. In November 1700 they first encountered Peter near Narva. The troops of Charles XII won this battle, since Russia did not yet have a strong army. But Peter learned a lesson from this defeat and actively began strengthening the Russian armed forces. Already in 1702, all the lands along the Niva to the Gulf of Finland were cleared of Swedish troops.
Monument to Peter the Great in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
However, the war with Sweden, called the Northern War, still continued. On June 27, 1709, near the Poltava fortress, the great Battle of Poltava took place, which ended in the complete defeat of the Swedish army. Peter I He himself led his troops and participated in the battle along with everyone else. He encouraged and inspired the soldiers, saying his famous words: “You are fighting not for Peter, but for the state entrusted to Peter. And about Peter, know that life is not dear to him, if only Russia lives, its glory, honor and prosperity!” Historians write that on the same day, Tsar Peter threw a big feast, invited the captured Swedish generals to it and, returning their swords to them, said: “... I drink to the health of you, my teachers in the art of war.” After the Battle of Poltava, Peter forever secured access to the Baltic Sea. From now on, foreign countries were forced to reckon with the strong power of Russia.
Tsar Peter I did a lot for Russia. Under him, industry actively developed and trade expanded. New cities began to be built throughout Russia, and the streets in the old ones were illuminated. With the emergence of the all-Russian market, the economic potential of the central government increased. And the reunification of Ukraine and Russia and the development of Siberia turned Russia into the greatest state in the world.
During Peter the Great's time, exploration of ore wealth was actively carried out, iron foundries and weapons factories were built in the Urals and Central Russia, canals and new strategic roads were laid, shipyards were built, and with them new cities arose.
However, the weight of the Northern War and reforms fell heavily on the peasantry, who made up the majority of the Russian population. Discontent erupted in popular uprisings (Astrakhan uprising, 1705; Peasant War led by K.A. Bulavin, 1707–1708; unrest of the Bashkirs 1705–1711), which were suppressed by Peter with cruelty and indifference.
After the suppression of the Bulavinsky revolt Peter I carried out a regional reform of 1708–1710, which divided the country into 8 provinces headed by governors and governors general. In 1719, the provinces were divided into provinces, and the provinces into counties.
The Decree on Single Inheritance of 1714 equalized estates and patrimonial estates and introduced primordacy (granting the right to inherit real estate to the eldest of the sons), the purpose of which was to ensure the stable growth of noble land ownership.
Household affairs not only did not occupy Tsar Peter, but rather depressed him. His son Alexei showed disagreement with his father's vision of proper government. After his father's threats, Alexei fled to Europe in 1716. Peter, declaring his son a traitor, imprisoned him in a fortress and in 1718 personally sentenced Alexei to death. After these events, suspicion, unpredictability and cruelty settled into the king’s character.
Strengthening its position in the Baltic Sea, Peter I back in 1703, he founded the city of St. Petersburg at the mouth of the Neva River, which turned into a sea trade port designed to serve the needs of all of Russia. By founding this city, Peter “cut a window to Europe.”
In 1720 he wrote the Naval Charter and completed the reform of city government. The Chief Magistrate in the capital (as a collegium) and magistrates in the cities were created.
In 1721, Peter finally concluded the Treaty of Nystad, ending the Northern War. According to the Peace of Nystad, Russia regained the Novgorod lands near Ladoga that had been torn away from it and acquired Vyborg in Finland and the entire Baltic region with Ravel and Riga. For this victory, Peter I received the title of “Father of the Fatherland, Emperor of All Russia, Peter the Great"Thus, the long process of formation of the Russian Empire was formally completed.
In 1722, a Table of Ranks of all military, civil and court service ranks was published, according to which family nobility could be obtained “for blameless service to the emperor and the state.”
Peter's Persian campaign in 1722–1723 secured the western coast of the Caspian Sea with the cities of Derbent and Baku for Russia. There at Peter I For the first time in Russian history, permanent diplomatic missions and consulates were established.
In 1724, a decree was issued on the opening of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences with a gymnasium and a university.
In October 1724, Tsar Peter caught a bad cold while rescuing soldiers who were drowning during a flood in the Gulf of Finland. The Tsar died of pneumonia on January 28, 1725, without leaving a will for his heir.
