Year of birth of Peter 1. Peter I the Great

Portrait of Peter I, Paul Delaroche

• Years of life: June 9 (May 30, old style) 1672 – February 8 (January 28, old style) 1725
• Years of reign: May 7 (April 27), 1682 – February 8 (January 28), 1725
• Father and mother: and Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.
• Spouses: Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova.
• Children: Alexey, Alexander, Pavel, Ekaterina, Anna, Elizaveta, Natalya, Margarita, Peter, Pavel, Natalya.

Peter I (June 9 (May 30), 1672 – February 8 (January 28, 1725) - the first All-Russian Emperor who “cut a window to Europe.” Peter's father is Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov, and his mother is Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.

The youth of Peter I

In 1676, Alexey Mikhailovich died, and in 1682, Fyodor Alekseevich died. Peter was appointed Tsar, but the Miloslavskys were against this turn of events. As a result, on May 15, the Miloslavskys organized a Streltsy riot. Before Peter's eyes, his relatives were killed, so he hated the archers. As a result, John (Peter's elder brother) was appointed first king, Peter - second. But due to their young age, Sophia (the older sister) was appointed regent.

Peter's education was poor; he wrote with errors all his life. But he was very interested in military affairs, history, and geography. In addition, Peter preferred to learn everything by doing. Peter was distinguished by a sharp mind, strong will, curiosity, stubbornness and enormous capacity for work.

During his reign, Peter lived with his mother in Preobrazhenskoye, occasionally coming to Moscow for official ceremonies. There he organized war games with the so-called “amusing troops.” They recruited children from noble and peasant families. Over time, this fun grew into a real teaching, and the Preobrazhensky Army became a powerful military force.

Peter often visited the German settlement. There he met France Lefort and Patrick Gordon, who became his close friends. Fyodor Apraksin, Prince Romodanovsky, and Alexey Menshikov also became Peter’s comrades-in-arms.

In January 1689, Peter, at the insistence of his mother, married Evdokia Lopukhina, but a year later he lost interest in his wife and began to spend more and more time with the German Anna Mons.

In the summer of 1689, Sophia tried, by organizing a Streltsy riot, to seize power and kill Peter. But Peter found out about this and took refuge in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where his allies later arrived. As a result, Sofya Alekseevna was removed from power and exiled to the Novodevichy Convent.

Yes, in 1694, Natalya Naryshkina ruled on behalf of her son. Then Peter became closer and closer to power, because... I was not very interested in government.

In 1696, Peter I, after the death of John, became the only king.

Reign of Peter I

In 1697, the king went abroad to study shipbuilding. He introduced himself by a different name and worked at the shipyard along with ordinary workers. Also abroad, Peter studied the culture of other countries and their internal structure.

The wife of Peter I turned out to be a participant in the Streltsy revolt. For this, the king exiled her to a monastery.

In 1712, Peter married Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1724, the Tsar crowned her as co-ruler.

In 1725, Peter I died of pneumonia in terrible agony. He was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Peter's wife Catherine I became the queen.

Peter I: domestic policy

Peter I is known as a reformer. The Tsar tried to overcome Russia's lag behind Western countries.

In 1699, Peter introduced chronology according to the Julian calendar (from the Nativity of Christ, instead of the creation of the world). Now the beginning of the year is considered to be January 1 (instead of September 1). He also ordered all boyars to shave their beards, wear foreign dresses and drink coffee in the morning.

In 1700, the Russian army was defeated near Narva. This failure led the king to the idea that he needed to reorganize the army. Peter sent young people of noble family to study abroad so that he would have qualified personnel. Already in 1701, the king opened the Navigation School.

In 1703, construction of St. Petersburg began. In 1712 it became the capital of Russia.

In 1705, a regular army and navy were created. Recruitment was introduced, nobles became officers after studying at a military school, or privates. The Military Regulations (1716), the Naval Regulations (1720), and the Maritime Regulations (1722) were developed. Peter I established. In accordance with it, ranks were given to military and civil servants for their personal merit, and not for noble origin. Under Peter, the construction of metallurgical and weapons factories began.

Peter was also involved in the development of the fleet. The first ship was launched in 1708. And already in 1728, the fleet on the Baltic Sea became the most powerful.

Funds were needed for the development of the army and navy; for this purpose, a tax policy was implemented. Peter I introduced a poll tax, which led to the peasants becoming even more dependent on the landowners. The tax was imposed on men of all ages and all classes. This led to the fact that peasants began to run away more often and organize military uprisings.

In 1708, Russia was divided first into 8 provinces, and then into 10, headed by a governor.

In 1711, instead of the Boyar Duma, the Senate became the new body of power, which was in charge of administration during the tsar’s departure. Collegiums were also formed, subordinate to the Senate, which made decisions by voting.

In October 1721, Peter I was appointed emperor. In the same year he abolished church authority. The patriarchate was abolished, and the Synod began to govern the church.

