Let us ask ourselves an unexpected question: was Peter I a Russian man? Is it true that Peter I was replaced? The mystery of the replacement of Peter 1 facts arguments
Tsar Peter - “the first revolutionary on the throne” - was the great destroyer of the country’s national structure, a symbol of the stupid, hasty and overly cruel in its impatience of the desire to imitate the West in everything. Pushkin, starting to write “The History of Peter I” in 1831, was full of stormy delight and wanted to praise the autocrat, as he did in the poems “Poltava” and “ Bronze Horseman", but a more thorough acquaintance with the actions of the reformer tsar did not leave a trace of this delight: Pushkin hated Peter and called him nothing less than a Protestant, a tyrant and the destroyer of Russia.
Let us ask ourselves an unexpected question: was Peter I a Russian person?
This question is not as absurd as it seems at first glance. And they first started asking it not now, but more than three hundred years ago, but mostly in a whisper. With fear and confusion in their hearts, looking at the strange quirks and terrible amusements of the tsar, the Russian people felt a vague suspicion: the Germans had replaced the tsar!..
The question of the personality of Peter I and the significance of his reforms for historical formation Russia has long become a cornerstone and even a kind of border line in the worldview, irreconcilably dividing Westerners and supporters of the original Russian path of development of the country. The first to see in Peter statesman enormous scale, which gave Russia science, developed industry, regular army, the fleet, the culture of Europe and thereby saved the country from inevitable death in the historical dead end where it involuntarily entered, adhering to political and cultural self-isolation.
For others, Peter is the great destroyer of the country's national structure, a symbol of the stupid, hasty and barbarically carried out Europeanization of Russia.
In this regard, Peter's decrees on the introduction of European dress in Russia - shoes, stockings, short caftans, wigs - are very noteworthy.
For those who did not comply with these decrees, provisions were made for the whip, hard labor, enlistment as soldiers, and even the death penalty! Is it possible to see in these extremely unreasonable and extremely humiliating decrees for an entire nation a movement “from non-existence to being” (this is how his enthusiastic supporters characterized all of Peter’s activities), to feel in them the brilliant spirit of a “great man” (the words of the historian S.M. Solovyov)?
What is more visible in them is the absurd and petty nonsense of mediocrity, which has lost its head from its own omnipotent power.
But this nonsense turned into a real tragedy for Russia, since reprisals for non-compliance with these decrees were truly draconian.
It was because of them that a popular riot broke out in Astrakhan in 1705. Somewhat later, Peter softened these requirements and allowed a Russian person, after paying a certain tax, to wear his usual clothes and even keep a beard. But this relaxation was caused by more selfish interests than respect for one’s own people.
Special mention must be made of the impression that Peter I makes with his actions. Any person who is superficially familiar with the era of the reformer tsar involuntarily experiences enthusiastic interest and sympathy for his activities: the thunder of victories, access to the seas, Russian proud pennants on stormy waves, the development of science, industry and art, windows and doors wide open to Europe...
But as soon as one takes a closer and deeper look at the events of “those glorious days,” sympathy for the king gives way to feelings that are almost the opposite. So Pushkin, starting to write “The History of Peter I” in 1831, was full of stormy delight and wanted to praise the autocrat, as he did in the poems “Poltava” and “The Bronze Horseman”.
But a more thorough acquaintance with the actions of the reformer tsar left no trace of this delight: Pushkin hated Peter and called him nothing more than a Protestant, a tyrant and a destroyer. And he no longer had the desire to compose songs of praise in honor of the time when “young Russia matured with the genius of Peter.” The book conceived by the poet was never written.
Polish historian Kazimir Waliszewski in his creative and emotional aspect almost literally repeated Pushkin's path - from delight to deep disappointment. Having begun to write his work about Peter with a firm conviction of his genius and the special exclusivity of his deeds, as he studied historical materials, he noticeably cooled towards his hero, his associates and his transformations.
And although the book about Peter was completed, many unsightly facts from the life of the Russian Tsar, which the author could not omit without questioning his objectivity, seriously distorted the original plan. After reading this book, the reader is presented not with a hero, as Valishevsky would have liked, but with a rather mediocre sovereign, a mediocre commander, a dubious reformer and highest degree immoral person.
The first Russian historians, M.M. Tatishchev and N.M. Karamzin, did not favor Peter, and the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II treated him poorly, giving preference to Peter’s father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, as a reasonable ruler, cautious in his innovations.
