Peter the Great was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672 in Moscow. In the biography of Peter 1, it is important to note that he was the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. From the age of one he was raised by nannies. And after the death of his father, at the age of four, his half-brother and new Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich became Peter’s guardian.
From the age of 5, little Peter began to be taught the alphabet. The clerk N. M. Zotov gave him lessons. However, the future king received a weak education and was not literate.
Rise to power
In 1682, after the death of Fyodor Alekseevich, 10-year-old Peter and his brother Ivan were proclaimed kings. But in fact, their elder sister, Princess Sofya Alekseevna, took over the management.
At this time, Peter and his mother were forced to move away from the yard and move to the village of Preobrazhenskoye. Here Peter 1 developed an interest in military activities; he created “amusing” regiments, which later became the basis of the Russian army. He is interested in firearms and shipbuilding. He spends a lot of time in the German settlement, becomes a fan of European life, and makes friends.
In 1689, Sophia was removed from the throne, and power passed to Peter I, and the management of the country was entrusted to his mother and uncle L.K. Naryshkin.
Rule of the Tsar
Peter continued the war with Crimea and took the fortress of Azov. Further actions of Peter I were aimed at creating a powerful fleet. Peter I's foreign policy at that time was focused on finding allies in the war with the Ottoman Empire. For this purpose, Peter went to Europe.
At this time, the activities of Peter I consisted only of creating political unions. He studies shipbuilding, structure, and culture of other countries. Returned to Russia after news of the Streltsy mutiny. As a result of the trip, he wanted to change Russia, for which several innovations were made. For example, chronology according to the Julian calendar was introduced.
To develop trade, access to the Baltic Sea was required. So the next stage of the reign of Peter I was the war with Sweden. Having made peace with Turkey, he captured the fortress of Noteburg and Nyenschanz. In May 1703, construction of St. Petersburg began. Next year, Narva and Dorpat were taken. In June 1709, Sweden was defeated in the Battle of Poltava. Soon after the death of Charles XII, peace was concluded between Russia and Sweden. New lands were annexed to Russia, and access to the Baltic Sea was gained.
Reforming Russia
In October 1721, the title of emperor was adopted in the biography of Peter the Great.
Also during his reign, Kamchatka was annexed and the shores of the Caspian Sea were conquered.
Peter I carried out military reform several times. It mainly concerned the collection of money for the maintenance of the army and navy. It was carried out, in short, by force.
Further reforms of Peter I accelerated the technical and economic development of Russia. He carried out church reform, financial reform, transformations in industry, culture, and trade. In education, he also carried out a number of reforms aimed at mass education: he opened many schools for children and the first gymnasium in Russia (1705).
Death and legacy
Before his death, Peter I was very ill, but continued to rule the state. Peter the Great died on January 28 (February 8), 1725 from inflammation of the bladder. The throne passed to his wife, Empress Catherine I.
The strong personality of Peter I, who sought to change not only the state, but also the people, played a vital role in the history of Russia.
Cities were named after the Great Emperor after his death.
Monuments to Peter I were erected not only in Russia, but also in many European countries. One of the most famous is the Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg.
Peter I Alekseevich is the last Tsar of All Rus' and the first All-Russian Emperor, one of the most outstanding rulers of the Russian Empire. He was a true patriot of his state and did everything possible for its prosperity.
From his youth, Peter I showed great interest in various things, and was the first of the Russian tsars to make a long journey through European countries.
Thanks to this, he was able to accumulate a wealth of experience and carry out many important reforms that determined the direction of development in the 18th century.
In this article we will take a closer look at the characteristics of Peter the Great, and pay attention to his personality traits, as well as his successes in the political arena.
Biography of Peter 1
Peter 1 Alekseevich Romanov was born on May 30, 1672 in. His father, Alexei Mikhailovich, was the Tsar of the Russian Empire, and ruled it for 31 years.
Mother, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, was the daughter of a small nobleman. Interestingly, Peter was the 14th son of his father and the first of his mother.
Childhood and youth of Peter I
When the future emperor was 4 years old, his father Alexei Mikhailovich died, and Peter’s older brother, Fyodor 3 Alekseevich, took the throne.
The new tsar began raising little Peter, ordering him to be taught various sciences. Since at that time there was a struggle against foreign influence, his teachers were Russian clerks who did not have deep knowledge.
As a result, the boy was unable to receive a proper education, and until the end of his days he wrote with errors.
However, it is worth noting that Peter 1 managed to compensate for the shortcomings of basic education with rich practical training. Moreover, the biography of Peter I is notable precisely for his fantastic practice, and not for his theory.
History of Peter 1
Six years later, Fedor 3 died, and his son Ivan was to ascend to the Russian throne. However, the legal heir turned out to be a very sick and weak child.
Taking advantage of this, the Naryshkin family, in fact, organized a coup d'etat. Having secured the support of Patriarch Joachim, the Naryshkins made young Peter king the very next day.
26-year-old Peter I. The portrait by Kneller was presented by Peter in 1698 to the English king However, the Miloslavskys, relatives of Tsarevich Ivan, declared the illegality of such a transfer of power and the infringement of their own rights.
As a result, the famous Streletsky revolt took place in 1682, as a result of which two kings were on the throne at the same time - Ivan and Peter.
From that moment on, many significant events occurred in the biography of the young autocrat.
It is worth emphasizing here that from an early age the boy was interested in military affairs. On his orders, fortifications were built, and real military equipment was used in staged battles.
Peter 1 put uniforms on his peers and marched with them along the city streets. Interestingly, he himself acted as a drummer, walking in front of his regiment.
After the formation of his own artillery, the king created a small “fleet”. Even then he wanted to dominate the sea and lead his ships into battle.
Tsar Peter 1
As a teenager, Peter 1 was not yet able to fully govern the state, so his half-sister Sofya Alekseevna, and then his mother Natalya Naryshkina, became his regent.
In 1689, Tsar Ivan officially transferred all power to his brother, as a result of which Peter 1 became the only full-fledged head of state.
After the death of his mother, his relatives, the Naryshkins, helped him manage the empire. However, the autocrat soon freed himself from their influence and began to independently rule the empire.
Reign of Peter 1
From that time on, Peter 1 stopped playing war games, and instead began to develop real plans for future military campaigns. He continued to wage war in Crimea against the Ottoman Empire, and also repeatedly organized the Azov campaigns.
As a result of this, he managed to take the Azov fortress, which became one of the first military successes in his biography. Then Peter 1 began building the port of Taganrog, although there was still no fleet as such in the state.
