Western Civilization. Peter the Great

¶ … Western Civilization. Peter the Great ruled Russia as a Tsar and Emperor for nearly 50 years, and he brought reforms and modernism to his country. Some have called him the most significant member of Russian history, which is why he is known as Peter the Great. However, many of his reforms were controversial, and some historians believe Peter may have been mad. He made some great accomplishments, but his reign was contentious, at best.

Born in May 1672, Peter was the grandson of Tsar Michael Romanov, and he began his rule when he was only 10-years-old, through a series of missteps and coincidences. When he was born, Russia was still largely a peasant, agrarian state, with 90% of the population made up of peasants (Hughes 4). It was also a country torn by strife, consistently invaded by Tartars and Turks, and seen as a country with commercial possibilities by most of the rest of Europe (Hughes 3). There was a grave lack of professional people in 17th century Russia, and there were few towns, as well. It is as if Russia missed the Renaissance and Reformation that were taking place in Western Europe, and it remained a feudal, peasant-oriented economy rooted in the past.

Peter's childhood was spent enjoying the excesses of the royal family, but he received a cursory education, and never enjoyed academics as much as he enjoyed "practical" skills such as woodworking (Hughes 10). He was never meant to be first or even second, in the line of ruling succession, but due to several different factors, including power struggles within the family, he began a joint rule with his half-brother Ivan in 1682. Ivan was "feeble minded," but Peter did not get the chance to rule, instead, the two boys were controlled by Ivan's 25-year-old sister, Sofia, who manipulated the throne and the two boys.

Sofia was ousted by a failed coup d'etat in 1689, and spent the rest of her life in a convent, while Ivan died in 1696, leaving Peter in control of Russia (Editors). Another historian notes, "When his time did come, conditions were less than auspicious for his success. The country was in disarray, riven by conflicts among the leading boyar clans and plagued by the deep social and religious divisions that had given rise to violent spasms of popular unrest throughout the seventeenth century" (Pozefsky). It was Peter's task to reunite the country and create more harmonious relationships between the people and the ruling class. He did this by naming Russia an Empire after winning the war against Sweden, and declaring himself the Emperor, like many other European countries. He held the position of Emperor until he died, creating a new era in Russian government, monarchy, and society.

When he was young, he discovered he had an intense interest in military matters. Another historian notes, "He organized his own military units which were later transformed into the first imperial guards. In an action that predicted his future as ruler, he enlisted in his own unit as the drummer boy; he insisted that he could not command until he had proven himself as a soldier" (Mines). When Peter took over sole rule, he put his great interest in military matters into practice, and shortly thereafter, he gained his first military victory. Historian Lindsey Hughes notes, "On Ivan's death in 1696, Peter found himself sole ruler and enjoyed his first military victory, the capture of the Turkish fortress at Azov at the mouth of the river Don, a success which was aided by a makeshift fleet " ("A Hero of Our Time" 42). His boyhood interest in sailing him aided him in this victory, and ultimately, after the defeat of Turkey, Peter created the first Russian Navy.

This interest in sailing would fuel his interest in regaining a Baltic port and the resulting trade that port could generate, as well. To this end, he created the Northern War with Sweden in 1700, which lasted 21 years but resulted in Russia's command of the Baltic coast and major Baltic trade routes and ports (Editors). Historian Hughes continues, "Peter pursued the Swedish war to a successful conclusion and also somehow found time to build St. Petersburg (founded 1703), restructure the government (creating the Senate, Colleges and new provincial institutions) and encourage industry, education, publishing and the arts" ("A Hero of Our Time" 42). This indicates just how important Peter's rule was to Russia. He literally turned Russia from a feudal society into a modern, functional society that could hold its own with just about any other European country, making him one of the most important Russian leaders in history.