But, on the other hand, one can name a long series of names of those who treated and continue to treat Peter I with a special feeling of sincere admiration and respect: Derzhavin, S.M. Solovyov, V.I. Buganov, N.I. Pavlenko. For them, his services to Russia and history are undeniable.
These same supporters of Peter I include Viktor Aleksandrovich Saulkin, who published his extensive article “Sovereign Emperor Peter the Great” on RNL. For him, the most valuable thing about Peter’s reforms is that they helped create a strong army, a combat-ready fleet and opened the door for Russia to the political affairs of Europe. Realizing at the same time that these reforms were both burdensome and very harsh for the Russian people, Viktor Alexandrovich briefly notes:
“Of course, the reforms of Russian public life, in contrast to the reform of the army, were ambiguous. Some of Peter I's reforms caused great harm folk life. The consequences of some of Tsar Peter's mistakes turned out to be too severe. The sovereigns did not have enough time to correct them Alexandra III and Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II. Two last emperor they sought to return to Russian life much of the good that existed in Muscovite Rus', but it turned out to be damaged and destroyed by Peter’s reforms. The Muscovite kingdom, becoming the Russian Empire, suffered serious losses and losses.”
And I would like to say a few words about these losses. If you look closely at the results of Peter’s actions, you involuntarily come to the conclusion that all the victories and achievements of the Tsar the Transformer are canceled out by the losses at the cost of which they were achieved. Essentially, all his victories are Pyrrhic victories, which almost led the country to disaster. And if it withstood the blows of these destructive reforms, it was only due to the inexhaustible resources of the country and the holy patience of the Russian people.
One of the reasons that gave rise to the version of the substitution of Tsar Peter I was the research of A.T. Fomenko and G.V. Nosovsky
The beginning of these studies was the discoveries made during the study of an exact copy of the throne of Ivan the Terrible. In those days, the zodiac signs of the current rulers were placed on the thrones. Thanks to the study of the signs placed on the throne of Ivan the Terrible, scientists have found that the actual date of his birth differs from the official version by four years.
Scientists have compiled a table of the names of Russian tsars and their birthdays, and thanks to this table it was revealed that the official birthday of Peter I does not coincide with the day of his angel, which is a blatant contradiction in comparison with all the names of Russian tsars. After all, names in Rus' during baptism were given exclusively according to the calendar, and the name given to Peter breaks the established centuries-old tradition, which in itself does not fit into the framework and laws of that time.
Photo by Stan Shebs from wikimedia.org
A. Fomenko and G. Nosovsky, based on the table, found out that the real name, which falls on the official date of birth of Peter I, is Isaac. This explains the name of the main cathedral. Tsarist Russia. Thus, the Brockhaus and Efron dictionary says: “St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the main temple in St. Petersburg, dedicated to the name of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, whose memory is honored on May 30, the birthday of Peter the Great"
Image from lib.rus.ec
All lifetime portraits of Peter 1
Let's look at the following obvious ones historical facts. Their totality shows a fairly clear picture of substitution real Peter I for a foreigner:
1. An Orthodox ruler was leaving Russia for Europe, wearing traditional Russian clothes. Two surviving portraits of the tsar from that time depict Peter I in a traditional caftan. The Tsar wore a caftan even during his stay at the shipyards, which confirms his adherence to traditional Russian customs. After the end of his stay in Europe, a man returned to Russia who wore exclusively European-style clothes, and in the future the new Peter I never put on Russian clothes, including the attribute obligatory for the tsar - royal vestments. This fact is difficult to explain with the official version of a sudden change in lifestyle and the beginning of adherence to European canons of development.
2. There are quite good reasons to doubt the difference in the body structure of Peter I and the impostor. According to exact data, the height of the impostor Peter I was 204 cm, while the real king was shorter and denser. It is worth noting that the height of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, was 170 cm, and his grandfather, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, was also of average height. The height difference of 34 cm stands out very much from the overall picture of real kinship, especially since in those days people over two meters tall were considered extremely a rare occurrence. Indeed, even in the middle of the 19th century, the average height of Europeans was 167 cm, and the average height of Russian recruits at the beginning of the 18th century was 165 cm, which fits into the general anthropometric picture of that time. The difference in height between the real Tsar and the false Peter also explains the refusal to wear royal clothes: they simply did not fit the newly minted impostor.
3. In the portrait of Peter I by Godfried Kneller, which was created during the Tsar’s stay in Europe, a distinct mole is clearly visible. In later portraits the mole is missing. This is difficult to explain by the inaccurate works of portrait painters of that time: after all, portraiture of those years was distinguished by the highest level of realism.