From that time on, the emperor set out to create a strong fleet at all costs in order to have influence on the sea. To do this, he made sure that young nobles could study ship craft in European countries.
It is worth noting that Peter I himself also learned to build ships, working as an ordinary carpenter. Thanks to this, he gained great respect among ordinary people who watched him work for the good of Russia.
Even then, Peter the Great saw many shortcomings in the state system and was preparing for serious reforms that would forever inscribe his name in.
He studied the government structure of the largest European countries, trying to adopt the best from them.
During this period of biography, a conspiracy was drawn up against Peter 1, as a result of which a Streltsy uprising was supposed to occur. However, the king managed to suppress the rebellion in time and punish all the conspirators.
After a long confrontation with the Ottoman Empire, Peter the Great decided to sign a peace agreement with it. After this he started a war with Sweden.
He managed to capture several fortresses at the mouth of the Neva River, on which the glorious city of Peter the Great would be built in the future.
Wars of Peter the Great
After a series of successful military campaigns, Peter 1 managed to open access to the Baltic Sea, which would later be called the “window to Europe.”
Meanwhile, the military power of the Russian Empire was constantly increasing, and the glory of Peter the Great spread throughout Europe. Soon the Eastern Baltic states were annexed to Russia.
In 1709, the famous Battle of Poltava took place, in which the Swedish and Russian armies fought. As a result, the Swedes were completely defeated, and the remnants of the troops were taken prisoner.
By the way, this battle was superbly described in the famous poem “Poltava”. Here's a snippet:
There was that troubled time
When Russia is young,
Straining strength in struggles,
She dated the genius of Peter.
It is worth noting that Peter 1 himself took part in battles, showing courage and bravery in battle. By his example, he inspired the Russian army, which was ready to fight for the emperor to the last drop of blood.
Studying Peter's relationship with the soldiers, one cannot help but recall the famous story about a careless soldier. Read more about this.
An interesting fact is that at the height of the Battle of Poltava, an enemy bullet shot through Peter I’s hat, passing just a few centimeters from his head. This once again proved the fact that the autocrat was not afraid to risk his life to defeat the enemy.
However, numerous military campaigns not only took the lives of valiant warriors, but also depleted the country's military resources. Things got to the point that the Russian Empire found itself in a situation where it was necessary to fight on 3 fronts simultaneously.
This forced Peter 1 to reconsider his views on foreign policy and make a number of important decisions.
He signed a peace agreement with the Turks, agreeing to give them back the fortress of Azov. By making such a sacrifice, he was able to save many human lives and military equipment.
After some time, Peter the Great began organizing campaigns to the east. Their result was the annexation of such cities as Omsk, Semipalatinsk and Kamchatka to Russia.
Interestingly, he even wanted to organize military expeditions to North America and India, but these plans were never destined to come true.
But Peter the Great was able to brilliantly carry out the Caspian campaign against Persia, conquering Baku, Derbent, Astrabad and many fortresses.
After his death, most of the conquered territories were lost, since their maintenance was not profitable for the state.
Reforms of Peter 1
Throughout his biography, Peter 1 implemented many reforms aimed at the benefit of the state. Interestingly, he became the first Russian ruler who began to call himself emperor.
The most important reforms concerned military affairs. In addition, it was during the reign of Peter 1 that the church began to submit to the state, which had never happened before.
The reforms of Peter the Great contributed to the development of industry and trade, as well as a departure from an outdated way of life.
For example, he imposed a tax on wearing a beard, wanting to impose European standards of appearance on the boyars. And although this caused a wave of discontent on the part of the Russian nobility, they still obeyed all his decrees.
Every year, medical, maritime, engineering and other schools were opened in the country, in which not only the children of officials, but also ordinary peasants could study. Peter 1 introduced the new Julian calendar, which is still used today.
While in Europe, the king saw many beautiful paintings that captured his imagination. As a result, upon arriving home, he began to provide financial support to artists in order to stimulate the development of Russian culture.
To be fair, it must be said that Peter 1 was often criticized for the violent method of implementing these reforms. Essentially, he forced people to change their thinking and also to carry out the projects he had in mind.
One of the most striking examples of this is the construction of St. Petersburg, which was carried out under difficult conditions. Many people could not withstand such stress and ran away.
Then the families of the fugitives were put in prison and remained there until the culprits returned back to the construction site.
Winter Palace of Peter I Soon Peter 1 formed a body of political investigation and court, which was transformed into the Secret Chancellery. Any person was prohibited from writing in closed rooms.
If anyone knew about such a violation and did not report it to the king, he was subject to the death penalty. Using such harsh methods, Peter tried to fight anti-government conspiracies.
Personal life of Peter 1
In his youth, Peter 1 loved to be in the German settlement, enjoying foreign society. It was there that he first saw the German Anna Mons, with whom he immediately fell in love.
His mother was against his relationship with a German woman, so she insisted that he marry Evdokia Lopukhina. An interesting fact is that Peter did not contradict his mother and took Lopukhina as his wife.
Of course, in this forced marriage, their family life could not be called happy. They had two boys: Alexey and Alexander, the latter of whom died in early childhood.
Alexei was to become the legal heir to the throne after Peter 1. However, due to the fact that Evdokia tried to overthrow her husband from the throne and transfer power to her son, everything turned out completely differently.
Lopukhina was imprisoned in a monastery, and Alexei had to flee abroad. It is worth noting that Alexei himself never approved of his father’s reforms, and even called him a despot.
Peter I interrogates Tsarevich Alexei. Ge N. N., 1871In 1717, Alexei was found and arrested, and then sentenced to death for participating in a conspiracy. However, he died in prison, and under very mysterious circumstances.
Having divorced his wife, in 1703 Peter the Great became interested in 19-year-old Katerina (nee Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya). A whirlwind romance began between them, which lasted for many years.
Over time, they got married, but even before her marriage she gave birth to daughters Anna (1708) and Elizabeth (1709) from the emperor. Elizabeth later became empress (reigned 1741-1761)
Katerina was a very smart and insightful girl. She alone managed, with the help of affection and patience, to calm the king when he had acute attacks of headache.
Peter I with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called on a blue St. Andrew's ribbon and a star on his chest. J.-M. Nattier, 1717 They officially got married only in 1712. After that, they had 9 more children, most of whom died at an early age.
Peter the Great truly loved Katerina. The Order of St. Catherine was established in her honor and the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals was named. The Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (built under her daughter Elizaveta Petrovna) also bears the name of Catherine I.
Soon, another woman, Maria Cantemir, appeared in the biography of Peter 1, who remained the emperor’s favorite until the end of his life.