Peter I carried out many transformations in culture. During his reign, secular literature appeared; engineering and medical-surgical schools were opened; primers, textbooks and maps were published. In 1724, the Academy of Sciences was opened with a university and a gymnasium attached to it. The Kunstkamera, the first Russian museum, was also opened. The first Russian newspaper Vedomosti appeared. Active study of Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East also began.

Peter I: foreign policy

Peter I understood that Russia needed access to the Black and Baltic Seas - this determined its entire foreign policy.

At the end of the 17th century, two campaigns were made against the Turkish fortress of Azov. Russia and Turkey concluded a deal, as a result of which Russia gained access to the Sea of ​​Azov.

Finland was conquered in 1712–1714.

Peter I tried to buy the shores of the Gulf of Finland from Sweden, but was refused. As a result, the Northern War began, which lasted more than 20 years (1700 - 1721). After the death of Charles XII, Russia and Sweden made peace, as a result of which Russia gained access to the Baltic Sea.

Biography of Peter I begins on June 9, 1672 in Moscow. He was the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. Peter was the youngest of 13 children in the large family of Alexei Mikhailovich. From the age of one he was raised by nannies.

Before his death, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich blessed his eldest son Fedor, who was 14 years old at that time, to rule. After Fedor ascended the throne, Natalya Kirillovna decided to leave with her children to the village of Preobrazhenskoye.

Father

Mother

Nikita Zotov took an active part in the upbringing of the young prince, but Peter was initially not interested in science and was not literate.

V. O. Klyuchevsky noted:

“More than once you can hear the opinion that Peter I was brought up not in the old way, but differently and more carefully than his father and older brothers were brought up. As soon as Peter began to remember himself, he was surrounded in his nursery by foreign things; everything he played reminded him of the German. Over the years, Petra's nursery becomes filled with military items. A whole arsenal of toy weapons appears in it. Thus, in Peter’s nursery, Moscow artillery was quite fully represented; we see many wooden arquebuses and cannons with horses.” Even foreign ambassadors brought toy and real weapons as gifts to the prince. “In his spare time, he loved to listen to different stories and look at books with kunsts (pictures).”

The revolt of 1682 and the rise to power of Princess Regent Sophia

The death of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich in 1682 marked the beginning of an active confrontation between two clans of nobles - the Naryshkins (Peter's relatives on his mother's side) and the Miloslavskys (relatives of the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich, defending the interests of Ivan). Each of the families tried to promote its own candidate, however, the boyar duma had to make the final decision and most of the boyars decided to make Peter king, since Ivan was a sickly child. On the day of Fyodor Alekseevich’s death, April 27, 1682, Peter was proclaimed tsar.

Not wanting to lose power, the Miloslavskys started a rumor that the Naryshkins had strangled Tsarevich Ivan Alekseevich. Under the sounds of the alarm, many archers burst into the Kremlin, breaking the defense of the few royal guards. However, to their confusion, Tsarina Natalya appeared towards them from the Red Porch along with the princes Ivan and Peter. Ivan answered the questions of the archers:

“No one is harassing me, and I have no one to complain about”

Tsarina Natalya goes to the archers to prove that Ivan V is alive and well. Painting by N. D. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky

The crowd, heated to the limit, was provoked by accusations of Prince Dolgorukov of treason and theft - the Streltsy killed several boyars, many from the Naryshkin clan and Streltsy chiefs. Having placed their own guards inside the Kremlin, the archers did not let anyone out or let anyone in, in fact taking the entire royal family hostage.

Realizing the high probability of revenge on the part of the Naryshkins, the archers submitted several petitions (in fact, these were more likely not requests, but an ultimatum) so that Ivan would also be appointed tsar (and the eldest one at that), and Sophia as the ruler-regent. In addition, they demanded to legitimize the riot and abandon the prosecution of its instigators, recognizing their actions as legitimate and protecting the interests of the state. The Patriarch and the Boyar Duma were forced to comply with the demands of the Streltsy, and on June 25, Ivan V and Peter I were crowned kings.

Princess Sophia watches with pleasure as the archers drag out Ivan Naryshkin, Tsarevich Peter calms his mother. Painting by A. I. Korzukhin, 1882

Princess Regent Sofya Alekseevna Romanova

Natalya Kirillovna considered that it was very unsafe to remain in the Kremlin completely captured by the Miloslavskys and decided to move to the country estate of Alexei Mikhailovich - the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Tsar Peter could live here under the supervision of faithful people, sometimes going to Moscow to participate in ceremonies obligatory for the royal person.

Funny shelves

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was very fond of falconry and other similar entertainments - after his death, a large farm and about 600 servants remained. These devoted and intelligent people did not remain idle - having arrived in Preobrazhenskoye, Natalya Kirillovna set the task of organizing a military school for her son.

The prince received his first “amusing” detachment in the fall of 1683. By the next year, the “amusing city” of Presburg had already been rebuilt in Preobrazhenskoye, next to the royal palace. Peter received military training along with other teenagers. He began his service marching ahead of the Preobrazhensky Regiment as a drummer, and eventually rose to the rank of bombardier.