Image from softmixer.com
4. Returning after a long trip to Europe, the newly-minted tsar did not know about the location of the richest library of Ivan the Terrible, although the secret of finding the library was passed from tsar to tsar. Thus, Princess Sophia knew where the library was located and visited it, and the new Peter repeatedly made attempts to find the library and did not even disdain excavations: after all, the library of Ivan the Terrible contained rare publications that could shed light on many secrets of history.
5. Interesting fact is also the composition of the Russian embassy that went to Europe. The number of people accompanying the tsar was 20, and the embassy was headed by A. Menshikov. And the returning embassy consisted, with the exception of Menshikov, only of Dutch subjects. Moreover, the duration of the trip has increased many times over. The embassy went to Europe with the tsar for two weeks, and returned only after two years of stay.
6. Returning from Europe, the new king did not meet with his relatives or his inner circle. And subsequently for short term different ways got rid of his immediate family.
7. Sagittarius - the guard and the elite tsarist army- they suspected something was wrong and did not recognize the impostor. The Streltsy revolt that began was brutally suppressed by Peter. But the Streltsy were the most advanced and combat-ready military units that faithfully served the Russian tsars. Sagittarius became by inheritance, which indicates the highest level of these units.
Image from swordmaster.org
The last Tsar of All Rus' and the first Emperor of Russia - Peter the First- a truly great figure. It is not for nothing that this king was called “The Great” by Peter. He sought not only to expand the boundaries Russian state, but also to make life in it similar to what he saw in Europe. He learned a lot himself and taught others.
Brief biography of Peter the Great
Peter the Great belonged to the Romanov family, he was born June 9, 1672. His father is the king Alexey Mikhailovich. His mother is the second wife of Alexei Mikhailovich, Natalia Naryshkina. Peter I was the first child from the tsar’s second marriage and the fourteenth.
IN 1976 Peter Alekseevich’s father died and his eldest son ascended the throne - Fedor Alekseevich. He was sickly and reigned for about 6 years.
The death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the accession of his eldest son Fyodor (from Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna, née Miloslavskaya) pushed Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna and her relatives, the Naryshkins, into the background.
Streletsky riot
After the death of Feodor III, the question arose: who should rule next? Peter's elder brother Ivan was a sickly child (he was also called weak-minded) and it was decided to place Peter on the throne.
However, the relatives of the first wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich did not like this - Miloslavsky. Having secured the support of 20 thousand archers who were dissatisfied at that time, the Miloslavskys staged a riot in 1682.
The consequence of this Streltsy revolt was the proclamation of Peter's sister, Sophia, as regent until Ivan and Peter grew up. Subsequently, Peter and Ivan were considered dual rulers of the Russian state until Ivan's death in 1686.
Queen Natalya was forced to go to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow with Peter.
"Amusing" troops of Peter
In the villages Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Peter was far from playing childish games - he formed from his peers "funny" troops and learned to fight. Foreign officers helped him master military literacy.
Subsequently, these two battalions were formed Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments- the basis of Peter's guard.
Beginning of independent rule
In 1689 On the advice of his mother, Peter got married. The daughter of a Moscow boyar was chosen as his bride Evdokia Lopukhina. After his marriage, 17-year-old Peter was considered an adult and could lay claim to independent rule.
Suppression of the riot
Princess Sophia immediately realized the danger she was in danger of. Not wanting to lose power, she persuaded the archers oppose Peter. Young Peter managed to gather an army loyal to him, and together with him he moved to Moscow.
The uprising was brutally suppressed, the instigators were executed, they were hanged, whipped, and burned with a hot iron. Sophia was sent to Novodevichy Convent.
Capture of Azov
Since 1696, after the death of Tsar Ivan V, Peter became sole ruler of Russia. A year earlier, he turned his gaze to the map. Advisers, among them the beloved Swiss Lefort, suggested that Russia needs access to the sea, it needs to build a fleet, it needs to move south.
The Azov campaigns began. Peter himself took part in battles and gained combat experience. On the second attempt they captured Azov, in a convenient bay of the Azov Sea Peter founded the city Taganrog.
Trip to Europe
Peter went “incognito”, he was called volunteer Peter Mikhailov,
sometimes captain of the Preobrazhensky regiment.
In England Peter the Great studied maritime affairs, in Germany- artillery, in Holland worked as a simple carpenter. But he had to return to Moscow prematurely - information about a new mutiny of the Streltsy reached him. After brutal reprisal over the archers and executions, Peter began to prepare for the war with Sweden.
