Peter I

Old Believers and the religious population (Were outraged): Due to Peter's church reforms, the abolition of the patriarchate, and the forced shaving of beards, the conservative portion of the population reacted extremely hostilely to the Latin title "emperor." In secret circles, Peter I was openly called the "Tsar-Antichrist," who was destroying Orthodox traditions.

The common people (didn't feel joy): Peasants and artisans were exhausted by Peter the Great's reforms. The construction of St. Petersburg "on the bones," the conscription of soldiers, the introduction of a poll tax, and strict police control led to the impoverishment of the population. For ordinary people, the change of the tsar's title to the Latin "emperor" meant little, other than fear of new taxes.

The reaction of the Russian population was mixed and divided according to social class: The nobility, army, and elite (Were happy): The elite celebrated triumph. The brutal 21-year war had ended, and Russia had established itself as a world power. Cannon fire thundered through the streets of St. Petersburg, and masquerades, balls, and fireworks were held.

Peter the Great was perhaps the most versatile and skilled ruler in Russian history. His skills weren't just a hobby, but reflected his fanatical curiosity, practical mindset, and desire to teach his subjects by example. He sincerely believed in the maxim "The master's work is afraid."

Areas in which Peter I demonstrated outstanding skills:

I. Crafts and technical skills (The Tsar-craftsman)

These are his most famous skills, acquired mainly during the Grand Embassy.

1. Shipbuilding: His greatest passion. He mastered the craft of shipwright in the shipyards of Holland (Zaandam) and England. He personally participated in the design and construction of dozens of ships. He could perform all operations: from drawing and laying the keel to rigging.
2. Carpentry, woodworking, and turning: He was a master at turning a lathe, carving complex objects (like cups and candlesticks) from bone and wood. He also made his own furniture. His hands were always calloused.
3. Gunsmithing: He had an excellent understanding of artillery, knew ballistics, and personally cast and tuned cannons. He could also work as a blacksmith, forging anchors and tools.
4. Other crafts: He mastered the skills of engraver, bookbinder, watchmaker, navigator, and cartographer. He knew how to make paper, sew sails, and boots (he loved making shoes for himself and his family).

II. Military Affairs (The Tsar-Commander and the Soldier)

1. Artillery: Considered one of the best artillerymen of his time. He began his service as a bombardier in the Preobrazhensky Regiment and personally commanded fire in key battles (for example, at Poltava).
2. Fortification: He was well versed in the construction of fortresses, bastions, and trenches.
3. Military tactics and strategy: He rose from soldier to commander. Although he suffered defeats (Narva), he learned from his mistakes and ultimately developed strategies that led to victory over one of the best armies in Europe—the Swedish.
4. Fencing and shooting: He wielded weapons like a professional warrior.

Results, cost and significance of the reforms:

Positive results: · Russia became a great European power with access to the Baltic Sea. · A powerful army and navy were created. · The foundations of secular education, science, and industry were laid. · An efficient state machine of the European type. · The destruction of the outdated, rigid structures of the Muscovite kingdom.

Negative consequences and cost:

· Monstrous strain of the people's forces: Reforms were carried out at the expense of extreme intensification of exploitation of all classes, especially the peasantry. · Strengthening of serfdom in its most severe forms. · Cultural split of society: Between the Europeanized elite and the traditional people. · Violent methods: Breaking the neck, brutal suppression of resistance (streltsy, Astrakhan uprising, the case of Tsarevich Alexei).

Peter I's relationship with his first wife, Evdokia Lopukhina, was a classic example of a forced marriage that ended in personal and political tragedy. A Loveless Wedding: In 1689, when Peter was only 16, his mother, Natalia Kirillovna, decided it was time for her son to settle down. Marriage at the time was considered a sign of adulthood—a married tsar no longer needed the guardianship of his sister, Sophia. The mother's choice: Evdokia was chosen because the Lopukhin family was numerous and conservative. The mother hoped that a beautiful wife would bind Peter to home and the "old order." Peter's reaction: At the wedding, Peter seemed indifferent. Young Evdokia (she was three years older) was raised in the strict traditions of the "Domostroy" (house rule). She was meek, pious, and limited in her interests. For the ebullient Peter, who was already raving about ships and the German settlement, she was a “living monument” to boring antiquity. Why did the hostility arise? The breakup was inevitable for several reasons: Different worlds: Peter adored everything foreign, noisy assemblies, the smell of tobacco, and manual labor. Evdokia hated everything German, feared change, and considered her husband's hobbies "demonic."