One of the first candidates selected for the “amusing army” was Alexander Menshikov. He had to fulfill a special role: to become the bodyguard of the young king, his shadow. According to the testimony of contemporaries of those events, Menshikov even slept at Peter’s feet near his bed. Being almost constantly under the tsar, Menshikov became one of his main comrades-in-arms, especially his confidant in all the most important matters relating to the governance of the vast country. Alexander Menshikov received an excellent education and, like Peter I, received a certificate of shipbuilding training in Holland.

Menshikov A. D.

Personal life of young Peter I - first wife

The first wife of Peter I, Evdokia Lopukhina, was chosen by the mother of Peter I as his bride without coordinating this decision with Peter himself. The queen hoped that the Lopukhin family, although not considered particularly noble, but numerous, would strengthen the position of the young prince.

The wedding ceremony of Peter I and Lopukhina took place on February 6, 1689 in the church of the Transfiguration Palace. An additional factor in the need for marriage was the Russian custom of that time, according to which a married person was full-fledged and of full age, which gave Peter I the right to get rid of the princess-regent Sophia.

Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina

Accession of Peter I - removal of Sophia

The Second Crimean Campaign of 1689, led by Sophia's favorite, Prince Golitsyn, was unsuccessful. General dissatisfaction with her rule added to seventeen-year-old Peter's chances of returning the throne - his mother and her faithful people began preparations for Sophia's removal.

In the summer of 1689, Peter's mother called Peter from Pereslyavl to Moscow. At this turning point in his fate, Peter begins to show Sophia his own power. He sabotaged the religious procession planned for July of this year, forbidding Sophia to participate in it, and after she refused to obey, he left, thus causing a public scandal. At the end of July, he barely succumbed to persuasion to give awards to the participants of the Crimean campaign, but refused to accept them when they came to him with gratitude.

By the beginning of August, relations between brother and sister had reached such an intensity that the entire court expected open confrontation, but both sides did not show initiative, completely concentrating on defense.

Sophia's last attempt to retain power

It is unknown whether Sophia decided to openly oppose her brother, or whether she was frightened by rumors that Peter I with his amusing regiments was planning to arrive in Moscow to remove her sister from power - on August 7, the princess’s henchmen began to agitate the archers in favor of Sophia. The tsar's supporters, seeing such preparations, immediately informed him of the danger, and Peter, accompanied by three guides, galloped away from the village of Preobrazhenskoye to the monastery of the Trinity Lavra. Starting from August 8, the remaining Naryshkins and all of Peter’s supporters, as well as his amusing army, begin to gather at the monastery.

From the monastery, on behalf of Peter I, his mother and her associates put forward a demand to Sophia in a report on the reasons for the armament and agitation on August 7, as well as messengers from each of the rifle regiments. Having forbidden the archers to send elected officials, Sophia sent Patriarch Joachim to her brother for trial, but the patriarch, loyal to the prince, did not return back to the capital.

Peter I again sent a demand to the capital to send representatives from the townspeople and archers - they came to the Lavra despite Sophia’s ban. Realizing that the situation is developing in favor of her brother, the princess decides to go to him herself, but already on the road they convince her to return, warning that if she comes to Trinity, they will treat her “dishonestly.”

Joachim (Patriarch of Moscow)

After the massacre of people who were devoted to Sophia, Peter felt the need to clarify his relationship with his brother and wrote to him:

“Now, sir brother, the time has come for both of our persons to rule the kingdom entrusted to us by God themselves, since we have come to the measure of our age, and we do not deign to allow the third shameful person, our sister, with our two male persons, to be in titles and in the dispensation of affairs... It’s shameful, sir, at our perfect age, for that shameful person to own the state bypassing us.”

Ivan V Alekseevich

Princess Sofya Alekseevna in the Novodevichy Convent

Thus, Peter I expressed an unequivocal desire to take the reins of power into his own hands. Left without people willing to take risks for her, Sophia was forced to obey Peter’s demands and retire to the Holy Spirit Monastery, and then move even further, to the Novodevichy Convent.

From 1689 to 1696, Peter I and Ivan V ruled simultaneously, until the latter died. In fact, Ivan V did not take part in the reign; Natalya Kirillovna ruled until 1694, after which Peter I himself ruled.

The fate of Tsar Peter I after his accession

First lover

Peter quickly lost interest in his wife and in 1692 he met Anna Mons in the German settlement, with the assistance of Lefort. While his mother was still alive, the king did not show open antipathy towards his wife. However, Natalya Kirillovna herself, shortly before her own death, became disillusioned with her daughter-in-law, due to her independence and excessive stubbornness. After the death of Natalya Kirillovna in 1694, when Peter left for Arkhangelsk and even stopped corresponding with Evdokia. Although Evdokia was also called the queen and she lived with her son in a palace in the Kremlin, her Lopukhin clan fell out of favor - they began to be removed from leadership positions. The young queen tried to establish contacts with people dissatisfied with Peter's policies.

Alleged portrait of Anna Mons

According to some researchers, before Anna Mons became Peter's favorite in 1692, she was in a relationship with Lefort.