Peter's war with Sweden
On Russia's allies - Poland and Denmark- the young Swedish king began to attack CharlesXII, determined to conquer all of northern Europe. Peter I decided to enter the war against Sweden.
Battle of Narva
First battle of Narva in 1700 was unsuccessful for the Russian troops. Having a multiple advantage over Swedish army, the Russians failed to take the Narva fortress, and they had to retreat.
Decisive action
Having attacked Poland, Charles XII stuck in the war for a long time. Taking advantage of the ensuing respite, Peter announced a recruitment drive. He issued a decree according to which money and bells from churches began to be collected for the war against Sweden melted down for cannons, strengthened old fortresses, erected new ones.
St. Petersburg – the new capital of Russia
Peter the First personally participated in a combat sortie with two regiments of soldiers against Swedish ships blocking the exit to the Baltic Sea. The attack was a success, the ships were captured, and access to the sea became free.
On the banks of the Neva, Peter ordered the construction of a fortress in honor of Saints Peter and Paul, which was later named Petropavlovskaya. It was around this fortress that the city was formed Saint Petersburg- the new capital of Russia.
Battle of Poltava
The news of Peter's successful foray on the Neva forced the Swedish king to move his troops to Russia. He chose the south, where he waited for help from Turk and where is Ukrainian Hetman Mazepa promised to give him Cossacks.
The Battle of Poltava, where the Swedes and Russians gathered their troops, didn't last long.
Charles XII left the Cossacks brought by Mazepa in the convoy; they were not sufficiently trained and equipped. The Turks never came. Numerical superiority in troops was on the side of the Russians. And no matter how hard the Swedes tried to break through the ranks of the Russian troops, no matter how they reorganized their regiments, they failed to turn the tide of the battle in their favor.
A cannonball hit Karl's stretcher, he lost consciousness, and panic began among the Swedes. After the victorious battle, Peter arranged a feast at which treated captured Swedish generals and thanked them for their science.
Internal reforms of Peter the Great
Peter the Great, in addition to wars with other states, was actively involved in reforms within the country. He demanded that the courtiers take off their caftans and put on European dress, that they shave their beards, and go to the balls arranged for them.
Important reforms of Peter
Instead of the Boyar Duma, he established Senate, who was involved in solving important government issues, introduced a special Table of ranks, which determined the classes of military and civilian officials.
Started operating in St. Petersburg Marine Academy , opened in Moscow math school . Under him, it began to be published in the country first Russian newspaper. For Peter there were no titles or awards. If he saw capable person, although of low origin, sent him to study abroad.
Opponents of reforms
To many Peter's innovations didn't like it- starting from the highest ranks, ending with serfs. The Church called him a heretic, schismatics called him the Antichrist, and sent all kinds of blasphemy against him.
The peasants found themselves completely dependent on the landowners and the state. Increased tax burden 1.5-2 times, for many it turned out to be unbearable. Major uprisings occurred in Astrakhan, on the Don, in Ukraine, and the Volga region.
The breaking of the old way of life caused a negative reaction among the nobles. Peter's son, his heir Alexei, became an opponent of reforms and went against his father. He was accused of conspiracy and in 1718 sentenced to death.
Last year of reign
IN last years reign of Peter was very sick, he had kidney problems. In the summer of 1724, his illness intensified; in September he felt better, but after a while the attacks intensified.
On January 28, 1725, he had such a bad time that he ordered a camp church to be erected in the room next to his bedroom, and on February 2 he confessed. Strength began to leave the patient, he no longer screamed, as before, from severe pain, but only moaned.
On February 7, all those sentenced to death or hard labor (excluding murderers and those convicted of repeated robbery) were amnestied. That same day, at the end of the second hour, Peter demanded paper and began to write, but the pen fell out of his hands, and only two words could be made out from what was written: "Give it all...".
At the beginning of six o'clock in the morning February 8, 1725 Peter the Great “the Great” died in terrible agony in his Winter Palace near the Winter Canal, according to the official version, from pneumonia. He was buried in cathedral Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.
Peter I, who received the nickname Peter the Great for his services to Russia, is a figure for Russian history not just iconic, but key. Peter 1 created Russian Empire, therefore he turned out to be the last Tsar of All Rus' and, accordingly, the first All-Russian Emperor. The son of the Tsar, the godson of the Tsar, the brother of the Tsar - Peter himself was proclaimed the head of the country, and at that time the boy was barely 10 years old. Initially, he had a formal co-ruler Ivan V, but from the age of 17 he already ruled independently, and in 1721 Peter I became emperor.