Later Peter I was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The transformations he carried out made Russia a strong, developed, civilized country and brought it into the community of great world powers.
Peter was married twice:
on Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina (1670-1731), from 1689 to 1698, after which she was forcibly sent to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery. She bore Peter I three sons.
Catherine I Alekseevna (1684-1727), nee Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya, being the mistress (from 1703) and wife (from 1712) of Peter I, bore him 11 children: 6 daughters and 5 sons.
U Peter I Alekseevich the Great officially there were 14 children:
Alexey (1690 – 1718) – father of the Russian Emperor Peter IIa (1715-1730)
Alexander (1691 – 1692)
Paul (born and died 1693)
Peter (1704 – 1707)
Paul (1705 – 1707)
Catherine (1706 – 1708)
Anna (1708-1728) – mother of the Russian Emperor Peter IIIa (1728-1762)
Elizabeth (1709 – 1761) – Russian Empress (1741-1762)
Natalia (1713 – 1715)
Margaret (1714 – 1715)
Peter (1715 – 1719)
Pavel (born and died in 1717)
Natalia (1718 – 1725)
Peter (1719 – 1723)
Image Peter I Alekseevich the Great was embodied in cinema (“Tsarevich Alexei”, 1918; “Peter the First”, 1938; “Tobacco Captain”, 1972; “The Tale of How Tsar Peter Married the Arab", 1976; “Peter’s Youth”, 1980; “In the Beginning glorious deeds", 1980, "Young Russia", 1982; "The Demidovs", 1983; "Peter the Great", 1985; "Tsarevich Alexey", 1997; ", 2000; "Prayer for Hetman Mazepa" / "Prayer for Hetman Mazepa", 2001; "Servant of the Sovereigns", 2006).
His extraordinary appearance was captured by artists (A. N. Benois, M. V. Lomonosov, E. E. Lansere, V. I. Surikov, V. A. Serov). Stories and novels about Peter have been written: Tolstoy A. N. “Peter the Great”, A. S. Pushkin “Poltava” and “The Bronze Horseman”, “Arap of Peter the Great”, Merezhkovsky D. S. “Peter and Alexei”, Anatoly Brusnikin - “The Ninth Savior”, Gregory Keyes, “Age of Madness” series.
In memory of the great Tsar, numerous monuments were built in St. Petersburg (“The Bronze Horseman” by E.M. Falcone, 1782; bronze statue of B.K. Rastrelli, 1743, bronze seated sculpture of M.M. Shemyakin in the Peter and Paul Fortress, Kronstadt (F .Jac), the cities of Arkhangelsk, Taganrog, Petrodvorets (M.M. Antokolsky), Tula, Petrozavodsk (I.N. Schroeder and I.A. Monighetti), Moscow (Z. Tsereteli). In 2007, a monument was erected in Astrakhan. on the Volga embankment, and in 2008 in Sochi Memorial House Museums. Peter I Alekseevich were opened in Leningrad, Tallinn, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vologda, Liepaja. The monument to Peter I in Arkhangelsk is depicted on a modern Bank of Russia ticket on a 500 ruble banknote.
The Academy of Defense Security and Law Enforcement Problems was established Order of Peter the Great.
According to the memoirs of contemporaries and the assessment of historians, the emperor, like many smart, strong-willed, determined, talented people who spared no effort in the name of a cherished goal, was strict not only with himself, but also with others. At times, Tsar Peter was cruel and merciless, he did not take into account the interests and lives of those who were weaker than him. Energetic, purposeful, greedy for new knowledge, Tsar Peter the Great, despite all his contradictions, went down in history as an emperor who managed to radically change the face of Russia and the course of history for many centuries.
Peter I the Great (real name - Romanov Peter Alekseevich) - Russian Tsar, since 1721 - Emperor, an outstanding statesman, famous for a large number of cardinal reforms, commander - was born on June 9 (May 30, O.S.) in 1672 in Moscow; his father was Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, his mother was Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.