The relationship between Peter the Great and Alexander Menshikov is the story of the most dazzling career in Russian history. If Peter was the "architect" of the empire, Menshikov was his "right hand," his foreman, and his most devoted (albeit thieving) friend. From Pie-Seller to Serene Prince: Legend has it that Menshikov started out selling pies on the streets of Moscow. Peter the Great noticed the lively boy, recruited him as a "toy" soldier, and from then on they were inseparable. Alexashka (as the Tsar called him) possessed a unique quality: he understood Peter perfectly, possessed a frenzied energy, and was unafraid of any task. He was the only one the Tsar allowed practically everything. Why did Peter value him? Personal loyalty: Menshikov saved the tsar in battle (for example, at Poltava, three horses were killed under him) and exposed conspiracies. Talent for execution: Whether it was necessary to build a city on a swamp, drill a regiment, or supply the army with provisions, Menshikov would bend over backwards to carry out orders. Unity of souls: They drank together, built ships together, and "cut windows" to Europe together. Menshikov was by his side during the most difficult moments, including the execution of Tsarevich Alexei.

Peter and Sophia: The Battle for Power Sophia Alekseyevna was a woman of rare intelligence and authority. She ruled Russia as regent for seven years and had no intention of handing over power to her younger brother. Rivalry: Sophia embodied old, traditional Russia, though she herself was highly educated. Peter, on the other hand, embodied a new, rebellious force. The older Peter became, the more Sophia feared him. The denouement (1689): Peter turned 17, married (which meant he was coming of age), and Sophia's regency was about to end. Rumors swept through Moscow that Sophia was once again training her Streltsy to assassinate Peter. Flight to the Lavra: That night, wearing only a shirt, Peter, terrified, leaped onto his horse and galloped off to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, protected by its walls and his "amusement palaces." Loyal troops and boyars began to flock to him. Sophia was left alone—her supporters realized that the young tsar was now in control. Peter's Revenge Peter did not forgive his sister for her fear and attempt to seize power: Monastery: Sophia was forcibly tonsured as a nun and imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent. A harsh lesson: After another Streltsy rebellion in 1698, Peter ordered three conspirators hanged right in front of the windows of Sophia's cell. They hung there for several months, and petitions to the princess were placed in their hands. Result: The conflict with Sophia taught Peter the main rule of his life: the old world will not give up without a fight; it must either be broken or locked behind monastery walls.

The Streltsy Revolt (1682): A Bloody Nightmare. After Feodor's death, the boyars proclaimed 10-year-old Peter the Great as the new tsar, bypassing his older but feeble-minded brother, Ivan. The Miloslavsky clan and their leader, the intelligent and ambitious Tsarevna Sophia, realized they were losing power forever. They decided to use the Streltsy. The Streltsy (Moscow garrison) were dissatisfied at the time with the delay in their pay and the arbitrary actions of their colonels. The Miloslavskys spread a false rumor in the Streltsy settlements: "The Naryshkins have strangled Tsarevich Ivan! Treason!" The Storming of the Kremlin (May 15, 1682): Enraged regiments of Streltsy, drumming and armed, stormed the Kremlin. Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna, trying to stop the riot, went out onto the Red Porch and brought out both boys, Peter and Ivan, to show that they were all alive. The bloody massacre was to no avail. The Streltsy, incited by Sophia's supporters, began the massacre right before the eyes of little Peter. Peter's beloved uncle, Afanasy Naryshkin, was dragged out of the church and hacked to death with sabres. The head of government, Artamon Matveyev, was thrown from the porch directly onto the Streltsy's spears. The Tsarina's second brother, Ivan Naryshkin, was executed on Red Square after horrific torture. A bloodbath raged in the Kremlin for three days. Peter stood next to his mother and watched as his defenders were slaughtered.

The death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the subsequent Streltsy Revolt were turning points in Russian history. These events transformed Peter's peaceful childhood into a brutal struggle for survival. The Death of His Father: The End of Stability (1676) Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich died suddenly at the age of 46 from a heart attack. Peter was only 3.5 years old at the time. Loss of protection: The death of the tsar instantly shattered the fragile peace at court. Power passed to the eldest son from his first marriage, 14-year-old Feodor Alekseevich. He was highly educated, but seriously ill (suffering from scurvy) and could barely walk. A change of clans: The clan of the tsar's first wife (the Miloslavskys) took revenge. Peter's mother, Natalia Naryshkina, and her supporters were pushed out of the country's governance. The Naryshkins' closest patron, the boyar Matveyev, was exiled. The Naryshkins found themselves in semi-disgrace. Six years later, in 1682, the young Tsar Feodor died without heirs. And then a real crisis erupted.