It is worth noting that Peter the Great was very tall - 203 cm. At that time, he was considered a real giant, and was head and shoulders taller than everyone else.
However, the size of his feet did not correspond to his height at all. The autocrat wore size 39 shoes and had very narrow shoulders. As an additional support, he always carried a cane with him on which he could lean.
Death of Peter
Despite the fact that outwardly Peter 1 seemed to be a very strong and healthy person, in fact he suffered from migraine attacks throughout his life.
In the last years of his life, he also began to suffer from kidney stones, which he tried to ignore.
At the beginning of 1725, the pain became so severe that he could no longer get out of bed. His health condition worsened every day, and his suffering became unbearable.
Peter 1 Alekseevich Romanov died on January 28, 1725 in the Winter Palace. The official cause of his death was pneumonia.
The Bronze Horseman is a monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg However, an autopsy showed that death was due to inflammation of the bladder, which soon developed into gangrene.
Peter the Great was buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, and his wife Catherine 1 became the heir to the Russian throne.
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On November 18, 1699, Peter I issued a decree “On the admission of all free people to the Great Sovereign Service as soldiers” and the first recruitment. Initially, they tried to build the army on a mixed basis (voluntary and forced), they began to enroll free people fit for military service. Those who wished to become soldiers were promised an annual salary of 11 rubles and “grain and feed supplies.” Initially, registration for the army took place in a soldiers' hut in the village of Preobrazhenskoye and was led by Avton Golovin. Then recruitment into the army began to take place not only in the capital, but also in Pskov, Novgorod, Smolensk, Belgorod and the Volga cities. The result of this decree was the formation of three infantry divisions, the commanders of which were appointed generals Golovin, Weide and Repnin. At the same time, the process of forming regular cavalry - dragoon regiments - was underway. Army recruits were armed and supported by the state. The 1699 recruitment was the first step towards a regular army recruitment system. The reform itself was completed during the Northern War.
Tsar Peter considered it his life's work to raise the Russian state and strengthen its military power. From the very beginning of his government activities, he paid great attention to military affairs. Researchers note that belligerence was undoubtedly an innate inclination of Pyotr Alekseevich. In his early youth, the prince was only interested in toys of a military nature. In the royal workshops, all kinds of children's things were made for the prince, with which little Peter amused himself and armed the children, “amusing children.” It must be said that such upbringing was traditional for Russian princes; from ancient times, the rulers of Rus' were warriors. The first military leader of the prince was the commander of one of the foreign soldier regiments - Menezius (Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky began to form regiments of the “foreign system” during the Time of Troubles, the second organization began in 1630).
After the Streletsky revolt in May 1682, the transfer of power into the hands of Princess Sophia, new living conditions for the young prince were created. Removed from the large court, removed from any participation in state affairs, freed from court etiquette, Peter received complete freedom. Living in the suburban villages of Vorobyovo and Preobrazhenskoye, the prince indulged almost exclusively in war games. The “amusing” ones gather around Peter - the children of the boyars, nobles who surrounded Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, the children of the courtyard people. Peter indulged in the “fun of Mars” with them. Gradually, the “amusing” ones began to take on the appearance of a military unit.
In 1684, a fortress was built on the Yauza River, with towers, walls and a moat. "Presburg" will become a gathering point for the "amusing" people. A whole town appears around it. At this time, the prince went through a real military school: he stood guard in any weather, built field fortifications together with everyone, was in the forefront in archery, musket shooting, javelin throwing, became familiar with the art of drumming, etc.
The absence of court rules allowed Pyotr Alekseevich to get closer to foreigners, which contributed to his military education. Among foreigners, the commander of the Butyrsky soldier regiment, General Patrick Gordon, had a special influence on the tsar. Scotsman Gordon sought his fortune for a long time in various European countries, went through an excellent military school in the Swedish army, and served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He took part in the fight against the Russians, but soon accepted the offer of the Russian diplomatic agent Leontyev and entered the Russian service as a major. He distinguished himself in the Chigirin campaigns, for military skills and valor he was awarded the rank of major general and appointed commander of the Butyrsky regiment. Having gone through practical combat school, Gordon had great knowledge in theory - artillery, fortification, and the structure of the armed forces of European countries. Wise with extensive combat experience, Gordon was a very useful adviser and leader for the young king. Friendly relations were established between them.
In addition, Genevan Franz Lefort had a great influence on Peter’s military training. He served in the French army from the age of 14 and gained combat experience in the wars with the Dutch. Lefort arrived in Russia at the suggestion of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and quickly mastered the Russian language and became familiar with the customs of Russia. Comprehensively educated, cheerful, sociable Lefort could not help but attract the attention of the tsar. He quickly took his place among the king's associates. The young tsar listened carefully to Lefort's stories about the life and customs of European countries, learned fencing, dancing, horse riding, and received Dutch lessons. There were other foreign officers who had a significant influence on Peter, but Gordon and Lefort were the most prominent figures.
Soon Peter began to move from fun and games to more serious matters. The Moscow regiments of Gordon and Lefort are adjacent to the “amusing” Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments. Peter, under the leadership of Gordon, acquires knowledge from the history of military art, and at the same time undergoes practical school, participating in field training for his detachment. Conversations and lessons are combined with field exercises and maneuvers. Field maneuvers were held every year, starting from 1691 to 1694, and not only infantry, but also cavalry and artillery took part in them. The exercises ended with exemplary battles. One of these exercises is the Kozhukhov campaign of 1694 (took place in the vicinity of the village of Kozhukhov). The defending detachment consisted of troops of the old system - archers, and the attacking detachment was mixed, consisting of new troops and local cavalry. The attackers crossed the Moscow River and began to storm the fortifications that the archers had built. The training almost turned into a real battle, everyone was so carried away by this action.
During the Azov campaigns, Peter received extensive military practice. After the first unsuccessful campaign, the king energetically began building a river and sea flotilla. At the hastily constructed Voronezh shipyards, under the leadership of the sovereign, work was in full swing. By the spring of 1696, thirty large ships and about 1000 small ones had been built to transport troops, weapons and ammunition and were ready for the campaign. In May, ground forces and a flotilla moved down the Don. As a result, the Turkish fortress, blocked from sea and land, lasted only for two months. On July 19, 1696, Azov capitulated. The Azov campaigns became the first personal combat experience for Peter. They became the best evidence that to fight the Ottoman Empire on the Black Sea or Sweden on the Baltic Sea, Russia needs a fleet. Peter also realized that the rifle regiments and local cavalry were no longer a first-class instrument for the implementation of broad plans in the field of foreign policy.