The future emperor did not receive a systematic education, and although it is reported that his education began in 1677, in fact the boy was left largely to his own devices, spending most of his time with his peers in entertainment, in which he participated quite willingly. Until the age of 10, after the death of his father in 1676, Peter grew up under the supervision of Fyodor Alekseevich, his older brother. After his death, Ivan Alekseevich was supposed to become the heir to the throne, but the latter’s poor health contributed to the nomination of Peter to this post. Nevertheless, as a result of the Streltsy revolt, a political compromise was the enthronement of Peter and Ivan; Sofya Alekseevna, their elder sister, was appointed ruler.
During the period of Sophia's regency, Peter participated in government administration only formally, attending ceremonial events. Sophia, watching the grown-up Peter, who was seriously interested in military amusements, took measures to strengthen her power. In August 1689, Peter's supporters convened a noble militia, dealt with Sophia's main supporters, she herself was placed in a monastery, and after that power actually passed into the hands of Peter's party, Ivan remained only a nominal ruler.
Nevertheless, even after gaining real power, it was actually his mother and other close people who ruled instead of Peter. At first, after the death of Natalya Kirillovna in 1694, the state machine worked by inertia, so Peter, although he was forced to govern the country, entrusted this mission mainly to the ministers. He had become accustomed to detachment from affairs over many years of forced isolation from power.
At that time, Russia was very far from advanced European states in its socio-economic development. Peter's inquisitiveness, his ebullient energy, and keen interest in everything new allowed him to take on the most important issues in the life of the country, especially since life itself urgently pushed him towards this. The first victory in the biography of young Peter as a ruler was the second campaign against Azov in 1696, and this greatly contributed to the strengthening of his authority as a sovereign.
In 1697, Peter and his entourage went abroad, living in Holland, Saxony, England, Venice, Austria, where he became acquainted with the achievements of these countries in the field of technology, shipbuilding, as well as with the way of life of other countries of the continent, their political and social structure. The news of the Streltsy revolt that broke out in his homeland forced him to return to his homeland, where he suppressed the act of disobedience with extreme cruelty.
During his stay abroad, the tsar’s program in political life was formed. In the state, he saw the common good, which everyone, first of all, himself, had to serve, and set an example for others. Peter behaved in many ways unconventionally for a monarch, destroying his sacred image that had developed over the centuries, so a certain part of society was critical of him and his activities. Nevertheless, Peter I led the country along the path of radical reforms in all areas of life, from public administration to culture. They began with an order to shave their beards and wear clothes in a foreign style.
A number of reforms were undertaken in the public administration system. Thus, under Peter I, the Senate and collegiums were created; he subordinated the church to the state and introduced an administrative-territorial division of the country into provinces. In 1703, at the mouth of the Neva River, he founded the new Russian capital - St. Petersburg. They assigned a special mission to this city - it was to become a model city, a “paradise”. During the same period, instead of the boyar duma, a council of ministers appeared, and a lot of new institutions arose in St. Petersburg. When the Northern War ended, Russia received the status of an empire in 1721, and Peter was named “Great” and “Father of the Fatherland” by the Senate.
Much had changed in the economic system, since Peter was well aware of how deep the gulf was between the country he led and Europe. He took many measures to develop industry and trade, including foreign trade; under him, a large number of new industrial sectors, factories and factories, manufactories, shipyards, and marinas appeared. All this was created taking into account the adopted Western European experience.
Peter I was credited with creating a regular army and navy. The foreign policy pursued by him was extremely energetic; Peter the Great undertook many military campaigns. In particular, as a result of the Northern War (1700-1721), territories that Sweden had conquered earlier were annexed to Russia; after the war with Turkey, Russia received Azov.
During the reign of Peter, Russian culture was replenished with a large number of European elements. At this time, the Academy of Sciences was opened, many secular educational institutions were opened, and the first Russian newspaper appeared. Through the efforts of Peter, the career advancement of the noble class was made dependent on the level of their education. Under Peter I, the civil alphabet was adopted and New Year celebrations were introduced. A fundamentally new urban environment was being formed in St. Petersburg, starting with previously unbuilt architectural structures and ending with the forms of people’s pastime (in particular, Peter introduced the so-called assemblies by decree).