One reason Peter was so determined to modernize Russia was he knew it suffered from a poor reputation around the world. Hughes continues, "Part of Peter's vision sprang from his painful awareness of the low opinion in which Russia was held abroad" ("A Hero of Our Time" 42). Peter struggled to change that image, and his work, both military and cultural did change Russia's perception abroad, as well. Peter traveled widely before he took over full rule, and traveled afterward, as well. He saw how different life was in Western Europe, and how backward Russia was in many areas, and he was determined to change and alter Russia so it could survive and thrive in the future, and stay even with the strides Western Europe was making in culture, education, and world trade.

One of Peter's greatest accomplishments is the formation of Saint Petersburg in 1703, which became the Russian center of the arts and culture in the country. Peter wanted it to feel like any one of the most celebrated capitals in Europe, and he even created a decree that the people of Saint Petersburg had to wear European fashions to make visitors feel more at home. Reclaimed from swampland, the city took years to complete, but when it was done, Peter saw it as the shining star of Russia. Historian Mines continues, "Everyone of importance in Russia was ordered to move to St. Petersburg immediately -- a new sparkling city had risen from the marshes of the north lands" (Mines). Even today, Saint Petersburg is recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and its architecturally unique buildings with their colorful "onion" domes and other details are memorable and extremely spectacular.

Peter also drastically reformed the Russian Orthodox Church. He separated the Church from the state, something that had not been done in Russia before, and he took far greater control over the Church and spiritual matters. Another writer notes, "He ceased to be the Moscow Tsar, appointed by God Himself as the father of his people, and became the Emperor of Russia whose primary duty was to maintain the honour and glory of the new Empire" (Zernov 50). Perhaps the greatest change he made in the Church came early in his rule, in 1700, when the traditional leader of the Church, the Patriarch of Moscow, died, and Peter refused to name a successor, so the position remained vacant. When he made himself Emperor in 1721, he created the Holy Synod, a council of ten clergymen, to lead place of the Patriarch and Coadjutor. In another one of his many edicts, he also decreed that no man under the age of 50 could join a monastery. Many historians feel he feared the Church would oppose him, and so effectively removed the opposition by reforming the Church.

Peter was not content to reorganize Russia's military and place in Europe. He also reformed many areas of the government. "He reorganized the government: established the Senat as the highest government institution and 10 semi-ministries ' kollegii.' Peter introduced a new poll tax, which brought him funding for an active foreign policy and for boosting national manufacturing and trade" (Editors). While he was organizing the government, he also was creating a vast set of rules and regulations - edicts that would enrage at least some of the Russian people.

Of course, Peter was not a perfect ruler. In fact, many aspects of his rule were controversial at best. When he traveled abroad, notables said his manners were atrocious, and his behavior was often odd at best. Author Hughes continues, "Visitors to Russia were alarmed by Peter's strange court, which featured both dwarfs and giants, human 'monsters' (in his Cabinet of Curiosities) and the 'All-Mad, All-Jesting, All-Drunken Assembly,' headed by a Prince-Pope, which indulged in elaborate, often obscene rituals, devised by the tsar himself" ("A Hero of Our Time" 42). Peter also faced criticism for many of his accomplishments, which some people found self-indulgent and unnecessary. Finally, Peter was vindictive and bizarre at times. He had his own son executed for disobeying official policies, and he accused both his second wife and mistress of infidelity. Some people believe he was mad, although there is little documentation to back up this claim.

For example, Peter formed the Russian Navy, but many saw it as an unnecessary extravagance, since Russia had so little shoreline to worry about. Author Hughes notes, "More recently M.S. Anderson described the fleet as 'a gigantic, complex and expensive toy built and operated for [Peter's] personal gratification'" ("A Hero of Our Time" 42). In addition, Peter's reign changed Russia from a relatively minor power to a larger, world power, but it also changed the lives of the Russian people in numerous ways. The previous Muscovite era imposed few burdens on Russians other than taxes and their inability to simply change their community or tax burdens (Raeff 22). The people acted and reacted according to custom, which was an all-encompassing part of Russian life, but Peter's rule changed all that.