Peter’s journey as part of the “great embassy” (the tsar went to foreign lands under the modest name of the “Preobrazhensky Regiment of Sergeant Peter Mikhailov”) was of great importance in the sense of his personal improvement in various sciences. During the trip, the king paid especially close attention to military and naval affairs. The Polish-Lithuanian troops in Courland did not impress him. In Konigsberg, “Peter Mikhailov” studied artillery, in Dutch shipyards - shipbuilding practice, in England - the theory of ship construction, in Austria - the organization of imperial troops. On the way back, the sovereign studied the organization of the Saxon army.
Upon returning to the Russian state, the Tsar immediately began to reorganize the armed forces. General Adam Weide became Peter's active assistant in building a regular army. Peter begins to destroy the Streltsy army, starting with the mass executions of participants in the Streltsy revolt of 1698, and the transfer of some of the Streltsy to “live” in county towns. Some of the archers were transferred to the position of soldiers, others were sent to remote cities to perform garrison service (city archers remained in some places almost until the end of the century). The sovereign intends to form 60 thousand infantry troops supported by the state.
On November 8 (18), 1699, the royal decree was promulgated on voluntary enrollment in regular soldier regiments “from all kinds of free people” and the first recruitment. “Willing” people (volunteers) were accepted with a salary of 11 rubles. per year on full state support. “Datochnye” people (recruits) were recruited from a certain number of households: one warrior from 100 peasants. In the village of Preobrazhenskoye, the Main Commission was established for the recruitment of recruits, the formation of regiments, their supply and training. Its leader was Golovin. Repnin received the task of recruiting people in the lower towns along the Volga. Recruitment began in December 1699. During the first recruitment, 32 thousand people were accepted; they were sent to form 27 infantry and 2 dragoon regiments.
The Russian army, before the defeat at Narva, received the following organization. The infantry regiment consisted of ten fusilier companies (from “fusee” - gun). In some regiments one company was a grenadier. The composition of the infantry regiment: three staff officers, 35 chief officers and 1,200 combatant lower ranks. The infantryman was armed with a 14-pound gun, a baguette (a dagger with a flat, less often faceted blade, used as a bayonet) and a sword. Some of the infantry were armed with pikes - pikemen. In addition, corporals, sergeants, corporals and non-combatant lower ranks were armed with pikes and halberds. The dragoon regiments consisted of about 1 thousand people. The cavalry regiment was also divided into 10 companies. The dragoons were armed with 12-pound rifles without bayonets, two pistols and a broadsword.
Back in 1698, General Weide drew up the first charter, the article, based on the German model. The main one for the infantry was a formation of six deployed ranks. Doubling of rows and ranks was allowed. Gun techniques were established for loading, shooting, saluting, carrying a gun during a campaign, etc. The cavalry initially did not have their own regulations; the dragoons were guided in their training by the infantry regulations. The main formation for the cavalry was a deployed formation in three ranks.
All formed regiments brought together the three highest tactical units - generalships (divisions). They were headed by: Avtonom Golovin, Adam Weide and Anikita Repnin. The commanders of the formations were initially foreigners who had previously commanded regiments of the “foreign system”. Foreigners also predominated among the officers. This was a mistake, since foreigners often rushed to take a profitable position, having neither the relevant experience nor the desire to fight and, if necessary, die for Russia. Therefore, the bosses tried to train Russians in order to quickly replace foreigners.
The newly formed military units were hastily trained and within three months they showed positive results in combat training. However, the process of creating a new army was only gaining momentum. A real army, ready to restrain and deliver powerful blows, will be formed during the Northern War. Within a few years, the Russian army will become stronger, tempered and surpass the first-class Swedish army in all main parameters.
The origins of the Russian Marine Corps date back to ancient times, when Slavic warriors on their swift boats made long voyages across the Baltic and Black Seas, capturing coastal cities and fortresses. The tactics of armed warriors from warships were well understood and talentedly used by many Russian princes: Oleg in his campaign against Constantinople, Svyatoslav during the conquest of the Khazar Kaganate and in battles with the Byzantines
The mobility of troops, able to fight simultaneously both at sea and on land, was no less widely used by the Cossacks in their numerous campaigns and raids across the Black Sea. However, the creation of the Marine Corps as a branch of the military became possible only with the beginning of the creation of the Russian Navy.
In 1668, in connection with the construction of the first Russian sailing warship "Eagle" at the shipyard in the village of Dedinovo on the Oka River, a party of 35 streltsy ("ship soldiers") was included in its crew. A Dutchman, captain of the Russian service, David Butler, took command of the ship and compiled the first prototype of the future naval regulations for the crew of the "Eagle", known as the "34 Articles of Article" or the "Ship Formation Letter". It provided special tasks for this party. Special units of soldiers must be trained to conduct rifle fire in a naval battle, perform ship guard duty, boarding combat, and disembarkation from ships.
In the first years of the Northern War, the tasks of the Marine Corps were carried out by ordinary army regiments. Thus, on May 31, 1702, a detachment of soldiers on boats attacked a flotilla of Swedish ships on Lake Peipsi and captured an armed yacht. On July 10 of the same year, in the same place, soldiers of the Semenovsky regiment on boats in a boarding battle with four enemy ships captured another yacht. In both cases, crews of rowboats stationed in the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments took part in the seizure of ships.
At the end of 1704, Peter I wrote a “Proposal for a Beginning Fleet,” where he formulated his thoughts on the prospects for creating a naval force in the Baltic. Referring to the creation of the Marine Corps, he wrote: “It is necessary to create regiments of naval soldiers (depending on the number according to the fleet) and divide them by captains forever, to which corporals and sergeants should be taken from old soldiers for the sake of better training in formation and order.” In the same year, soldiers of 150 people each were assigned to the first seven galleys built, without being combined into a single team.
On November 16 (November 27, new style), 1705, there was the Highest Order to Admiral F.A. Golovin on the formation of the first regiment of naval soldiers, intended for ship service in landing and boarding teams. This date is considered to be the beginning of the formation of the Russian Marine Corps.
The first naval regiment of soldiers differed significantly from ordinary army regiments and this was explained by the specifics of the activities of the formation being created. There were 38 officers in the army regiment, and 45 in the naval regiment; non-commissioned officers had the same ratio. The difference was explained by the fact that the naval regiment had to operate in more difficult conditions, in addition, each landing and boarding team acted separately and independently of the others, and each naturally needed clear leadership.