Peter I is credited with bringing Russia onto the international stage as a great power. The country has become a full-fledged participant in international relations, its foreign policy has become active and led to the strengthening of its authority in the world. For many, the Russian emperor himself turned into an exemplary reformer sovereign. For a long time, the management system he introduced and the principles of the territorial division of Russia were preserved; they laid the foundations of national culture. At the same time, Peter's reforms were contradictory, which created the preconditions for a crisis to brew. The ambiguity of the course he pursues is associated with violence as the main instrument of reform, the lack of changes in the social sphere, and the strengthening of the institution of serfdom.
Peter I the Great left behind an extensive manuscript heritage, numbering more than a dozen volumes; the emperor's relatives, acquaintances, his contemporaries, and biographers recorded many of the sovereign's statements that have survived to our time. On February 8 (January 28, O.S.), 1725, Peter I died in his brainchild, St. Petersburg. It is known that he suffered from a number of serious illnesses, which significantly brought his death closer.
Brief biography of Peter I
Peter I Alekseevich - the first All-Russian Emperor; representative of the Romanov dynasty; the youngest son of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. Born June 9, 1672; At the age of ten, he and his brother Ivan were already proclaimed tsar. Since childhood, Peter had a penchant for science and a foreign lifestyle. He is one of the first Russian tsars to make a long tour of Western Europe. Formally, the education of the future ruler began in 1677. Deacon N. Zotov was appointed his teacher.
The Tsarevich studied willingly and smartly, and was interested in historical books and manuscripts. At the age of four he lost his father, and guardianship was transferred to his then reigning half-brother Fyodor Alekseevich. The actual management was in the hands of their elder sister Sofia Alekseevna. Peter and his mother were temporarily removed from the court and lived in Preobrazhenskoye, where they discovered a lot of new things in the field of military affairs. He was interested in shipbuilding and creating “amusing” regiments, which he later introduced into the Russian army.
Living in the German settlement, he made many new friends and became a fan of the European way of life. After Sophia was removed from the throne, power passed into the hands of 17-year-old Peter, although he became the official ruler only in 1721. By that time, he spoke fluently in several European languages (German, English, Dutch, French), mastered many crafts (blacksmithing, carpentry, gunsmithing, lathe), was physically quite strong and active, and showed a healthy interest in government affairs. During the years of his reign, this Russian ruler carried out many reforms and transformations.
He expanded the ownership rights of landowners, built new cities, fortresses and canals, signed a decree on single inheritance, secured noble ownership of land, and established the order of ranks. The king's foreign policy was aimed at finding allies in the fight against the Ottomans. Soon, however, a peace treaty was concluded with Turkey, and in order to gain access to the Baltic Sea, Peter I started a war with Sweden. The Northern War lasted from 1700 to 1721. Under Peter I, the first gymnasium was opened in Russia. During his reign, he carried out not only military reforms, but also economic, scientific and educational ones.
This king introduced education to the masses and created a powerful navy. By his order, various expeditions were sent to Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East. Well, the main achievement, of course, was the founding of St. Petersburg in 1703. Peter I was married twice and had three children: a son from his first marriage and two daughters from his second. In addition to them, there were eight more children who died in infancy. The successor to the sovereign's work in 1741 was the daughter of Catherine I (Martha Skavronskaya) - Elizaveta I Petrovna. The emperor himself died in February 1725 from a long illness and was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The historian Klyuchevsky said that autocracy is quite unsightly, therefore the civil conscience will never reconcile with it. However, a person who combines this unnatural strength and self-sacrifice, risking himself for the good of the country, is worthy of exorbitant reverence.
Childhood
Peter, born on May 30, 1672, had virtually no chance for the throne, since his father had older children. But fate constantly did everything so that this particular man, who went down in history as Peter the Great, would end up at the helm of Russia.
The villages of Vorobyovo and Preobrazhenskoye witnessed the growth of the future monarch; it was here that Peter’s inquisitive mind and tough, purposeful disposition were formed. He studied military affairs and mathematical sciences from experts from the German settlement, and at the age of 11 he even acquired his own amusing guard, conducting constant classes with them.