Returning from the Grand Embassy in August 1698, Peter I visited the house of Anna Mons, and on September 3 he sent his legal wife to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery. There were rumors that the king was even planning to officially marry his mistress - she was so dear to him.

House of Anna Mons in the German Settlement in the painting by Alexandre Benois.

The Tsar presented her with expensive jewelry or intricate items (for example, a miniature portrait of the sovereign, decorated with diamonds worth 1 thousand rubles); and even built a two-story stone house for her in the German settlement with government money.

Great fun hike Kozhukhovsky

Miniature from a manuscript of the 1st half of the 18th century “The History of Peter I”, written by P. Krekshin. Collection of A. Baryatinsky. State Historical Museum. Military exercises near the village of Kolomenskoye and the village of Kozhukhovo.

Peter's amusing regiments were no longer just a game - the scope and quality of equipment fully corresponded to real combat units. In 1694, the tsar decided to conduct his first large-scale exercises - for this purpose, a small wooden fortress was built on the banks of the Moscow River near the village of Kozhukhovo. It was a regular pentagonal parapet with loopholes, embrasures and could accommodate a garrison of 5,000 people. The plan of the fortress drawn up by General P. Gordon assumed an additional ditch in front of the fortifications, up to three meters deep.

To staff the garrison, they gathered the archers, as well as all the clerks, nobles, clerks and other service people who were nearby. The archers had to defend the fortress, and the amusing regiments carried out an assault and carried out siege work - they dug tunnels and trenches, blew up fortifications, and climbed walls.

Patrick Gordon, who drew up both the plan for the fortress and the scenario for its assault, was Peter’s main teacher in military affairs. During the exercises, the participants did not spare each other - according to various sources, there were up to 24 killed and more than fifty wounded on both sides.

The Kozhukhov campaign became the final stage of the military practical training of Peter I under the leadership of P. Gordon, which lasted from 1690.

The first conquests - the siege of Azov

The urgent need for trade routes in the Black Sea waters for the state's economy was one of the factors that influenced the desire of Peter I to extend his influence to the coasts of the Azov and Black Seas. The second determining factor was the young king's passion for ships and navigation.

Blockade of Azov from the sea during the siege

After the death of his mother, there were no people left who could dissuade Peter from resuming the fight with Turkey within the Holy League. However, instead of the previously failed attempts to march to the Crimea, he decides to advance south, near Azov, which was not conquered in 1695, but after the additional construction of a flotilla, which cut off the supply of the fortress from the sea, Azov was taken in 1696.

Russia's subsequent struggle against the Ottoman Empire within the framework of an agreement with the Holy League lost its meaning - the War of the Spanish Succession began in Europe, and the Austrian Habsburgs no longer wanted to take into account the interests of Peter. Without allies, it was not possible to continue the war with the Ottomans - this became one of the key reasons for Peter’s trip to Europe.

Grand Embassy

In 1697-1698, Peter I became the first Russian Tsar to make a long trip abroad. Officially, the tsar participated in the embassy under the pseudonym of Pyotr Mikhailov, with the rank of bombardier. According to the original plan, the embassy was to go along the following route: Austria, Saxony, Brandenburg, Holland, England, Venice and, finally, a visit to the Pope. The actual route of the embassy passed through Riga and Koenigsberg to Holland, then to England, from England - back to Holland, and then to Vienna; It was not possible to get to Venice - on the way, Peter was informed about the uprising of the Streltsy in 1698.

Start of the journey

March 9-10, 1697 can be considered the beginning of the embassy - it moved from Moscow to Livonia. Arriving in Riga, which at that time belonged to Sweden, Peter expressed a desire to inspect the fortifications of the city fortress, but General Dahlberg, the Swedish governor, did not allow him to do this. The Tsar, in anger, called Riga a “cursed place,” and when leaving after the embassy to Mitava, he wrote and sent home the following lines about Riga:

We drove through the city and the castle, where soldiers stood in five places, there were less than 1,000 of them, but they say that they were all there. The city is much fortified, but it is not finished. They are very afraid here, and they are not allowed into the city and other places with a guard, and they are not very pleasant.

Peter I in Holland.

Arriving in the Rhine on August 7, 1697, Peter I descended to Amsterdam along the river and canals. Holland was always interesting to the tsar - Dutch merchants were frequent guests in Russia and talked a lot about their country, arousing interest. Without devoting much time to Amsterdam, Peter rushed to a city with many shipyards and shipbuilders' workshops - Zaandam. Upon his arrival, he signed up as an apprentice at the Linst Rogge shipyard under the name Pyotr Mikhailov.

In Zaandam, Peter lived on Krimp Street in a small wooden house. Eight days later the king moved to Amsterdam. The mayor of the city of Witsen helped him obtain permission to participate in work at the shipyards of the Dutch East India Company.

Seeing such interest of Russian guests in shipyards and the process of building ships, on September 9 the Dutch laid the foundation for a new ship (the frigate “Peter and Pavel”), in the construction of which Pyotr Mikhailov also took part.

