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Peter I (Russian: Пётр I Алексеевич, romanized: Pyotr I Alekseyevich, IPA: [ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ]; 9 June [O.S. 30 May] 1672 – 8 February [O.S. 28 January] 1725), was Tsar of all Russia from 1682, and the first Emperor of all Russia, known as Peter the Great, from 1721 until his death in 1725.
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Peter the Great modernized Russia—which, at the start of his rule, had greatly lagged behind the Western countries—and transformed it into a major power. Through his numerous reforms, Russia made incredible progress in the development of its economy and trade, education, science and culture, and foreign policy.
What was Peter the Great’s childhood like?
Peter’s father, Tsar Alexis, died when Peter was four years old. At age 10 Peter became joint tsar with his half brother and, because of power struggles, often feared for his safety. He did not receive the usual education of a tsar. He grew up in a free atmosphere and especially enjoyed military games.
Who were Peter the Great’s wives?
In 1689 Peter wed Eudoxia, but the marriage ended in 1698. He later became involved with the future Catherine I, a Baltic woman who had been taken prisoner during the Second Northern War. They married in 1712, and in 1724 she was crowned empress-consort. After Peter died in 1725, she became empress.
How did Peter the Great die?
When Alexis died in 1676, Peter was only four years old. His elder half-brother, a sickly youth, then succeeded to the throne as Fyodor III, but, in fact, power fell into the hands of the Miloslavskys, relatives of Fyodor’s mother, who deliberately pushed Peter and the Naryshkin circle aside. When Fyodor died childless in 1682, a fierce struggle for power ensued between the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins: the former wanted to put Fyodor’s brother, the delicate and feebleminded Ivan V, on the throne; the Naryshkins stood for the healthy and intelligent Peter. Representatives of the various orders of society, assembled in the Kremlin, declared themselves for Peter, who was then proclaimed tsar, but the Miloslavsky faction exploited a revolt of the Moscow streltsy, or musketeers of the sovereign’s bodyguard, who killed some of Peter’s adherents, including Matveyev. Ivan and Peter were then proclaimed joint tsars, and eventually, because of Ivan’s precarious health and Peter’s youth, Ivan’s 25-year-old sister Sophia was made regent. Clever and influential, Sophia took control of the government; excluded from public affairs, Peter lived with his mother in the village of Preobrazhenskoye, near Moscow, often fearing for his safety. All this left an ineradicable impression on the young tsar and determined his negative attitude toward the streltsy.
One result of Sophia’s overt exclusion of Peter from the government was that he did not receive the usual education of a Russian tsar; he grew up in a free atmosphere instead of being confined within the narrow bounds of a palace. While his first tutor, the former church clerk Nikita Zotov, could give little to satisfy Peter’s curiosity, the boy enjoyed noisy outdoor games and took especial interest in military matters, his favourite toys being arms of one sort or another. He also occupied himself with carpentry, joinery, blacksmith’s work, and printing.
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Near Preobrazhenskoye there was a nemetskaya sloboda (“German colony”) where foreigners were allowed to reside. Acquaintance with its inhabitants aroused Peter’s interest in the life of other nations, and an English sailboat, found derelict in a shed, whetted his passion for seafaring. Mathematics, fortification, and navigation were the sciences that appealed most strongly to Peter. A model fortress was built for his amusement, and he organized his first “play” troops, from which, in 1687, the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky Guards regiments were formed—to become the nucleus of a new Russian Army.
Early in 1689 Natalya Naryshkina arranged Peter’s marriage to the beautiful Eudoxia (Yevdokiya Fyodorovna Lopukhina). This was obviously a political act, intended to demonstrate the fact that the 17-year-old Peter was now a grown man, with a right to rule in his own name. The marriage did not last long: Peter soon began to ignore his wife, and in 1698 he relegated her to a convent.
At the beginning of Peter’s reign, Russia was territorially a huge power, but with no access to the Black Sea, the Caspian, or the Baltic, and to win such an outlet became the main goal of Peter’s foreign policy.
The first steps taken in this direction were the campaigns of 1695 and 1696, with the object of capturing Azov from the Crimean Tatar vassals of Turkey. On the one hand, these Azov campaigns could be seen as fulfilling Russia’s commitments, undertaken during Sophia’s regency, to the anti-Turkish “Holy League” of 1684 (Austria, Poland, and Venice); ...
Apr 2, 2014 · Learn about Peter the Great, a Russian czar who modernized his country and expanded its territory in the late 17th century. Find out his achievements, challenges, family and legacy in this comprehensive biography.
Oct 2, 2023 · Peter I of Russia ( Peter the Great) was the Tsar of Russia from 1682-1721 and Emperor of Russia from 1721-1725. During his long reign, Peter had absolute power and brought real change to Russia, including building its first navy, introducing industrialisation, establishing educational institutions and creating the new Russian capital, St ...
- Why was Peter the Great so famous?Peter the Great made Russia more modern by implementing many reforms. He also founded the great city of St. Petersburg.
- How long did Peter the Great rule Russia?Peter the Great was the Tsar of Russia from 1682 to 1721 and Emperor of the Russian Empire from 1721 to 1725.
- How many children did Peter the Great have?Peter had three sons with his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukhina, and twelve children (six sons and six daughters) with his second wife Marta Skavronska...
- Who succeeded Peter the Great?Peter the Great died without naming an heir, so his second wife became Empress Catherine I of Russia and reigned from 1725-1727.
Oct 12, 2023 · Learn how Peter I of Russia transformed his country with his various reforms that influenced every aspect of Russian life. Discover how he modernised the army, the church, the clothing, the taxes, and the government.
Russian Empire - Peter I, Expansion, Reforms: The years 1682 to 1725 encompass the troubled but important regency of Sophia Alekseyevna (until 1689), the joint reign of Ivan V and Peter I (the Great), and the three decades of the effective rule of Peter I.
Peter I, Russian Pyotr Alekseyevich known as Peter the Great, (born June 9, 1672, Moscow, Russia—died Feb. 8, 1725, St. Petersburg), Tsar of Russia (1682–1725). Son of Tsar Alexis, he reigned jointly with his half brother Ivan V (1682–96) and alone from 1696.