An equally significant feature of the soldier’s naval regiment was that it did not have an artillery park or an artillery team. This was explained by the fact that during landings, naval soldiers had to be supported by artillery fire from ships, and when conducting combat operations on the shore, they had to be manned by naval guns with sailor gunners.
The first naval soldier regiment had two battalions, each consisting of five companies. There are 125 ordinary soldiers in the company. The total strength of the regiment: 45 staff and chief officers, 70 non-commissioned officers, 1250 privates. They were armed with: officers - swords and pistols, non-commissioned officers and privates - guns with baguettes (since 1709 baguettes were replaced with bayonets), grenades, cutlasses and nitrepel axes.
The first combat action of the naval regiment was the battle in October 1706 in the Vyborg Bay. Then a detachment of Russian boats under Captain Bakhtiyarov with a team of naval soldiers attacked two Swedish boats that were anchored. Despite the large numerical superiority of the enemy (the Swedes had more than 200 people with eight guns, the attackers had only fifty) one Espern bot was captured after a fierce battle. Among the fallen was bombardier Avtonom Dubasov, the ancestor of the future famous admiral and hero of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. F.V. Dubasova, among the wounded was bombardier Naum Senyavin, the founder of a glorious naval dynasty that gave the Fatherland many outstanding naval commanders.
In 1712, when the fleet increased significantly and began to consist of three squadrons, it became very difficult to distribute soldiers among ships, since each of the squadrons had to send a detachment that did not match the size of either the battalion or the company. In view of this, the first naval soldier regiment was immediately disbanded and five separate naval soldier battalions were created on its basis: the “vice admiral’s battalion” for operations as part of the landing and boarding teams on vanguard ships, the “admiral’s battalion”, intended for the same purposes on ships corps de battalion (center), “rear admiral’s battalion” for operations on rearguard ships, “galley battalion” for landing and boarding parties on galleys and “admiralty battalion” for guard duty on the shore. Soldiers for the formed battalions were taken from the Kazan infantry regiment, two army regiments located in Moscow, as well as the Voronezh regiments: Vyazemsky, Khvostovsky, Korobsky.
According to the Naval Regulations, when on ships, the landing and boarding team was subordinated directly to the ship’s commander, and in terms of special training, to the head of the squadron’s soldier team, i.e., to its battalion commander. During landing operations, after landing on the shore, all teams united into a single battalion and acted together.
The uniform of the naval soldiers consisted of a teak bostrog, a sailor's caftan, tartan trousers, a shirt with ports, a tie, stockings, shoes and boots, a knitted and soldier's hat, a combat caftan and a camisole.
Peter I sought to replenish his naval battalions with experienced soldiers rather than recruits. This was explained, first of all, by the complexity of the tasks facing the battalions. So, for example, sending a recruit to a boarding dump was tantamount to killing him. Unlike new recruits, experienced and experienced soldiers, who had gone through all the difficulties of army service, quickly mastered the difficult “specifics” of naval regiments.
For the first time, in full strength, all naval soldier battalions were baptized in the famous Battle of Gangut on July 27 (August 7), 1714, when the “galley” Russian fleet under the leadership of Peter I completely defeated a detachment of ships of the Swedish rear admiral N. Ehrenskiöld and captured a frigate, b galleys and 3 skerries together with the admiral. This was the first naval victory of the young Russian fleet over the superior forces of an experienced enemy.
A special place in the history of the Russian Marine Corps is occupied by the landing corps, formed in 1713-1714 for joint actions of the army and navy to capture southern Finland. Being a temporary unit, the corps numbered at various times from 16 to 26 thousand people. At the same time, Peter I made it a rule that army regiments, unlike permanent units of the marine corps, should not be split up, but delivered to the landing site and landed only in full force. The reason for such a clear decision is obvious - a lower level of preparation for action in such extreme conditions as landing than that of permanent naval soldier battalions who knew how to fight as part of companies and smaller teams. To facilitate the leadership and actions of army paratroopers who were little familiar with the peculiarities of maritime affairs, the battle formations of the galley fleet were organized according to the army model, subdivided into brigades, battalions and companies. One more condition was certainly fulfilled in the landing corps: instructors from naval soldier regiments were necessarily present in all its regiments and battalions.
Describing the courage of the naval soldiers and soldiers of the landing corps in the Battle of Gangut, Peter I wrote: “It is truly impossible to describe the courage of the Russian troops, both initial and rank and file, since the boarding was carried out so cruelly that several soldiers were killed by enemy guns not with cannonballs and grapeshots, but with the spirit of gunpowder torn apart by guns."
The boarding battle decided the outcome of another significant naval battle of the Northern War. On July 27, 1720, the galley fleet under the command of Prince General M. M. Golitsyn won a brilliant victory off the island of Grengam over the Swedish naval squadron. As a result of a simultaneous attack by galleys from different directions, four enemy frigates were captured in a boarding battle.
During the war of 1700-1721, the forms and methods of using the marines were improved. Thus, in the landing operation to capture Helsingfors in 1712, the following were provided: the order of boarding troops on ships and the marching formation of galleys during the sea crossing, the order of battle of ships in the battle for landing and the order of battle of troops on the shore. The direction of the main attack was also determined - the rear of the enemy garrison, in addition to the main one, were provided for distracting and supporting strikes.
After the death of the founder of the Russian fleet, Emperor Peter the Great in 1725, his beloved brainchild quickly deteriorated, and hard times also affected naval soldier battalions. Already in 1727, by decision of the Admiralty Collegium, due to lack of funds for maintenance, all battalions were disbanded with the exception of the Admiralty and three galley companies. The rest of the personnel was distributed among ships and vessels in proportion to their ranks and displacement. The new organization was named the Navy Soldiers' Team. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, marine detachments of the Russian squadron under the command of Admiral G. A. Spiridov liberated a number of islands of the Greek archipelago, fought in the Chesma naval battle of 1770, participated in the capture of the port of Navarin (1770), Beirut fortress (1772).
A special page in the history of the Marine Corps is the Mediterranean expedition of Admiral F. F. Ushakov in 1798-1800. At that time, almost all naval soldiers of the Black Sea Fleet participated in the Russian squadron.
During this campaign, a number of islands of the Ionian archipelago, a first-class fortress on the island of Corfu were taken, troops were landed on the Italian coast and all of Southern Italy was liberated from Napoleonic troops. In one of his orders, F. F. Ushakov wrote: “I am sending a landing party to the mothed shore... 100 people, a grenadier and a musketeer with one more officer and a decent number of constables... I remind you, show such a look that the enemy considers you in great numbers, and so instill fear in him so that he would flee from the distant fortifications into the fortress.”