Tsar Peter the Great | Haiku Deck
For Russia, the years of the reign of Peter I were a time of large-scale reforms. He significantly expanded the territory of the state, built the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, incredibly boosted the economy by founding a whole network of metallurgical and glass factories, and also reducing imports of foreign goods to a minimum. Moreover, Peter Great first from Russian rulers began to adopt from Western countries their best ideas. But since all the reforms of Peter the Great were achieved through violence against the population and the eradication of all dissent, the personality of Peter the Great still evokes diametrically opposed assessments among historians.
Childhood and youth of Peter I
The biography of Peter I initially implied his future reign, since he was born into the family of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov and his wife Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. It is noteworthy that Peter the Great turned out to be the 14th child of his father, but the first-born for his mother. It is also worth noting that the name Peter was completely unconventional for both dynasties of his ancestors, so historians still cannot figure out where he got this name from.
Childhood of Peter the Great | Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias The boy was only four years old when the Tsar Father died. His elder brother and godfather Fyodor III Alekseevich ascended the throne, took guardianship of his brother and ordered him to give him the maximum a good education. However, Peter the Great had big problems with this. He was always very inquisitive, but just at that moment Orthodox Church started a war against foreign influence, and all Latin teachers were removed from the court. Therefore, the prince was taught by Russian clerks, who themselves did not have deep knowledge, and Russian-language books of the required level did not yet exist. As a result, Peter the Great had a meager lexicon and until the end of his life he wrote with errors.
Childhood of Peter the Great | View Map Tsar Feodor III reigned for only six years and died due to poor health at a young age. According to tradition, the throne was supposed to be taken by another son of Tsar Alexei, Ivan, but he was very sickly, so the Naryshkin family actually organized a palace coup and declared Peter I the heir. It was beneficial for them, since the boy was a descendant of their family, but the Naryshkins did not take into account that the Miloslavsky family will rebel due to infringement of the interests of Tsarevich Ivan. The famous Streletsky revolt of 1682 took place, the result of which was the recognition of two tsars at the same time - Ivan and Peter. The Kremlin Armory still preserves a double throne for the brother tsars.
Childhood and youth of Peter the Great | Russian Museum Young Peter I's favorite game was practicing with his troops. Moreover, the prince’s soldiers were not toys at all. His peers dressed in uniform and marched through the streets of the city, and Peter the Great himself “served” as a drummer in his regiment. Later, he even got his own artillery, also real. The amusing army of Peter I was called the Preobrazhensky regiment, to which the Semenovsky regiment was later added, and, in addition to them, the tsar organized an amusing fleet.
Tsar Peter I
When the young tsar was still a minor, behind him stood his older sister, Princess Sophia, and later his mother Natalya Kirillovna and her relatives the Naryshkins. In 1689, brother-co-ruler Ivan V finally gave Peter all power, although he nominally remained co-tsar until he died suddenly at the age of 30. After the death of his mother, Tsar Peter the Great freed himself from the burdensome guardianship of the Naryshkin princes, and it was from then on that we can talk about Peter the Great as an independent ruler.
Tsar Peter the Great | Cultural studies He continued military operations in Crimea against Ottoman Empire, conducted a series of Azov campaigns, which resulted in the capture of the Azov fortress. To strengthen the southern borders, the tsar built the port of Taganrog, but Russia still did not have a full-fledged fleet, so it did not achieve final victory. Large-scale construction of ships and training of young nobles abroad in shipbuilding begins. And the tsar himself studied the art of building a fleet, even working as a carpenter on the construction of the ship “Peter and Paul”.
Emperor Peter the Great | Bookaholic While Peter the Great was preparing to reform the country and personally studied technical and economic progress leading European states, a conspiracy was hatched against him, with the king’s first wife at its head. Having suppressed the Streltsy revolt, Peter the Great decided to redirect military operations. He concludes a peace agreement with the Ottoman Empire and begins a war with Sweden. His troops captured the fortresses of Noteburg and Nyenschanz at the mouth of the Neva, where the Tsar decided to found the city of St. Petersburg, and placed the base of the Russian fleet on the nearby island of Kronstadt.
Wars of Peter the Great
The above conquests made it possible to open access to Baltic Sea, which later received the symbolic name “Window to Europe”. Later, the territories of the Eastern Baltic were annexed to Russia, and in 1709, during the legendary Battle of Poltava, the Swedes were completely defeated. Moreover, it is important to note: Peter the Great, unlike many kings, did not sit in fortresses, but personally led his troops on the battlefield. In the Battle of Poltava, Peter I was even shot through his hat, that is, he really took a risk own life.
Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava | X-digest After the defeat of the Swedes near Poltava, King Charles XII took refuge under the protection of the Turks in the city of Bendery, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire, and today is located in Moldova. With the help of the Crimean Tatars and Zaporozhye Cossacks, he began to escalate the situation on the southern border of Russia. By seeking the expulsion of Charles, Peter the Great, on the contrary, forced the Ottoman Sultan to once again unleash Russian-Turkish war. Rus' found itself in a situation where it was necessary to wage a war on three fronts. On the border with Moldavia, the tsar was surrounded and agreed to sign peace with the Turks, giving them back the Azov fortress and access to Sea of Azov.
Fragment of Ivan Aivazovsky's painting "Peter I at Krasnaya Gorka" | Russian Museum In addition to the Russian-Turkish and northern wars, Peter the Great escalated the situation in the east. Thanks to his expeditions, the cities of Omsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk were founded, and later Kamchatka joined Russia. The king wanted to carry out campaigns in North America and India, but failed to realize these ideas. But he carried out the so-called Caspian campaign against Persia, during which he conquered Baku, Rasht, Astrabad, Derbent, as well as other Iranian and Caucasian fortresses. But after the death of Peter the Great, most of these territories were lost, since the new government considered the region not promising, and maintaining a garrison in those conditions was too expensive.
Reforms of Peter I
Due to the fact that the territory of Russia expanded significantly, Peter managed to reorganize the country from a kingdom into an empire, and starting in 1721, Peter I became emperor. Of the numerous reforms of Peter I, transformations in the army clearly stood out, which allowed him to achieve great military victories. But no less important were such innovations as the transfer of the church under the authority of the emperor, as well as the development of industry and trade. Emperor Peter the Great was well aware of the need for education and the fight against an outdated way of life. On the one hand, his tax on wearing a beard was perceived as tyranny, but at the same time, there appeared a direct dependence of the promotion of nobles on the level of their education.
Peter the Great cuts off the beards of the boyars | VistaNews Under Peter, the first Russian newspaper was founded and many translations of foreign books appeared. Artillery, engineering, medical, naval and mining schools were opened, as well as the country's first gymnasium. And now secondary schools Not only the children of nobles, but also the offspring of soldiers could visit. He really wanted to create a mandatory primary school, but did not have time to implement this plan. It is important to note that the reforms of Peter the Great affected not only economics and politics. He financed the education of talented artists, introduced the new Julian calendar, and tried to change the position of women by prohibiting forced marriage. He also raised the dignity of his subjects, obliging them not to kneel even before the king and to use full names, and not call yourself “Senka” or “Ivashka” as before.
Monument "Tsar Carpenter" in St. Petersburg | Russian Museum In general, the reforms of Peter the Great changed the value system of the nobles, which can be considered a huge plus, but at the same time the gap between the nobility and the people increased many times and was no longer limited only to finances and titles. The main disadvantage of the royal reforms is the violent method of their implementation. In fact, this was a struggle between despotism and uneducated people, and Peter hoped to use the whip to instill consciousness in the people. Indicative in this regard is the construction of St. Petersburg, which was carried out in difficult conditions. Many artisans ran away from hard labor, and the tsar ordered their entire family to be imprisoned until the fugitives returned to confess.
TVNZ Since not everyone liked the methods of governing the state under Peter the Great, the tsar founded the political investigation and judicial body Preobrazhensky Prikaz, which later grew into the notorious Secret Chancellery. The most unpopular decrees in this context were the ban on keeping records in a room closed from outsiders, as well as the ban on non-reporting. Violation of both of these decrees was punishable by death. In this way, Peter the Great fought against conspiracies and palace coups.
Personal life of Peter I
In his youth, Tsar Peter I loved to visit German settlement, where he not only became interested in foreign life, for example, learned to dance, smoke and communicate in a Western manner, but also fell in love with a German girl, Anna Mons. His mother was very alarmed by such a relationship, so when Peter reached his 17th birthday, she insisted on his wedding to Evdokia Lopukhina. However, normal family life they did not: soon after the wedding, Peter the Great left his wife and visited her only to prevent rumors of a certain kind.
