Before Peter I, large warships did not exist in Russia, therefore, as well as there was no access to the sea. The first Russian sailing ship "Eagle", designed for military needs and created in 1669, accommodated a crew of only 35 people and was intended for landing and boarding teams, that is, for close combat, but not for operations in the open sea.

Having studied shipbuilding abroad, the emperor came to the conclusion that it was necessary to seriously reorganize the maritime business in Russia and began shipbuilding. The result of such an extensive reform activity was the first victories won by the Russian fleet during his reign. For the first time, the Russian fleet proved itself in the Azov campaigns, after which it was tested in practice during the Northern War.

Fleet under Peter I

One of the first major and successful battles of the sailing navy of Russia under Peter the Great took place, oddly enough, not at sea, but on the Pelkin River on October 6, 1713. The battle was attended by the galley fleet of Commander-in-Chief Apraksin with a marine landing force on board with a total number of more than 16 thousand people and a ship fleet commanded by Peter himself. Russian troops attacked the enemy positions, outflanking him, and after a short resistance won a crushing victory.

On May 27, 1714, another decisive naval battle of the navy took place - the Gangut naval battle, in which grenadier, infantry, guards and galley regiments and battalions took part. The Gangut battle took place in the conditions of the open sea and superior enemy forces, since the Russian naval squadron, consisting of a rowing fleet, fought with 15 battleships, 3 frigates, 2 bombardment ships and 9 galleys of the Swedish fleet, commanded by G. Vatrang.

Gangut sea battle

Realizing that the Russian ships had no chance of directly defeating such a huge and well-armed fleet in battle, Peter decided to transfer part of the fleet across the isthmus to the north of the very cape at which it was planned to fight, for which a whole transshipment bridge was built, along which the galleys were to be drawn to the other side. The Swedes, having learned about such a cunning maneuver, divided their fleet and threw it across the ships that had just been transported, which were not there, since all the actions carried out by Peter were nothing more than a military trick, as a result of which they managed to divide a large fleet and gain a noticeable advantage .

A detachment of the Russian fleet consisting of 20 ships led by Commander M.Kh. Zmaevich began to break through the Swedish fleet, while remaining out of the line of fire, while another detachment of 15 ships was in reserve until a certain time, which saved Peter from the need to transfer ships, but put the Swedes in a dead end. The Swedes tried to go on the attack three times, but were repulsed and, after the surrender of the main flagship, were forced to admit defeat. Only a small part of the Swedish ships managed to escape.

Admiral of the Russian fleet M.Kh. Zmaevich

Another battle that glorified the Russian fleet and put it on a par with the best fleets of European countries took place on July 27, 1720 near Grengam Island, which is part of the Aland Islands. The Russian fleet of 90 ships was commanded by M. Golitsyn, the Swedish by K. G. Sheblad. As a result of the battle, Russian galleys and boats that did not require great depth managed to lure the Swedish fleet into shallow water, where it was defeated.

The naval battles under Peter I put an end to the dominance of the Swedes in the Baltic Sea and showed that Russia was becoming a serious rival not only on land, but also at sea.

Peter I, nicknamed Peter the Great for his services to Russia, is not just a symbolic figure in Russian history, but a key one. Peter 1 created the Russian Empire, therefore he turned out to be the last tsar of all Rus' and, accordingly, the first All-Russian Emperor. The son of the king, the godson of the king, the brother of the king - Peter himself was proclaimed the head of the country, and at that time the boy was barely 10 years old. Initially, he had a formal co-ruler Ivan V, but from the age of 17 he already ruled independently, and in 1721 Peter I became emperor.

Tsar Peter the First | Haiku Deck

For Russia, the years of the reign of Peter I were a time of large-scale reforms. He significantly expanded the territory of the state, built the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, incredibly boosted the economy by founding a whole network of metallurgical and glass factories, and also reduced the import of foreign goods to a minimum. In addition, Peter the Great was the first of the Russian rulers to adopt their best ideas from Western countries. But since all the reforms of Peter the Great were achieved through violence against the population and the eradication of any dissent, the personality of Peter 1 among historians still evokes diametrically opposed assessments.

