Peter the Great
Czar of the Russian Empire
About Peter the Great
Peter the Great was a czar of the Russian Empire from 1682-1725. He was the co-leader from 1682-1689 with his half- brother Ivan, but became sole leader once he was old enough to be allowed in 1689. He was the independent leader until his death in 1725.
Map of Russia
A map of Russia during Peter the Great's reign
Statue of Peter the Great
A statue of Peter the Great located in Moscow, Russia
Peter the Great
A full-body portrait of Peter the Great
Approach to Government
Peter the Great was a Czar of Russia. His main goal was to modernize Russia, and make them a power throughout the world. Peter was able to accomplish many of his goals due to his ability to put fear into the minds of the civilians. If anyone tried to go against him, he would chop their head off and make an example of them. One of the laws he put in was the Mostaryskii Prikaz, which forced all the taxes going to the Church to have to go through the government too, which made the Church rely on them.
Peter the Great's Origins
Peter the Great was the youngest son of Alexey I and his second wife, Natalya Naryshkina. His older brother, Fyodor III, took over for Alexey I, but only lasted 6 years as Czar, as he had an early death. At the age of 10, Peter became co-Czar with his half brother, Ivan. Peter had to wait 7 years to become the independent leader in 1689. He had to wait because of his young age.
Marriage and Family Life
Peter the Great had a few wives. First, he married Eudoxia Lopukhina. They were married from 1689-1698 and had three kids but only one of them lived until adulthood. After forcing her into divorce, he then put her in a monastery for the rest of her life. In 1712, he married Catherine 1 of Russia and they had 11 children. Of the 11 children, only 2 survived until adulthood. He died married to her.
Greatest achievements of Peter the Great
Peter the Great was famous for many things. Peter transformed Russia into a powerhouse among the rest of the European countries. He did this by creating a strong army and navy, which overtook Ottoman City of Azoz in 1695. He continue to expand Russia into the land it is today. Peter founded St. Petersburg, which he named after himself. Peter introduced many reforms to Russia. He decided to tour Western Europe to see the rules that they introduced to their countries, and base his off of theirs. Peter the Great is still known today as a highly regarded leader.