The beginning of the reign and the beginning of victories
It turned out that there were three contenders for the throne - Peter, his sickly brother Ivan and Princess Sophia, who until a certain time served as regent. Beginning in 1694, sole power was in the hands of Peter Alekseevich, and the very next year was marked by the first attempt to pave a road to the sea for the country. This Azov campaign was unsuccessful, but the next one brought the desired result - largely thanks to the fleet built at the Voronezh shipyards, it was possible to split the Crimean Khanate.
"Great Embassy"
This is the name of Peter’s long journey through Western Europe, which happened in 1697. One of the reasons for the trip was the desire to expand the anti-Turkish alliance. However, there were other tasks: learning everything new that Europe had created, hiring skilled craftsmen to serve in Russia to train the Russian people, as well as acquiring high-quality military equipment. The embassy numbered 250 people, several dozen remained in Europe to study.
Beginning of reforms
In April of the following year, Peter was forced to return to suppress the Streltsy revolt, raised by his sister Sophia in order to seize power. The revolt was brutally suppressed, and just as decisively the tsar began to change the age-old Russian foundations. Russia was considered a backward country, and Peter decides to radically change the order in order to make his state civilized. Noble people were now forced to go beardless and in European clothes, social life was enriched with a variety of amusements, and the New Year began to be celebrated on January 1.
Northern War and continuation of reforms
Russia fought with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. Having begun in 1700 with failures, this war, which lasted until 1721, glorified the country, bringing Russia into the ranks of the leading European powers. The Battle of Poltava is especially famous, glorified in its time by A.S. Pushkin.
1721 is the time of the formation of the Russian Empire, and its ruler began to be called the emperor. Peter continued to strive to ensure that the country was strong in all respects. Collegiums were formed - prototypes of future ministries, a “Table of Ranks” was established, based on service suitability, and a new capital was founded - St. Petersburg. And the Northern War, which ended in victory, increased the power of the state.
Peter was much criticized for breaking centuries-old traditions. But the breakthrough he made was necessary at that time, otherwise Russia would have remained a backward country, and this could have led to unfavorable consequences. Peter 1 died in 1725, remaining the Great in history.
Brief information about Peter 1
Peter Alekseevich Romanov (official titles: Peter I the Great, Father of the Fatherland) is an outstanding monarch who managed to make profound changes in the Russian state. During his reign, the country became one of the leading European powers and acquired the status of an empire.Among his achievements are the creation of the Senate, the founding and construction of St. Petersburg, the territorial division of Russia into provinces, as well as strengthening the country’s military power, obtaining economically important access to the Baltic Sea, and actively using the advanced experience of European countries in various fields of industry. However, according to a number of historians, he carried out the reforms necessary for the country hastily, poorly thought out and extremely harshly, which led, in particular, to a reduction in the country's population by 20-40 percent.
Childhood
The future emperor was born on June 9, 1672 in Moscow. He became the 14th child of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the first of three children of his second wife, Crimean Tatar princess Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. 
When Peter was 4 years old, his father died of a heart attack. Previously, he declared Fyodor, the son from his first marriage with Maria Miloslavskaya, who had poor health since childhood, to be the heir to the throne. Difficult times have come for Peter's mother; she and her son settled in the Moscow region.
The boy grew up to be a strong, lively, inquisitive and active child. He was raised by nannies and educated by clerks. Although he subsequently had problems with literacy (by his 12th birthday he had not yet mastered the Russian alphabet), he knew German from an early age and, having an excellent memory, later mastered English, Dutch, and French. In addition, he studied many crafts, including gunsmithing, carpentry, and turning.
After the death of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich at the age of 20, who did not make orders regarding the heir to the throne, the relatives of his mother Maria Miloslavskaya, his father’s first wife, considered that the next eldest, her 16-year-old son Ivan, who suffered from scurvy and epilepsy, should become the new tsar. But the boyar clan of the Naryshkins, with the support of Patriarch Joachim, advocated the candidacy of their protege, the healthy Tsarevich Peter, who was then 10 years old.
As a result of the Streletsky revolt, when many relatives of the widow queen were killed, both contenders for the throne were proclaimed monarchs. Ivan was declared the “eldest” of them, and sister Sophia became the sovereign ruler, due to their young age, completely removing her stepmother Naryshkina from governing the country.