In addition to teaching shipbuilding and studying local culture, the embassy was looking for engineers for the subsequent development of production in the Russian Tsardom - the army and future fleet were in dire need of re-equipping and equipping.

In Holland, Peter became acquainted with many different innovations: local workshops and factories, whaling ships, hospitals, orphanages - the tsar carefully studied Western experience to apply it in his homeland. Peter studied the mechanism of a windmill and visited a stationery factory. He attended lectures on anatomy in Professor Ruysch's anatomy office and expressed a special interest in embalming corpses. In the anatomical theater of Boerhaave, Peter participated in the dissection of corpses. Inspired by Western developments, a few years later Peter will create the first Russian museum of curiosities - the Kunstkamera.

In four and a half months, Peter managed to study a lot, but his Dutch mentors did not live up to the king’s hopes; he described the reason for his dissatisfaction as follows:

At the East India Dockyard, having devoted himself with other volunteers to the study of naval architecture, the sovereign in a short time accomplished what a good carpenter should know, and with his labors and skill he built a new ship and launched it into the water. Then he asked that shipyard bass, Jan Paul, to teach him the ship’s proportions, which he showed him four days later. But since in Holland there is no such mastery of perfection in a geometric way, but only some principles, other things from long-term practice, which the above-mentioned bass said, and that he cannot show everything on a drawing, then he became disgusted that such a long way for I perceived this, but did not achieve the desired end. And for several days His Majesty happened to be in the country yard of the merchant Jan Tessing in company, where he sat much sadder for the reason described above, but when between conversations he was asked why he was so sad, then he announced that reason. In that company there was one Englishman who, hearing this, said that here in England this architecture is as perfect as any other, and that it can be learned in a short time. This word made His Majesty very happy, so he immediately went to England and there, four months later, he completed his studies.

Peter I in England

Having received a personal invitation from William III at the beginning of 1698, Peter I went to England.

Having visited London, the tsar spent most of his three months in England in Deptford, where, under the guidance of the famous shipbuilder Anthony Dean, he continued to study shipbuilding.

In England, Peter I also inspected everything that was connected with production and industry: arsenals, docks, workshops, and visited warships of the English fleet, getting acquainted with their structure. Museums and cabinets of curiosities, an observatory, a mint - England was able to surprise the Russian sovereign. There is a version according to which he met with Newton.

Leaving the art gallery of Kensington Palace without attention, Peter became very interested in the device for determining the direction of the wind, which was present in the king’s office.

During Peter's visit to England, the English artist Gottfried Kneller managed to create a portrait that later became an example to follow - most of the images of Peter I distributed in Europe during the 18th century were made in Kneller's style.

Returning back to Holland, Peter was unable to find allies to fight against the Ottoman Empire and headed to Vienna, to the Austrian Habsburg dynasty.

Peter I in Austria

On the way to Vienna, the capital of Austria, Peter received news of plans by Venice and the Austrian king to conclude a truce with the Turks. Despite the long negotiations that took place in Vienna, Austria did not agree to the demand of the Russian kingdom for the transfer of Kerch and offered only to preserve the already conquered Azov with the adjacent territories. This put an end to Peter's attempts to gain access to the Black Sea.

July 14, 1698 Peter I said goodbye to the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and planned to leave for Venice, but news was received from Moscow about the mutiny of the Streltsy and the trip was cancelled.

Meeting of Peter I with the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Already on the way to Moscow, the tsar was informed about the suppression of the rebellion. July 31, 1698 In Rava, Peter I met with the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Augustus II. Both monarchs were almost the same age, and in three days of communication they managed to get closer and discuss the possibility of creating an alliance against Sweden in an attempt to shake its dominance in the Baltic Sea and adjacent territories. The final secret agreement with the Saxon Elector and the Polish King was signed on November 1, 1699.

August II Strong

Peter I (Peter Alekseevich, First, Great) - the last Moscow Tsar and the first Russian Emperor. He was the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov from his second wife, noblewoman Natalya Naryshkina. Born in 1672, May 30 (9) (June).

A short biography of Peter I is presented below (Peter 1 photo also).

Peter's father died when he was 4 years old, and his older brother, Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, became his official guardian; a strong party of Miloslavsky boyars came to power in Moscow (Fyodor's mother was Alexei's first wife, Maria Miloslavskaya).

Upbringing and education of Peter I

All historians are unanimous in their opinion about the education of the future emperor. They believe that it was as weak as possible. He was raised by his mother until he was one year old, and by nannies until he was 4 years old. Then clerk N. Zotov took charge of the boy’s education. The boy did not have the opportunity to study with the famous Simeon of Polotsk, who taught his older brothers, since the Patriarch of Moscow Joachim, who began the fight against “Latinization,” insisted on the removal of Polotsk and his students from the court. N. Zotov taught the tsar to read and write, the law of God and basic arithmetic. The prince wrote poorly, his vocabulary was meager. However, in the future Peter will fill in all the gaps in his education.

