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Wrestling Russia Wrestling Russia Into The WestInto The West

Apotheosis of Peter the GreatApotheosis of Peter the Great

Wrestling Russia Into The Wrestling Russia Into The WestWest

Apotheosis of Peter the Great (1710) by Dagli Orti

Peter the Great’s Peter the Great’s story begins in the story begins in the 1616thth century with century with Boris Godunov and his Boris Godunov and his Romanov cousinsRomanov cousins

The Romanov Dynasty The Romanov Dynasty was founded in 1613 was founded in 1613 with Mikhail with Mikhail Feodorovich RomanovFeodorovich Romanov

The Romanovs were The Romanovs were able to stabilize able to stabilize RussiaRussia

Romanov DynastyRomanov Dynasty

The Streltsy uprising of April-May 1682 made it possible for his cousin Sophia to insist that Peter and his half-brother Ivan be proclaimed joint Tsars, with Sophia acting as regent Early Early

YearsYears

Peter the Great’s sheer physical presence seemed to indicate the way his rule would go

Nearly 7 feet tall and very broad

“powerful, loud-mouthed, violent, and impetuous”

No manners whatsoever and did not consider them necessary

Physical PresencePhysical Presence

Peter never lost his Peter never lost his love of ship-building, love of ship-building, much to the chagrin much to the chagrin of King William III of of King William III of OrangeOrange

King William King William presented Peter with presented Peter with a yacht and ordered a yacht and ordered naval maneuvers in naval maneuvers in his honorhis honor

Ship Ship BuildingBuilding

The The Most Drunken Most Drunken Synod of Fools and Synod of Fools and JestersJesters was created was created in 1695in 1695

The first The first commandment was commandment was that members were that members were to get drunk every to get drunk every day, and might day, and might never go sober to never go sober to bedbed

Party On, DudeParty On, Dude

Traveled to Europe on Traveled to Europe on an 18-month journey an 18-month journey with a large Russian with a large Russian delegation called the delegation called the “Grand Embassy” to “Grand Embassy” to seek the aid of the seek the aid of the European monarchsEuropean monarchs

Worked in the largest Worked in the largest shipyard in the world, shipyard in the world, belonging to the belonging to the Dutch East India Dutch East India Company, for a period Company, for a period of four monthsof four months Grand Grand

EmbassyEmbassy

In March of 1698, In March of 1698, 175 Streltsy left 175 Streltsy left their regiments and their regiments and fled to Moscow to fled to Moscow to file a complaintfile a complaint

Peter ordered four Peter ordered four regiments of 2300 regiments of 2300 men to attack the men to attack the StreltsyStreltsy

Revolt of the StreltsyRevolt of the Streltsy

In the year 7207 of In the year 7207 of the old Russian the old Russian calendar, Peter calendar, Peter proclaimed that the proclaimed that the Julian Calendar Julian Calendar was in effect and was in effect and the year was 1700the year was 1700

In the early 18In the early 18thth century, Peter the century, Peter the Great simplified Great simplified and regularized the and regularized the Cyrillic AlphabetCyrillic AlphabetModern Modern

ChangesChanges

Peter staged a war Peter staged a war against the Swedish against the Swedish king Charles XII in king Charles XII in the early 1700s to try the early 1700s to try and gain land for his and gain land for his dreamdream

Though the war was Though the war was going poorly, Peter going poorly, Peter took the strange step took the strange step of beginning of beginning construction construction while the while the war was still going onwar was still going on

St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg

It was a servant girl It was a servant girl by the name of by the name of Martha Skavronskaya Martha Skavronskaya who ultimately who ultimately captured Peter’s heartcaptured Peter’s heart

Their first marriage Their first marriage was in secret, but was in secret, but Peter valued Peter valued Catherine and Catherine and proceeded to marry proceeded to marry her again officially in her again officially in St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg in February 1712February 1712 A Servant A Servant

GirlGirl

The Table of Ranks, as The Table of Ranks, as it was called, divided it was called, divided government service government service into three vertical into three vertical columns: military, civil columns: military, civil and courtsand courts

As the grid layout As the grid layout made plain, one of the made plain, one of the purposes was to purposes was to correlate status across correlate status across different branches of different branches of serviceservice

Table of RanksTable of Ranks

It would be a distant It would be a distant relative in Catharine relative in Catharine II “the Great” who II “the Great” who would accomplish would accomplish moremore

Modernization of Modernization of agriculture and agriculture and industry, foreign industry, foreign investment, and investment, and encouraging encouraging education for the education for the middle classmiddle classCatharine the Catharine the

GreatGreat