Reign
At first, Peter was not particularly interested in state affairs. He spent time in the German Settlement, where he met future comrades Franz Lefort and Patrick Gordon, as well as his future favorite Anna Mons. The young man often visited the Moscow region, where he created the so-called “amusing army” from his peers (for reference, in the 17th century “fun” did not mean fun, but military action). During one of these “funs,” Peter’s face was burned by a grenade. 
In 1698, he had a conflict with Sophia, who did not want to lose power. As a result, the matured co-ruler brothers sent their sister to a monastery and remained together on the throne until Ivan’s death in 1696, although in fact the older brother had ceded all powers to Peter even earlier.
In the initial period of Peter's sole rule, power was in the hands of the Naryshkin princes. But, having buried his mother in 1694, he took care of the state upon himself. First of all, he set out to gain access to the Black Sea. As a result, after construction in the flotilla in 1696, the Turkish fortress of Azov was taken, but the Kerch Strait remained under the control of the Ottomans.
During the period 1697-98. The tsar, under the name of bombardier Pyotr Mikhailovich, traveled around Western Europe, made important acquaintances with heads of state and acquired the necessary knowledge in shipbuilding and navigation.
Then, having concluded peace with the Turks in 1700, he decided to win access to the Baltic Sea from Sweden. After a series of successful operations, cities at the mouth of the Neva were captured and the city of St. Petersburg was built, which received the status of capital in 1712.
Northern War in detail
At the same time, the tsar, distinguished by his determination and strong will, carried out reforms in the management of the country, rationalized economic activities - he obliged the merchants and nobility to develop important industries for the country, build mining, metallurgical, and gunpowder enterprises, build shipyards, and create manufactories.
Thanks to Peter, an artillery, engineering and medical school was opened in Moscow, and an Academy of Sciences and a naval guard school were established in the Northern capital. He initiated the creation of printing houses, the country's first newspaper, the Kunstkamera museum, and a public theater.
During military operations, the sovereign never sat in safe fortresses, but personally led the army in the battles for Azov in 1695-96, during the Northern War of 1700-21, during the Prut and Caspian campaigns of 1711 and 1722-23. respectively. In the era of Peter the Great, Omsk and Semipalatinsk were founded, and the Kamchatka Peninsula was annexed to Russia.
Reforms of Peter I
Military reform
Reforms of the military forces became the main springboard for the activities of Peter the Great, “civilian” reforms were carried out on their basis in peacetime. The main goal is to finance the army with new people and resources and create a military industry.By the end of the 17th century, the Streltsy army was disbanded. A system of conscription is gradually being introduced, and foreign soldiers are being invited. Since 1705, every 20 households had to provide one soldier - a recruit. Under Peter, the length of service was not limited, but a serf peasant could join the army, and this freed him from dependence.
To manage the affairs of the fleet and army, the Admiralty and the Military Collegium are created. Metallurgical and textile factories, shipyards and ships are being actively built, schools of military and naval specialties are being opened: engineering, navigation, etc. In 1716, the Military Regulations were published, regulating relationships within the army and the behavior of soldiers and officers.
The result of the reform was a large-scale (about 210 thousand by the end of the reign of Peter I) and modernly equipped army, the like of which had never been seen in Russia.
Central government reform
Gradually (by 1704) Peter I abolished the Boyar Duma, which had lost its effectiveness. In 1699, the Near Chancellery was created, which was responsible for administrative and financial control of government institutions. In 1711, the Senate was established - the highest state body, uniting the branches of the judicial, executive and legislative powers. The outdated system of orders is being replaced by a system of collegiums, an analogue of modern ministries. A total of 13 boards were created, incl. Synod (spiritual board). At the head of the hierarchy was the Senate; all collegiums were subordinate to it, and to the collegiums, in turn, the administration of provinces and districts was subordinate. The reform was completed by 1724.Local government reform (regional)
It took place in parallel with the reform of central government and was divided into two stages. It was necessary to modernize the outdated and confusing system of dividing the state into numerous counties and independent volosts. In addition, Peter needed additional funding for military forces for the Northern War, which could have been facilitated by strengthening the vertical of power at the local level. In 1708, the territory of the state was divided into 8 provinces: Moscow, Ingermanland, Kyiv, Smolensk, Arkhangelsk, Kazan, Azov and Siberian. Later there were 10 of them. The provinces were divided into districts (from 17 to 77). Military officials close to the tsar stood at the head of the provinces. Their main task was to collect recruits and resources from the population.The second stage (1719) - the organization of provinces according to the Swedish model: province - province - district. After the creation of the Chief Magistrate, which was also considered a collegium, a new administrative body appeared in the cities - the magistrate (analogous to the mayor's office or municipality). The townspeople begin to be divided into guilds based on their financial and social status.