The struggle of the Miloslavskys and Naryshkins for power

Fyodor Alekseevich died in 1682 without leaving a male heir. The Naryshkin boyars, taking advantage of the turmoil that arose and the fact that Tsarevich Ivan Alekseevich, the next eldest brother, was mentally ill, elevated Peter to the throne, and made Natalya Kirillovna regent, while the Narashkin boyar Artamon Matveev, a close friend and relative of the Narashkins, was appointed guardian.

The Miloslavsky boyars, led by Princess Sophia, the eldest daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich, began to incite the archers, of whom there were about 20 thousand in Moscow, to revolt. And the riot happened; As a result, boyar A. Matveev, his supporter, boyar M. Dolgoruky, and many from the Naryshkin family were killed. Queen Natalya was sent into exile, and both Ivan and Peter were elevated to the throne (with Ivan being considered the eldest). Princess Sophia became their regent, having enlisted the support of the leaders of the Streltsy army.

Exile to Preobrazhenskoye, creation of amusing regiments

After the crowning ceremony, young Peter was sent to the village of Preobrazhenskoye. There he grew up without feeling any restrictions. Very soon, everyone around him became aware of the young prince’s interest in military affairs. From 1685 to 1688, Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky (after the name of the neighboring village of Preobrazhensky, Semenov) amusing regiments were created in the village, and “amusing” artillery was created.

At the same time, the prince became interested in maritime affairs and founded the first shipyard on Lake Pleshcheyevo near Pereslavl-Zalessky. Since there were no Russian boyars who knew marine science, the heir to the throne turned to foreigners, Germans and Dutch, who lived in the German settlement in Moscow. It was at this time that he met Timmerman, who taught him geometry and arithmetic, Brandt, who studied navigation with him, Gordon and Lefort, who in the future would become his closest associates and associates.

First marriage

In 1689, on the orders of his mother, Peter married Evdokia Lopukhina, a girl from a rich and noble boyar family. Tsarina Natalya pursued three goals: to connect her son with well-born Moscow boyars, who, if necessary, would provide him with political support, to announce the boy-tsar’s coming of age and, as a result, his ability to rule independently, and to distract his son from his German mistress, Anna Mons. The Tsarevich did not love his wife and very quickly left her alone, although from this marriage Tsarevich Alexei, the future heir of the emperor, was born.

The beginning of independent rule and the struggle with Sophia

In 1689, another conflict broke out between Sophia and Peter, who wanted to rule independently. At first, the archers, led by Fyodor Shaklovit, sided with Sophia, but Peter managed to turn the situation around and forced Sophia to retreat. She went to the monastery, Shaklovity was executed, and the elder brother Ivan fully recognized the younger brother’s right to the throne, although nominally, until his death in 1696, he remained a co-ruler. From 1689 to 1696 year Affairs in the state were handled by the government formed by Tsarina Natalia. The tsar himself completely “devoted himself” to his favorite activities - the creation of an army and navy.

The first independent years of reign and the final destruction of Sophia's supporters

Since 1696, Peter began to rule independently, choosing to continue the war with the Ottoman Empire as a priority. In 1695 and 1696, he undertook two campaigns with the goal of capturing the Turkish fortress of Azov on the Sea of ​​Azov (Peter deliberately abandoned campaigns in the Crimea, believing that his army was not yet strong enough). In 1695, it was not possible to take the fortress, but in 1696, after more thorough preparation and the creation of a river fleet, the fortress was taken. So Peter received the first port on the southern sea. In the same year, 1696, another fortress was founded on the Sea of ​​Azov, Taganrog, which would become an outpost for Russian forces preparing to attack Crimea from the sea.

However, an attack on Crimea meant war with the Ottomans, and the tsar understood that he still did not have enough strength for such a campaign. That is why he began to intensively search for allies who would support him in this war. For this purpose, he organized the so-called “Great Embassy” (1697-1698).

The official goal of the embassy, ​​which was headed by F. Lefort, was to establish connections with Europe and train minors, the unofficial goal was to conclude military alliances against the Omani Empire. The king also went with an embassy, ​​albeit incognito. He visited several German principalities, Holland, England and Austria. The official goals were achieved, but it was not possible to find allies for the war with the Ottomans.

Peter intended to visit Venice and the Vatican, but in 1698, an uprising of the Streltsy, incited by Sophia, began in Moscow, and Peter was forced to return to his homeland. The Streltsy uprising was brutally suppressed by him. Sophia was tonsured into a monastery. Peter also sent his wife, Evdokia Lopukhina, to a monastery in Suzdal, but she was not tonsured as a nun, since Patriarch Adrian opposed this.

Empire building. Northern War and expansion to the South

In 1698, Peter completely disbanded the Streltsy army and created 4 regular regiments, which became the basis of his new army. Such an army did not yet exist in Russia, but the tsar needed it, since he was going to start a war for access to the Baltic Sea. The Elector of Saxony, the ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Danish king proposed to Peter to fight Sweden, the then hegemon of Europe. They needed a weak Sweden, and Peter needed access to the sea and convenient harbors for building a fleet. The reason for the war was the alleged insult inflicted on the king in Riga.