Character: Energy and anger Peter's character represented a mixture of incredible efficiency and despotic ferocity. Boiling energy: He can't sit on the spot. Современники жаловались, что за ним невозможно было угнаться — he always ran somewhere or built something. Peter mastered around 14 crafts: from shipbuilding to stomatology (he loved to pull out painful teeth by himself). Simplicity and democracy: He despised ceremony. I can visit an ordinary customer, sit down at the table and eat simple porridge. В общении был прямым, не любил лести и ценил в людях прежде всего ум и деловую хватку. Voluptuousness and fierceness: Peter's anger was terrible. Он мог ударить своей знаменой дубинкой любого, невзирая на чини (she will give her lover Menshikov). Byl absolûtno besposhaden k tem, kto shel protig ego voli ili voroval iz kazny. Любознательность: Peter possessed a "universal" mind. Ego was interested in everything: from the construction of the microscope to the principles of navigation. She craves knowledge and decided to actually transport Europe to Russia. Sacrifice: With all his ferocity, he sincerely considered himself "the first servant of the Fatherland". He did not pity his subjects, nor himself, nor his own son Alexey, because he considered that it was necessary for the good of the state. Interesting fact: Peter suffered a strong fear of water (do not travel with rage) — he was afraid to cross bridges and wide rivers in his youth, until he overcame this fear, becoming a fan of the sea and the fleet.

Peter I had an appearance and character that fully corresponded to the scale of his reforms - he was impulsive, energetic and in many ways frightening to his contemporaries. Appearance: "The Giant King" His appearance was extremely unusual for that time and was imprinted in the memory of everyone who saw him: Height: Peter was a true giant – about 203–204 cm. In the 18th century, with the average height for men being 160–165 cm, he seemed incredibly huge to those around him. Build: Despite his height, he was narrow-shouldered and wore a relatively small shoe size (38–39). Because of this, he walked with very long strides and a slight sway. Face: He had round features, a high forehead, and large brown eyes. When angry or overly excited, his left eye and facial muscles would twitch (a consequence of severe stress in childhood, likely following the Streltsy rebellion). Style: Peter hated luxury. He often wore a worn caftan, worn-out shoes, and the simple, calloused hands of a "craftsman." He was often mistaken for an ordinary skipper or carpenter.

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Mother: Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (1651–1694). Peter's mother was a young, beautiful woman, and, for her time, a very progressive one. She came from a poor noble family, the Naryshkins, but was raised in the house of the enlightened boyar Artamon Matveyev, where European customs reigned. New morals: Natalya Kirillovna disliked stuffy mansions. Before her marriage, she freely socialized with men, rode in an open carriage, and attended plays. It was she who instilled in young Peter a love of freedom and a dislike of rigid church dogma. Struggle for survival: After her husband's death, Natalya's life turned into a nightmare. The family of the tsar's first wife (the Miloslavskys) waged a real war against her and the Naryshkins. During the Streltsy Revolt, Natalya Kirillovna's own brothers were killed before her very eyes. She literally shielded 10-year-old Peter from the spears of the Streltsy with her body. Exile to Preobrazhenskoye: Having lost the first stage of the power struggle to Tsarevna Sophia, Natalia was forced to leave the Kremlin with Peter for the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow. There, she lived in constant fear for her son's life, but it was in this isolation that Peter gained freedom and created his "toy" regiments. Relationship with her son: Natalia Kirillovna loved Peter madly and was the most important person in his early years. However, as Peter grew older, their relationship began to cool. His mother remained a devout Russian tsarina and couldn't understand why her son spent all his time in the German Quarter, smoking tobacco and building ships. It was she who forced him to marry Evdokia Lopukhina, hoping to settle him down, which turned out to be a grave mistake.

Peter I's parents came from two completely different worlds, and this difference largely determined both Peter's character and his difficult fate in the struggle for the throne. Father: Alexei Mikhailovich "the Quietest" (1629–1676). Peter's father was the second tsar of the Romanov dynasty. He earned his nickname "the Quietest" for his piety, calm disposition, and love of order, although the country experienced many rebellions during his reign (for example, the Copper and Salt Rebellions). Ahead of his time: Despite his traditional lifestyle, Alexei Mikhailovich secretly harbored an interest in European culture. He founded the first court theater in Russia, was fascinated by German engravings, and loved European innovations. Peter inherited this passion for innovation from his father. Two marriages: Alexei Mikhailovich was married twice. By his first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya, he had 13 children (including the future Princess Sophia and Tsar Ivan V). When his first wife died, the tsar fell in love with the young Natalia Naryshkina. Early death: Peter was a late child. His father died when Peter was only 3.5 years old. The tsar did not have time to personally participate in his son's upbringing, but he left him a country ripe for reform.