Church reform
Peter I intended to reduce the influence of the Church and the patriarch on state policy in financial and administrative matters. First of all, in 1700, he prohibited the election of a new patriarch after the death of Patriarch Andrian, i.e. this position was actually eliminated. From now on, the king had to personally appoint the head of the Church.Briefly about the reforms of Peter I
The next step was the secularization of church lands and human resources in favor of the state. The income of churches and monasteries was transferred to the state budget, from which a fixed salary came to the clergy and monasteries.
The monasteries were brought under the strict control of the Monastic Order. It was forbidden to become a monk without the knowledge of this body. The construction of new monasteries was prohibited.
With the creation of the Senate in 1711, all activities of the Church (appointment of heads of churches, construction of new churches, etc.) came under its control. In 1975, the patriarchate was completely abolished, and all “spiritual affairs” are now managed by the Synod, subordinate to the Senate. All 12 members of the Synod take an oath to the emperor before taking office.
Other reforms
Among other socio-political transformations of Peter I:- Cultural reform, which implied the imposition (and sometimes very cruel) of Western customs. In 1697, the sale of tobacco was allowed in Russia, and starting next year a decree was issued on compulsory shaving. The calendar changes, the first theater (1702) and museum (1714) are created.
- Educational reform carried out with the aim of replenishing the troops with qualified personnel. After the creation of the school system, there followed a decree on compulsory school education (except for the children of serfs) and a ban on marriage for the offspring of nobles who had not received an education.
- Tax reform, which established the poll tax as the main tax source of replenishment of the treasury.
- Monetary reform, which consisted of reducing the weight of gold and silver coins and introducing copper coins into circulation.
- Creation of the Table of Ranks (1722) - a table of the hierarchy of military and civilian ranks with their correspondence.
- Decree on Succession to the Throne (1722), which allowed the emperor to personally appoint a successor.
Legends about Peter I
For various reasons (in particular, due to the fact that the other children of the tsar and he himself were, unlike Peter, physically weak), there were legends that the real father of the emperor was not Alexei Mikhailovich. According to one version, paternity was attributed to the Russian admiral, a native of Geneva, Franz Yakovlevich Lefort, according to another - to the Georgian Grand Duke, Irakli I, who ruled in Kakheti.There were also rumors that Naryshkina gave birth to a very weak daughter, who was replaced by a strong boy from a German settlement, and even allegations that instead of the true anointed of God, the Antichrist ascended the throne.
The more common theory is that Peter was replaced during his stay in the Grand Embassy. Its supporters cite the following arguments: upon his return in 1698, the tsar began to introduce foreign customs (shaving beards, dancing and entertainment, etc.); tried to find the secret library of Sophia Palaeologus, the location of which was known only to persons of royal blood, but to no avail; Before Peter returned to Moscow, the remnants of the Streltsy army were destroyed in a battle about which no documentary information has been preserved.
Personal life of Peter the Great: wives, children, favorites
In 1689, the prince married Evdokia Lopukhina, the attractive and modest daughter of a former solicitor who rose to the position of sovereign steward. Natalya Naryshkina chose the bride - she reasoned that, although poor, her daughter-in-law’s numerous family would strengthen her son’s position and help get rid of the regent Sophia. In addition, Praskovya, the wife of his half-brother Ivan, stunned Natalya with the news of pregnancy, so there was no time to delay. 