Evdokia Lopukhina, first wife of Peter the Great | Sunday afternoon Tsar Peter I and his wife had three sons: Alexei, Alexander and Pavel, but the latter two died in infancy. The eldest son of Peter the Great was supposed to become his heir, but since Evdokia in 1698 unsuccessfully tried to overthrow her husband from the throne in order to transfer the crown to her son and was imprisoned in a monastery, Alexei was forced to flee abroad. He never approved of his father's reforms, considered him a tyrant and planned to overthrow his parent. However, in 1717 young man arrested and detained in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and the following summer they were sentenced to death. The matter did not come to execution, since Alexei soon died in prison under unclear circumstances.
A few years after the divorce from his first wife, Peter the Great took 19-year-old Marta Skavronskaya as his mistress, whom Russian troops captured as booty of war. She gave birth to eleven children from the king, half of them even before the legal wedding. The wedding took place in February 1712 after the woman converted to Orthodoxy, thanks to which she became Ekaterina Alekseevna, later known as Empress Catherine I. Among the children of Peter and Catherine are the future Empress Elizabeth I and Anna, the mother, the rest died in childhood. It is interesting that the second wife of Peter the Great was the only person in his life who knew how to calm his violent character even in moments of rage and fits of anger.
Maria Cantemir, favorite of Peter the Great | Wikipedia Despite the fact that his wife accompanied the emperor on all campaigns, he was able to become infatuated with young Maria Cantemir, the daughter of the former Moldavian ruler, Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich. Maria remained Peter the Great's favorite until the end of his life. Separately, it is worth mentioning the height of Peter I. Even for our contemporaries, a more than two-meter man seems very tall. But during the time of Peter I, his 203 centimeters seemed completely incredible. Judging by the chronicles of eyewitnesses, when the Tsar and Emperor Peter the Great walked through the crowd, his head rose above the sea of people.
Compared to his older brothers, born by a different mother from their common father, Peter the Great seemed quite healthy. But in fact, he was tormented by severe headaches almost all his life, and in the last years of his reign, Peter the Great suffered from kidney stones. The attacks intensified even more after the emperor, together with ordinary soldiers, pulled out the stranded boat, but he tried not to pay attention to the illness.
Engraving "Death of Peter the Great" | ArtPolitInfo At the end of January 1725, the ruler could no longer endure the pain and fell ill in his Winter Palace. After the emperor had no strength left to scream, he only moaned, and everyone around him realized that Peter the Great was dying. Peter the Great accepted his death in terrible agony. Doctors named pneumonia as the official cause of his death, but later doctors had strong doubts about this verdict. An autopsy was performed, which showed a terrible inflammation of the bladder, which had already developed into gangrene. Peter the Great was buried in the cathedral at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, and his wife, Empress Catherine I, became the heir to the throne.
Peter I was an impostor who stole and imprisoned the real Russian Tsar. This is exactly the conclusion that researchers of the ruler’s biography came to.
The history of any country knows at least several hoaxes involving false representatives of the ruling dynasties. Such conspiracies to replace representatives of the ruling dynasty or conceal the fact of their death were beneficial to the “gray cardinals” - behind-the-scenes political players who had enormous influence on the rulers or dreamed of gaining it. In the history of Tsarist Russia, the most obvious replacement for the Tsar can be considered the double of Peter I, who successfully ruled the country for many years. From historical information it is not difficult to compile a list of direct evidence of such a substitution.
1. Return of Menshikov
In 1697-1698, Peter headed a diplomatic mission called the Great Embassy, which went from Russia to Western Europe. Together with him, 20 nobles and 35 commoners took part in it, of whom only Alexander Menshikov remained alive. All the rest were killed under unclear circumstances, which Peter I refused to talk about with his close associates and representatives of the clergy until the end of his days. All these people knew the Tsar well by sight and could confirm that another person returned to Russia instead of him.
2. Miraculous transformation during the trip
It would indeed be difficult to convince the dead supporters of the king that the impostor and their former ruler were one person. To prove the version of substitution, one can compare two portraits made before the departure of Peter I and immediately after his return to his homeland. He left the country as a man who looked 25-26 years old, with a wart under his left eye and a round face. Peter I was taller than average and had a fairly heavy build.