The most difficult operation of the entire campaign was the capture of the fortress of Corfu, which had a garrison of 3,000 people and more than 600 guns. During the capture of the fortress, the initial attack was aimed at a key position - Vido Island. The landing was carried out simultaneously in three directions. In the first echelon, built in the front line, there were boats, longboats and large boats. Here were the most experienced paratroopers, capable of quickly occupying landing points and gaining a foothold in them. In the second echelon there were smaller boats. Along with the naval soldiers, the sailors of the ship's crews assigned to the landing force marched in it. The third echelon transported artillery, ammunition, and assault ladders. The entire landing was covered by naval artillery, firing intense rapid fire at the coastal fortifications. When the landing force landed on the shore, Ushakov directed artillery fire at the main French fortifications. Unable to withstand such a massive blow, Corfu capitulated. The admiral himself reported to Emperor Paul that the naval soldiers fought during the capture of the fortress with “unparalleled courage and zeal.” The capture of the fortress of Corfu in February 1799 (one of the strongest fortresses in Europe) from the sea in the absence of siege artillery and a sufficient number of troops, equipment and food is unprecedented in the history of wars.
In 1779, a soldier team of 80 people was formed on the Caspian Sea; in 1796, in connection with the next Caucasian War, the number of the team was increased to 150 people, and two years later the need for naval soldiers was 510 people. In this regard, in the summer of 1805, the Caspian Special Naval Battalion, consisting of four companies, was formed on the flotilla.
In the Patriotic War of 1812, detachments of sailors from the Guards naval crew fought on the Borodino field, then fought along with the Russian army to Paris. The 75th Black Sea Fleet Crew took part in a number of battles of the 1813-1814 campaign, as well as in the capture of Paris.
At the beginning of the Crimean (Eastern) War in 1853, a freelance landing force was created in the Black Sea Fleet. When the Anglo-French troops landed in the Crimea and a threatening situation was created for Sevastopol, by order of Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov, the formation of several naval landing battalions began at once. Their formation was facilitated by the fact that, since Lazarev’s times, special landing teams, called “rifle parties,” were created on ships, i.e., essentially non-standard marine units with combat experience in Caucasian landings.
In March 1854, Kornilov ordered the formation of two additional landing battalions at the expense of the ship’s “rifle parties.” On July 1, two more battalions were formed, one of them with a reinforced eight-company strength.
In total, seventeen airborne and rifle battalions took part in the heroic defense of Sevastopol. In addition, during the defense, almost the entire personnel of the Black Sea, except for the crews of armed steamships, gradually went to the land front.
The sailors also took a direct part in the defense of Petropavlovsk in 1854. Then four detachments were formed from the crews of the ships stationed in the port. Together with armed local residents, the sailors threw the Anglo-French landing force into the sea in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
Despite the fact that the need to recreate the Marine Corps was repeatedly proven, throughout the 19th century the leadership of the Naval Ministry did not try to organize such units.
During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, amphibious assault forces were used primarily in the defense of Port Arthur. In fierce battles, the sailors showed miracles of heroism, but the efforts of the defenders of Port Arthur were unsuccessful and on January 2, 1905, the fortress fell.
With the outbreak of the First World War, the need for urgent organization of marine units for various purposes became obvious. Already in August 1914, the formation of the 1st battalion from the personnel of the 2nd Baltic crew began in Kronstadt. Two more battalions were formed on the basis of the guards crew. Several marine regiments were formed in the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, in particular for landing on the Bosphorus coast. In addition to marine units, large ships had crew crews intended for use in landing operations.
In September 1914, the first battalion of the guards crew already took part in hostilities on the Neman River.
In addition to individual battalions intended for operations on the land front, the Headquarters demanded that the Ministry create marine units for the defense of coastal fortresses and coastal defense.
During the Civil War, about 170 amphibious, expeditionary or land-based detachments, formations and units of military sailors fought in the ranks of the Red Army (including 2 naval expeditionary divisions). They also manned the crews of 40 armored trains and artillery armored vehicles. In total, there were up to 75 thousand sailors at the fronts, decommissioned from ships.
Since March 1930, the Marine Corps became part of the coastal defense forces, which became part of the Navy.
In accordance with the directive of the Chief of the General Staff of the Navy dated June 6, 1939, on the basis of the Separate Kronstadt Fortress Regiment of the Baltic Fleet, the formation of a Separate Special Infantry Brigade of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet began. The brigade took part in the landing on the islands of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Thus, the Marine Corps took shape organizationally as a branch of the USSR Navy only in 1939.
By order of the People's Commissar of the Navy dated April 25, 1940, the Special Special Infantry Brigade of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet was renamed the 1st Separate Marine Brigade of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and redeployed to the Koivisto area. Simultaneously with its creation, it was planned to form formations and units of the Marine Corps in other fleets and flotillas.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, units and formations of the Marine Corps were urgently formed, more than a dozen formations of sailors fought near Moscow alone in the fall of 1941, and four separate naval rifle brigades of the Pacific Fleet became the ramming reserve of G. K. Zhukov, which ensured the success of the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops and extinguished the German Typhoon near the walls of the capital.
Black pea coats on the white snow of the Moscow region and the sailor’s “Polundra!” '41 became symbols, a living legend of the war. That is why all naval rifle units created since June 22, 1941 - 30 brigades (about 100 thousand people) - are traditionally popularly called the Marine Corps.
Already by August-September 1941, the Baltic Fleet allocated 2 naval brigades (including 1 cadet brigade), 4 regiments and over 40 separate battalions and companies of marines to defend Leningrad. The Black Sea Fleet, conducting continuous combat operations at sea, formed 8 brigades, several regiments and over 30 separate battalions and companies, in addition, the Black Sea Fleet fought as part of 12 naval rifle brigades. In the first months of the war alone, the Northern Fleet formed 16 different units and units of the Marine Corps. It was there, in the North, that General Dietl’s rangers failed to cross the USSR State Border throughout the war.
During the war years, the Pacific Fleet allocated 14,307 people for combat operations on land. During the war years, naval educational institutions sent 8,656 people to the land fronts, and units of the Central Subordination of the Navy - 15,569 people.
Few people know that the first attempt to conduct military operations “with little blood loss and on foreign territory” was made on the very first day of the war. The sailors of the Danube flotilla, a platoon of senior lieutenant M. Kozelbashev, crossed the Danube on June 22, 1941, and by June 26, with the main landing forces, border guards and one regiment of the Chapaev division, they cleared the Romanian coast of the enemy for 75 kilometers. The Marine Corps has demonstrated the “madness of the brave” more than once.