But the family life of the future sovereign did not work out. Firstly, no one asked the prince’s opinion when choosing a bride. Secondly, the girl was 3 years older than Peter, was brought up in the spirit of Domostroy and did not share her husband’s interests. Contrary to the expectations of Naryshkina, who believed that a wise wife would curb her son’s frivolous temperament, Peter continued to spend time with the “ships.” So Naryshkina’s disposition towards her daughter-in-law quickly changed to contempt and hatred for the entire Lopukhin family.
In his marriage to Lopukhina, Peter the Great had three (according to another version, two) sons. The younger children died soon after birth, but the surviving Tsarevich Alexei was raised in a spirit of respect for his father.
In 1690, Franz Lefort introduced Peter I to 18-year-old Anna Mons, the daughter of a widowed and impoverished hotel owner from the German settlement, Lefort's former mistress. The girl’s mother did not hesitate to put her daughter under wealthy men, and Anna herself was not burdened by such a role.
The mercantile, dissolute German woman really won the heart of Peter the Great. Their relationship lasted more than ten years; by order of the Tsarevich, Anna and her mother were built a luxurious mansion in the German settlement, the sovereign's favorite was given a monthly allowance of 708 rubles.
Returning from the Grand Embassy in 1698, the sovereign first visited not his legal wife, but Anna. Two weeks after his return, he exiled Evdokia to the Suzdal monastery - by that time Natalya Naryshkina had died, and no one else could keep the wayward tsar in the marriage he hated. The sovereign began to live with Anna Mons, after which his subjects called the girl “the destruction of the Russian land”, “the monk”.
In 1703, it turned out that while Peter I was in the Grand Embassy, Mons began having adultery with a high-ranking Saxon. Killed by such betrayal, the king ordered Anna to be placed under house arrest. The second wife of Peter I was Marta Skavronskaya, a commoner born in Livonia, who made a stunning social ascent for those times. At the age of 17, she became the wife of a Swedish dragoon, and when his army was defeated by soldiers under the command of Field Marshal Sheremetev, she found herself in the service of Alexander Menshikov. There Peter the Great noticed her, made her one of his mistresses, and then brought her closer to him. In 1707, Martha was baptized into Orthodoxy and became Catherine. In 1711 she became the wife of the sovereign.
The union brought into the world 8 children (according to other sources, 10), but most died in infancy or early childhood. Illegitimate daughters: Catherine, Anna, Elizabeth (future empress), first legitimate child Natalya, Margarita, first son Peter, Pavel, Natalya Jr. Some unofficial sources contain information about two boys, the very first children of Peter I and Catherine, who died in infancy, but there is no documentary evidence of their birth.
In 1724, the sovereign crowned his wife as empress. A year later, he suspected her of adultery, executed the lover of the chamberlain Willim Mons and personally presented his head to her on a platter.
The monarch himself also had romantic relationships - with his wife’s maid of honor Maria Hamilton, with 15-year-old Avdotya Rzhevskaya, with Maria Matveeva, as well as with the daughter of the Wallachian sovereign Dmitry Cantemir Maria. Regarding the latter, there were even rumors about her replacing the queen. She carried a son for Peter, but the child did not survive, and the emperor lost interest in her. Despite numerous connections on the side, there were no bastards recognized by the emperor.
Tsarevich Alexei was executed on charges of treason
Alexey Petrovich left two grandchildren - Natalya and Peter (the future Peter II). At the age of 14, the ruler died of smallpox. Thus the male line of the Romanovs was interrupted.
Death
In the last years of his reign, the monarch, who suffered from headache attacks all his life, also had a urological disease - kidney stones. In the autumn of 1724, his illness worsened, but, contrary to the recommendations of doctors, he did not stop doing business. Returning in November from a trip to the Novgorod region, he helped, standing waist-deep in the water of the Gulf of Finland, to pull out a stranded ship, he caught a cold and contracted pneumonia. 
In January 1725, Peter fell ill and suffered greatly from terrible pain. The Empress was always at the bedside of her dying husband. He died in February in her arms. An autopsy showed that the emperor's death was caused by inflammation of the bladder, which provoked gangrene. He was buried in the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