First stage of the war

The beginning of the war cannot be called successful. On November 19 (30), 1700, the Russian army was defeated near Narva. Then Charles XII, king of Sweden, defeated the allies. Peter did not back down, drew conclusions and reorganized the army and rear, carrying out reforms according to the European model. They immediately bore fruit:

• 1702 – capture of Noteburg;
• 1703 - capture of Nyenskans; the beginning of construction of St. Petersburg and Kronstadt;
• 1704 – capture of Dorpat and Narva

In 1706 Charles XII, confident in his victory after strengthening the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, began to break through to the south of Russia, where he was promised support by the Hetman of Ukraine I. Mazepa. But the battle near the village of Lesnoy (the Russian army was led by Al. Menshikov) deprived the Swedish army of forage and ammunition. Most likely, it was this fact, as well as the leadership talent of Peter I, that led to the complete defeat of the Swedes near Poltava.

The Swedish king fled to Turkey, where he wanted to gain the support of the Turkish Sultan. Turkey intervened, and as a result of the unsuccessful Prut campaign (1711), Russia was forced to return Azov to Turkey and abandon Taganrog. The loss was difficult for Russia, but peace was concluded with Turkey. This was followed by victories in the Baltic:

• 1714 - victory at Cape Gangut (in 1718 Charles XII died and peace negotiations began);
• 1721 - victory at Grenham Island.

In 1721, the Peace of Nystadt was concluded, according to which Russia received:

• access to the Baltic;
• Karelia, Estland, Livonia, Ingria (but Russia had to give Sweden the conquered Finland).

In the same year, Peter the Great proclaimed Russia an Empire, and gave himself the title of Emperor (moreover, in a short time this new title of Peter I of Moscow Tsar was recognized by all European powers: who could challenge the decision made by the most powerful ruler of Europe at that time?).

In 1722 - 1723, Peter the Great undertook the Caspian Campaign, which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople with Turkey (1724), which recognized Russia's right to the western shores of the Caspian Sea. The same agreement was signed with Persia.

Domestic policy of Peter I. Reforms

From 1700 to 1725, Peter the Great carried out reforms that in one way or another affected every sphere of life of the Russian state. The most significant of them:

Finance and trade:

It can be said that it was Peter the Great who created the industry of Russia, opening state-owned and helping to create private manufactories throughout the country;

Army:

• 1696 - the beginning of the creation of the Russian fleet (Peter did everything to ensure that the Russian fleet became the strongest in the world in 20 years);
• 1705 – introduction of conscription (creation of a regular army);
• 1716 – creation of Military Regulations;

Church:

• 1721 – abolition of the patriarchate, creation of the Synod, creation of the Spiritual Regulations (the church in Russia was completely subordinate to the state);

Internal management:

Noble law:

• 1714 - decree on single inheritance (prohibition to split up noble estates, which led to the strengthening of noble land ownership).

Family and personal life

After his divorce from Evdokia Lopukhina, Peter married (in 1712) his longtime mistress Catherine (Martha Skavronskaya), with whom he had been in a relationship since 1702 and with whom he already had several children (including Anna, the mother of the future Emperor Peter III, and Elizabeth , the future Russian empress). He crowned her king, making her empress and co-ruler.

Peter had a difficult relationship with his eldest son, Tsarevich Alexei, which led to treason, abdication and the death of the former in 1718. In 1722, the emperor issues a decree on succession to the throne, which states that the emperor has the right to appoint his own heir. The only male heir in the direct line was the grandson of the emperor - Peter (son of Tsarevich Alexei). But who would take the throne after the death of Peter the Great remained unknown until the end of the emperor’s life.

Peter had a stern character and was quick-tempered, but the fact that he was a bright and extraordinary personality can be judged from photographs taken from the emperor’s lifetime portraits.

Almost all his life, Peter the Great suffered from kidney stones and uremia. From several attacks that occurred between 1711-1720, he could well have died.

In 1724-1725, the disease intensified and the emperor suffered from terrible attacks of pain. In the fall of 1724, Peter caught a bad cold (he stood in cold water for a long time, helping sailors save a stranded boat), and the pain became continuous. In January, the emperor fell ill, on the 22nd he confessed and took his last communion, and on the 28th, after a long and painful agony (the photo of Peter I, taken from the painting “The Emperor on his Deathbed”, proves this fact), Peter the Great died in the Winter Palace of St. -Petersburg.

Doctors diagnosed pneumonia, and after an autopsy it became clear that the emperor had developed gangrene after the urinary canal finally narrowed and became clogged with stones.

The emperor was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. His reign is over.

On January 28, with the support of A. Menshikov, Ekaterina Alekseevna, the second wife of Peter the Great, became empress.

Peter I was born on May 30, 1672, the 14th child of Alexei Mikhailovich, but the first-born of his wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. Peter was baptized in the Chudov Monastery.

He ordered the measures to be removed from the newborn and an icon of the same size to be painted. Simon Ushakov painted an icon for the future emperor. On one side of the icon the face of the Apostle Peter was depicted, on the other the Trinity.