Today, the feat of the sailors of the Dnieper flotilla turned out to be forgotten, when our officer company steadfastly held the defense near Kiev, and then, in fierce battles, broke out of encirclement in 10 days. During the Kerch-Eltigen landing operation in November 1943, sailors of the 83rd and 255th marine brigades, 369th and 386th separate battalions of the Black Sea Fleet MP took a bridgehead near the village of Eltigen, for 36 days the paratroopers held the bridgehead without the support of the main forces, in winter, without food and on bare icy rocks, fighting with captured weapons.
On March 26, 1944, 68 paratroopers of Major K. Olshansky landed at the commercial port of Nikolaev and held the bridgehead for 2 days. The sailors repelled 18 German attacks: 3 infantry battalions, with the support of 4 tanks, 2 mortars and 4 guns. The Olsha residents destroyed about 700 fascists, 2 tanks and 4 guns. All received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The Marines showed steadfastness and heroism during the defense of the Kola Peninsula, in battles near Libau, Tallinn, on the Moonsund Islands, the Hanko Peninsula, near Moscow and Leningrad, they courageously fought for Odessa and Sevastopol, Kerch and Novorossiysk, and destroyed the enemy near Stalingrad, defended the Caucasus.
“In the dusty Odessa trenches, in the pine forest near Leningrad, in the snow on the outskirts of Moscow, in the tangled thickets of the Sevastopol mountain oak forest,” wrote Leonid Sobolev in the story “The Soul of the Sea,” “I saw everywhere through the gate of a protective overcoat that was opened, as if by accident, a quilted jacket, short fur coat or tunic with the native blue and white stripes of the “sea soul”. This is what the sailors lovingly called the vest. Naval units and formations were used by the command on land fronts until the very end of the Great Patriotic War.
The actions of the Pacific Fleet Marine Corps are almost unknown to a wide range of readers, primarily because they were very short-lived.
But it was precisely the speed and Suvorov onslaught of the paratroopers of the 13th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, the 358th Marine Battalion, the 365th Separate Marine Battalion, the combined naval battalion of the Sovgavan Naval Base that made it possible to capture ports in Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The cities of Port Arthur and Dalny were captured by airborne troops of Pacific sailors.
In total, during the years of the Great Patriotic War, the Marine Corps participated in 122 landings in all theaters of military operations (with a total number of 330 thousand people with equipment and weapons).
It was from the personnel of the Marine Corps that units and units of the first throw were formed to capture bridgeheads on the enemy’s shore, and only after the success of the units of the first throw did the main landing forces land. The Motherland highly appreciated the military merits of the Marine Corps in the Great Patriotic War: 5 brigades and 2 battalions of the Marine Corps were converted into guards; 9 brigades and 6 battalions were awarded orders, many were given honorary titles. Tens of thousands of marines were awarded orders and medals of the USSR, and 122 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. After the Great Patriotic War, the Marine Corps units were disbanded in 1956. Another real revival began in 1963, when the 336th Guards Rifle Regiment was transferred from the Belarusian District to the Baltic Fleet and a separate MP regiment was formed on its basis; the same regiments were also created in other fleets. Since 1967, the Marine Corps of the USSR Navy began performing combat service tasks in the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
In 1975-1977, landing personnel and the crew of the BDK helped transport cargo and food for the starving population of the island of Socotra. In 1978, during difficult days for Ethiopia (there was a civil war there), more than 600 people were evacuated and rescued by the Marine Corps. With courage, the Marines provided assistance to the people of Yemen NDR.
A separate chapter in the history of the Northern Fleet Marine Corps is the war in Chechnya. Back in 1994, before the start of the First Chechen War, it became clear to the formation that the inclusion of Northern Fleet Marines in the Federal Forces was inevitable. And no one was surprised when, instead of the next review, which was supposed to take place on January 20, 1995, on the 7th, on Christmas Day, the Northern Fleet Marine Corps DSB was alerted and flew to Mozdok. From the Mozdok airport, the Northern Fleet Marines immediately set off for Grozny, some on helicopters, some in a column. Thus began the first epic of the Northern Fleet marines in Chechnya.
On a January night, from 10 to 11, the Marines of the Northern Fleet captured the Main Post Office in Grozny without losses, and already on the 13th, a unit of the Marine Corps of the Northern Fleet reached the buildings of the Council of Ministers. Then there was an assault on the Presidential Palace.
Peter the Great inherited a cumbersome and clumsy country. The symbols of his reforms were a club and pincers. With the help of the first, he prompted careless officials and punished bribe-takers, and with the latter, he tore out hardened dogmas from the heads of his subordinates, sometimes along with his teeth. His ideal is a state machine that works like a clock, without material needs and physical disabilities. He admired the scientific and technological achievements of Europe, but did not accept liberal values at all. With superhuman efforts, he laid the foundations of the power of the new Russia.
Rebellious Age
The debate about the origin of Peter the Great still continues. His actions were too unusual against the backdrop of Muscovy at that time. During his time, there were rumors about a substitution in Holland. Now there are opinions that Peter was not the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. But even if he is not his father's offspring, what does that mean for the country he built?
The future Emperor Peter I was born on June 9, 1672 in the royal chambers in Moscow. His mother was from a seedy noble family of the Naryshkins. Male children from the first wife of the Miloslavsky family either died in infancy or, like Tsar Fedor and Ivan Alekseevich, had poor health.
Petrusha's childhood was marred by violence. The struggle for power between the Naryshkins and the Miloslavskys ended with the Streltsy rebellion, which brought Princess Sophia to power. Tsars Peter and Ivan rule nominally. Sophia is not afraid of the weak-minded Ivan, but Peter grew up as a strong and strong boy, and staged amusing battles with amusing troops. Subsequently, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments would become the key to brilliant victories.
Young Peter poses a serious threat to Princess Sophia, but for the time being he is not interested in state affairs. He spends his free time in the German Settlement and sees with his own eyes the benefits of the Western lifestyle. On the Yauza River he builds amusing ships, and trains his fellows in the European style and supplies them with artillery. In the year of Peter's coming of age, Sophia again tries to provoke another Streltsy riot in order to kill the young king in the commotion. Peter flees to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he concentrates his strength. The Streltsy masses recognize its legitimacy and leave Sophia. The latter is imprisoned in the Novodevichy monastery.
