Peter the Great

If there was one person from Russian history that I could have dinner with, without question, it would be “Petr Veliky” or Peter the Great. We share a great love for the sea and distrust of the institution of the Russian Orthodox Church and its despots.

I first learned about Peter the Great in Russian School and recently read his biography, “Peter the Great, His Life and World,” by the Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert K. Massie. Three words that I’d use to describe Peter would be: energetic, enterprising and thirsty for both learning and beverages. In other words, quite a man, especially since he was six feet, seven inches tall!

Peter’s rule was lengthy. He was crowned at the age of ten and during his early reign, he was co ruler with his brother Ivan, and his sister Sophia as regent. Peter, known as the first Russian emperor, became an autocrat upon his brother’s death and ruled for 42 years from 1682 until 1725.

I’m certain Peter and I would engage in interesting conversation despite the fact that I’m a woman. Russian women in Peter’s era, the late 16th and early 17th century, were mostly subject to living their lives secluded in the terem, a separate quarters for females, or if their husbands no longer had a need for them, their hair would be shaved off and they’d be locked up in a monastery for the remainder of their lives. Misogynistic attitudes prevailed; after all it was a woman that caused the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden.

Peter the Great, however, rejected the Russian notion of keeping women hidden from view and apparently enjoyed socializing with European ladies in his day. In fact, the great love of his life, Catherine, was a peasant by birth and he eventually married her after sending his first wife, Eudoxia to a monastery.

Peter rejected many Russian customs, the Russian way of life and the superstitions that pervaded life in medieval Russia. The murders he witnessed as a child during the revolt of the Streltsy, the guard regiment, only fueled his fire of dislike of outmoded ways, outdated thinking and the interference of the Church in politics.

The end result of Peter’s dissatisfaction was an urge to open a window to Europe, in hopes of and enlightening and modernizing the country. How better to accomplish this then to travel incognito through Europe, visiting both courts and the commoners alike to satisfy his curiosity and gather ideas for improvement.

Peter departed for the trip, known as “The Great Embassy to Western Europe” in the spring of 1697 and returned in September of 1698. He visited Holland, where he learned the shipbuilding trade, England where King William presented him with a gift of an English yacht, Austria, and Poland. Peter met with the monarchs of his time and secured experts that would assist him in the remodeling of Russia.

Peter’s European tour was cut short when he got wind of a possible revolt by the Streltsy and as a result, he never made to Venice. The Great Embassy had served its purpose and upon his return to Russia, Peter established the Russian Navy and fought wars to expand Russia’s shores, adding ports on the Black and Baltic seas to Russia’s sole seaport, Archangel, on the White Sea.

The impact of the Great Embassy wasn’t subtle and it was felt by the populace. Western ideas were infused into the soul of Russia via the many reforms and changes Peter instituted, including replacing Moscow and its dark Kremlin rooms as the capital with the city of St. Petersburg that he built in the swamps, also known as the “Venice of the North.”

Peter boldly changed the date of the New Year from the church calendar’s September first to January first, reformed the Russian Orthodox church, restructured taxation, instituted compulsory education, initiated changes in fashion and customs, preferring Western dress and abhorring beards that Russian men sported. He forced Russian men to shave them off and instituted a beard tax for those that remained stubborn.

The tale of Peter the Great’s life and legacy in the book “Peter the Great His Life and World” was worth the money I spent on it. I recommend it highly: it is an absorbing read and superbly told.

Peter would have approved.

The book "Peter the Great" is available for purchase on Amazon.com.