During the trip, a strange transformation happened to him: his height “stretched out” to 2 meters 4 centimeters, he sharply lost weight and “changed” the shape of his face. The man in the portrait, who has only been away from home for a year, looks at least 40 years old. After his arrival, many foreigners began to speak openly:
3. Abandonment of family and war with sister
Of course, the one who replaced Peter I was hampered by his relatives, who were able to recognize the impostor at the first meeting. The Tsar's sister, Sofya Alekseevna, had experience in governing the country and immediately realized that Europe had sent a replacement for her brother in order to have influence on such big country. Sophia led the Streltsy rebellion, since in the ranks of the Streltsy there were many of her like-minded people who managed to communicate with the replaced tsar and personally see that he was not like Peter I. The revolt was suppressed, Princess Sophia was sent to a monastery, and every person who decided to openly talk about false king, they imposed physical punishment and arrest.
The new Peter acted no less cruelly with the wife of the one for whom he pretended to be. Evdokia Lopukhina was perhaps the only person whom the tsar trusted as much as himself. During the Great Embassy, he corresponded with her almost daily, but then communication stopped. Instead of a loving husband, Evdokia saw a cruel impostor, who immediately after her arrival sent her to a monastery and did not deign to respond to any of her many requests to reveal the reasons for such an act. Peter I did not even listen to the clergy, who had previously had a strong influence on him and were against the imprisonment of Evdokia.
4. Poor memory for faces
Sister Sophia and the archers are not the only ones who were not recognized by the king who returned home. He could not remember the faces of other relatives and teachers, was constantly confused about names and did not remember a single detail from “ past life" His associates Lefort and Gordon, and then several other influential people who persistently sought communication with the king, were killed under strange circumstances immediately after their arrival. It is also curious that the tsar “forgot” after his arrival about the location of Ivan the Terrible’s library, although the coordinates of its location were passed strictly from tsar to tsar.
5. The Prisoner in the Iron Mask
Immediately after the departure of Peter I from Europe, a prisoner appears in the Bastille prison, whose real name was known only to the king. Louis XIV. The overseers called him Michael, which is a reference to the Russian name Pyotr Mikhailov, by which the tsar introduced himself on trips when he wanted to remain unrecognized. People called him the “Iron Mask,” although the mask he was doomed to wear until his death was velvet. Voltaire wrote that he knew who the prisoner was, but “like a true Frenchman,” he must remain silent. The prisoner’s appearance and build ideally matched the appearance of Peter I before leaving for Europe. Here's what you can find in the prison warden's notes about the mysterious prisoner:
“He was tall, carried himself with dignity, and was ordered to be treated as a man of noble birth.”
And it's all. He died in 1703, and after his body was destroyed, the room was thoroughly searched and all traces of his life destroyed.
6. A sudden change in clothing style
Since childhood, the tsar loved old Russian clothing. He wore traditional Russian caftans even on the hottest days, proud of his origin and emphasizing it in every possible way. A Latin returned to Russia from Europe, having forbidden sewing Russian clothes for himself and never again wearing traditional royal attire, despite the entreaties of the boyars and confessors. Until his death, the false Peter wore exclusively European clothes.
7. Hatred of everything Russian
Suddenly, Peter I hated not only the Russian style of clothing, but also everything that was connected with his homeland. He began to speak and understand Russian poorly, which caused bewilderment among the boyars at councils and social receptions. The Tsar claimed that during a year of living in Europe he forgot how to write in Russian, decided to abandon fasting despite his previous piety, and could not remember anything about all the sciences that he was taught as a representative of the Russian high nobility. But he acquired the skills of a simple craftsman, which were even considered offensive to royalty.
8. Strange disease
The royal doctor could not believe his eyes when, after returning from a long trip, the ruler began to suffer from regular attacks of chronic tropical fever. It could be contracted while traveling southern seas, which Peter I never saw. The Grand Embassy traveled by northern sea route, so the possibility of infection was excluded.
9. New combat system
If earlier the king made plans for foot conquests and horse battles, then Europe changed his approach to the very process of waging war. Having never seen sea battles, Peter demonstrated excellent experience in boarding battles on the water, surprising the entire military nobility. His combat skills, according to written information, had characteristics that could be acquired by fighting on ships over many years. For the former Peter I, this was physically impossible: his childhood and youth were spent on a land that had no access to the seas.
10. Death of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich
Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, the eldest son of Peter and Evdokia Lopukhina, ceased to be of interest to the false ruler when his own son was born. The new Peter I began to force Alexei to take monastic vows, showing dissatisfaction with the mere fact that he was at court - a son in whom he had previously doted. Alexey Petrovich fled to Poland, from which he planned to go to the Bastille (obviously to rescue his real father from there) on some personal matters. Supporters of the false Peter intercepted him on the way and promised that upon his return he would take the throne with their support. After arriving in Russia, the prince was interrogated by Peter I and killed.