Natalya Naryshkina loved her firstborn very much and cherished him very much. The baby was entertained with rattles and harps, and he was drawn to toy soldiers and skates.

When Peter turned three years old, the Tsar Father gave him a children's sabre. At the end of 1676, Alexei Mikhailovich died. Peter's half-brother Fyodor ascends the throne. Fyodor was concerned that Peter was not being taught to read and write, and asked Naryshkina to devote more time to this component of training. A year later, Peter began to actively study.

He was assigned a clerk, Nikita Moiseevich Zotov, as his teacher. Zotov was a kind and patient man, he quickly fell into the good graces of Peter I, who did not like to sit still. He loved to climb in attics and fight with archers and noble children. Zotov brought good books to his student from the armory.

From early childhood, Peter I began to be interested in history, military art, geography, loved books and, already being Emperor of the Russian Empire, dreamed of compiling a book on the history of his fatherland; He himself composed the alphabet, which was easy on the tongue and easy to remember.

Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich died in 1682. He did not leave a will. After his death, only two brothers Peter I and Ivan could claim the throne. The paternal brothers had different mothers, representatives of different noble families. Having secured the support of the clergy, the Naryshkins elevated Peter I to the throne, and Natalya Kirillovna was made ruler. The relatives of Ivan and Princess Sophia, the Miloslavskys, were not going to put up with this state of affairs.

The Miloslavskys organize a Streltsy riot in Moscow. On May 15, a Streltsy uprising took place in Moscow. The Miloslavskys started a rumor that Tsarevich Ivan had been killed. Dissatisfied with this, the archers moved to the Kremlin. In the Kremlin, Natalya Kirillovna came out to them with Peter I and Ivan. Despite this, the archers rampaged in Moscow for several days, robbed and killed, they demanded that the feeble-minded Ivan be crowned king. And she became the regent of two young kings.

Ten-year-old Peter I witnessed the horrors of the Streltsy riot. He began to hate the Streltsy, who aroused in him rage, a desire to avenge the death of loved ones and the tears of his mother. During the reign of Sophia, Peter I and his mother lived almost all the time in Preobrazhenskoye, Kolomenskoye and Semenovskoye villages, only occasionally traveling to Moscow to participate in official receptions.

Natural curiosity, quickness of mind, and strength of character led Peter to a passion for military affairs. He arranges “war fun”. “War fun” is semi-childish games in palace villages. Forms amusing regiments, which recruit teenagers from noble and peasant families. “Military fun” eventually grew into real military exercises. Amusing regiments soon became adults. The Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments became an impressive military force, superior to the Streltsy army in military affairs. In those same young years, Peter I came up with the idea of ​​a fleet.

He gets acquainted with shipbuilding on the Yauza River, and then on Lake Pleshcheyeva. Foreigners living in the German Settlement played a large role in Peter’s military fun. The Swiss and Scotsman Patrick Gordon will have a special position in the military system of the Russian state under Peter I. Many like-minded people gather around young Peter, who will become his close associates in life.

He becomes close to Prince Romodanovsky, who fought with the archers; Fedor Apraksin - future admiral general; Alexei Menshikov, future field marshal of the Russian army. At the age of 17, Peter I married Evdokia Lopukhina. A year later, he cooled down to her and began to spend more time with Anna Mons, the daughter of a German merchant.

Coming of age and marriage gave Peter I full right to the royal throne. In August 1689, Sophia provoked a Streltsy uprising directed against Peter I. He took refuge in the Trinity - Sergeyev Lavra. Soon the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments approached the monastery. Patriarch of All Rus' Joachim also took his side. The mutiny of the Streltsy was suppressed, its leaders were subjected to repression. Sophia was imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, where she died in 1704. Prince Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn was sent into exile.

Peter I began to independently govern the state, and with the death of Ivan, in 1696, he became the sole ruler. At first, the sovereign took little part in state affairs; he was passionate about military affairs. The burden of governing the country fell on the shoulders of the mother's relatives - the Naryshkins. In 1695, the independent reign of Peter I began.

He was obsessed with the idea of ​​access to the sea, and now the 30,000-strong Russian army, under the command of Sheremetyev, goes on a campaign against the Ottoman Empire. Peter I is an epoch-making personality, under him Russia became an Empire, and the Tsar became an Emperor. He pursued an active foreign and domestic policy. The priority of foreign policy was to gain access to the Black Sea. To achieve these goals, Russia participated in the Northern War.

In domestic policy, Peter I made many changes. He went down in Russian history as a reformer tsar. His reforms were timely, although they killed Russian identity. We managed to carry out transformations in trade and industry. Many praise the personality of Peter I, calling him the most successful ruler of Russia. But history has many faces; in the life of each historical character you can find both good and bad sides. Peter I died in 1725, in terrible agony after a long illness. He was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. After him, his wife, Catherine I, sat on the throne.

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

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

Rise to power

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

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

Rule of the Tsar

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

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

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

Reforming Russia

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

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

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

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

Death and legacy

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

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

Cities were named after the Great Emperor after his death.

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