Moscow period of rule
After the overthrow of Sophia, little changed in Peter's life. The Naryshkin clique rules on his behalf, and Peter continues to take amusing fortresses and master crafts. He teaches arithmetic, geometry and military science. He is surrounded by foreigners, many of whom will become his comrades in transforming the state. His mother tries to return him to the fold of tradition and marries Evdokia Lopukhina, from an old boyar family. But Peter also likes European women, so, having hastily fulfilled his marital duty, he disappears in the German Settlement. Anna Mons, the charming daughter of a German wine merchant, is waiting for him there.
When, after the death of his mother, Peter began to rule independently, he was already an adherent of the European style of life. More precisely, he admired the Dutch and Germans, remaining almost indifferent to Catholic countries. However, the new king is in no hurry to introduce new orders. He needed the aura of a successful commander, and in 1695 he was going on a campaign against Turkey. The Azov fortress can only be taken the next year, when a newly created flotilla blocks it from the sea.
Grand Embassy
The Tsar understands: Russia is suffocating without access to the seas. Building a fleet requires a lot of money. Heavy taxes are imposed on all classes. Leaving the country in the care of the boyar Fyodor Romodanovsky, for whom he invented the title of Prince Caesar, Peter goes on a pilgrimage across Europe. The formal reason for the visit was the search for allies to fight Turkey. He entrusted this mission to Admiral General F. Lefort and General F. Golovin. Peter himself hid under the name of the sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Peter Mikhailov.
In Holland, he takes part in the construction of the ship "Peter and Paul", trying himself in all crafts. He is only interested in the technical achievements of the West. In matters of government, he was an eastern despot, he himself participated in executions and torture and mercilessly suppressed all manifestations of popular unrest. Tsar Peter also visited the cradle of European democracy, England, where he visited parliament, a foundry, an arsenal, Oxford University, the Greenwich Observatory and the Mint, the caretaker of which at that time was Sir Isaac Newton. Peter purchases equipment and specialists in shipbuilding.
Meanwhile, a Streltsy revolt breaks out in the country, which is brutally suppressed until the Tsar returns. The investigation points to the mastermind of the rebellion - Princess Sophia. Peter's rage and contempt for the old order only intensifies. He does not want to wait any longer and issues a decree banning beards for the nobility and introducing German dress. In 1700, the Julian calendar was introduced, replacing the Byzantine one, according to which the year 7208 in Russia was from the creation of the world. It is interesting to read his instructions and decrees now. They have a lot of humor and peasant ingenuity. So in one of them we read that “a subordinate in front of his superiors should look dashing and stupid, so as not to embarrass his superiors with his understanding.”
North War
Peter the Great continued the work of Ivan the Terrible, who waged the Livonian War for access to the Baltic Sea. His military reforms begin with the introduction of conscription, according to which soldiers had to serve for 25 years. Serf Russia sends the most violent and passionate peasants into the army. This is the secret of the brilliant victories of Russia in the eighteenth century. But noble children are also required to serve, and they are given a Table of Ranks.
In preparation for war with Sweden, Peter put together the Northern Union, which included Denmark, Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The campaign got off to a bad start. Denmark is forced to withdraw from the war, and the Russians are defeated at Narva. However, military reforms continued, and already in the autumn of 1702, the Russians began to kick the Swedes out of the Baltic cities: Noteburg, Nieschanz, Dorpat and Narva. Swedish King Charles XII invades Ukraine to unite with Hetman Ivan Mazepa. Here Russian weapons crowned themselves with victories in the Battle of Lesnaya (October 9, 1708) and in the Battle of Poltava (July 8, 1709).
The defeated Charles XII flees to Istanbul and incites the Sultan to go to war with Russia. In the summer of 1711, Peter went on the Prut campaign against Turkey, which ended with the encirclement of Russian troops. The Tsar manages to pay off with jewelry, which was taken off by Peter's new wife Marta Skavronskaya, a pupil of the Lutheran pastor Ernst Gluck. According to the new peace treaty, Russia gave the Azov fortress to Turkey and lost access to the Sea of Azov.
But failures in the east can no longer hinder the successes of the Russian army in the Baltic states. After the mysterious death of Charles XII, the Swedes no longer resist. According to the Treaty of Nystad (September 10, 1721), Russia gains access to the Baltic Sea, as well as the territory of Ingria, part of Karelia, Estland and Livonia. At the request of the Senate, Tsar Peter accepted the title of the Great, Father of the Fatherland and Emperor of All Russia.
Pincers and club
Peter the Great's reforms were aimed not only at modernizing society and the state. The colossal expenses for the army and for the construction of the new capital, St. Petersburg, forced the tsar to introduce new taxes, ruining the already impoverished peasantry. An Asian gentleman moved into the family of civilized peoples, hastily dressed in European clothes, armed with European technologies, but did not want to hear anything, in order to give his slaves at least some human rights. Therefore, it is not surprising that even a hundred years after Peter’s death one could read in the capital’s newspapers: “Puppies of a purebred bitch and a 17-year-old girl, trained in women’s crafts, are for sale.”
The administrative-command system created by Peter the Great elevated him to the rank of absolute monarch. By bringing people from the lower classes closer to him, he had no intention of breaking the social hierarchy. The enlightened elite no longer saw their brothers in the peasants, as was the case in Muscovite Rus'. The European way of life, to which the nobility was accustomed, required financial support, so the oppression and enslavement of the serfs only intensified. The once homogeneous society is divided into white and black bones, which 200 years later will lead to a bloody outcome of the revolution and civil war in Russia.
Death and aftermath
Having repealed the law on succession to the throne, Peter himself fell into its snare. Government concerns and excessive libations undermined his health. To his credit, it must be said that he did not spare either himself or others. While inspecting the Ladoga Canal, the Tsar rushes into the water to save stranded soldiers. Kidney stone disease, complicated by uremia, worsens. There is neither time nor energy, but the emperor hesitates with his will. It seems that he simply does not know who to pass the throne to. On February 8, 1725, Peter the Great died in terrible agony, without saying who he would like to see on the Russian throne.
The death of Peter ushered in the era of Guards coups, when empresses and sovereigns were placed on the throne by a handful of nobles who had secured the support of elite regiments. The last Guards coup was attempted by the Decembrists on Senate Square in 1825.
The meaning of Peter's reforms is contradictory, but this is normal for all Russian reformers. The country with the coldest climate and the most risky agriculture will always strive to minimize development costs, devoting all its efforts to basic survival. And when the lag becomes critical, society pushes forward another “transformer” who will have to take the rap for the mistakes and excesses of accelerated development. It’s a paradox, but reforms in Russia have always been in the name of preserving one’s own identity, to strengthen the state machine, through updating it with the latest technical achievements. For the sake of the survival of Russian civilization, which embraces Europe and Asia, remaining unlike either one or the other.