Childhood and youth of Peter I

The biography of Peter I initially implied his future reign, since he was born in the family of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov and his wife Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. It is noteworthy that Peter the Great turned out to be the 14th child of his father, but the firstborn for his mother. It is also worth noting that the name Peter was completely unconventional for both dynasties of his ancestors, so historians still cannot figure out where he got this name from.

Childhood of Peter the Great | Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

The boy was only four years old when the king-father died. His older brother and godfather Fyodor III Alekseevich ascended the throne, who took custody of his brother and ordered him to be given the best possible education. However, Peter the Great had big problems with this. He was always very inquisitive, but just at that moment the Orthodox Church started a war against foreign influence, and all Latin teachers were removed from the court. Therefore, the prince was taught by Russian clerks, who themselves did not have deep knowledge, and Russian-language books of the proper level did not yet exist. As a result, Peter the Great had a meager vocabulary and wrote with errors until the end of his life.

Childhood of Peter the Great | View map

Tsar Fedor III reigned for only six years and died due to poor health at a young age. According to tradition, another offspring of Tsar Alexei, Ivan, was to take the throne, but he was very painful, so the Naryshkin family organized a virtual palace coup and declared Peter I the heir. It was beneficial for them, since the boy was a descendant of their family, but the Naryshkins did not take into account that the Miloslavsky family would raise an uprising because of the infringement of the interests of Tsarevich Ivan. The famous Streltsy rebellion of 1682 took place, the result of which was the recognition of two tsars at the same time - Ivan and Peter. The Kremlin Armory still has a double throne for the brother-kings.

Childhood and youth of Peter the Great | Russian Museum

The favorite game of young Peter I was training with his army. Moreover, the soldiers of the prince were not at all toys. His peers dressed in uniform and marched through the streets of the city, and Peter the Great himself "served" in his regiment as a drummer. Later, he even started his own artillery, also real. The funny army of Peter I was called the Preobrazhensky regiment, to which the Semenovsky regiment was later added, and, in addition to them, the tsar organized a funny fleet.

Tsar Peter I

When the young tsar was still a minor, his older sister, Princess Sophia, and later his mother Natalya Kirillovna and her relatives, the Naryshkins, stood behind him. In 1689, co-ruler brother Ivan V finally gave all power to Peter, although he nominally remained co-tsar until he suddenly died at the age of 30. After the death of his mother, Tsar Peter the Great freed himself from the burdensome guardianship of the princes Naryshkins, and it was from that time that one can speak of Peter the Great as an independent ruler.

Tsar Peter the First | Culturology

He continued military operations in the Crimea against the Ottoman Empire, conducted a series of Azov campaigns, which resulted in the capture of the Azov fortress. To strengthen the southern borders, the tsar built the port of Taganrog, but Russia still did not have a full-fledged fleet, so it did not achieve a final victory. The large-scale construction of ships and the training of young nobles abroad in shipbuilding began. And the tsar himself learned the art of building a fleet, even working as a carpenter on the construction of the ship "Peter and Paul".

Emperor Peter the First | Bookaholic

While Peter the Great was preparing to reform the country and personally studied the technical and economic progress of the leading European states, a conspiracy was conceived against him, and the king's first wife was at the head. Having suppressed the streltsy rebellion, Peter the Great decided to reorient military operations. He concludes a peace agreement with the Ottoman Empire and starts a war with Sweden. His troops captured the fortresses Noteburg and Nienschanz at the mouth of the Neva, where the tsar decided to found the city of St. Petersburg, and placed the base of the Russian fleet on the nearby island of Kronstadt.

Wars of Peter the Great

The above conquests made it possible to open an exit to the Baltic Sea, which later received the symbolic name "Window to Europe". Later, the territories of the Eastern Baltic joined Russia, and in 1709, during the legendary Battle of Poltava, the Swedes were completely defeated. Moreover, it is important to note: Peter the Great, unlike many kings, did not sit out in fortresses, but personally led the troops on the battlefield. In the Battle of Poltava, Peter I was even shot through his hat, that is, he really risked his own life.

Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava | X-digest

After the defeat of the Swedes at Poltava, King Charles XII took refuge under the patronage of the Turks in the city of Bender, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire, and today is located in Moldova. With the help of the Crimean Tatars and the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, he began to escalate the situation on the southern border of Russia. Seeking the expulsion of Charles, Peter the Great, on the contrary, forced the Ottoman sultan to unleash the Russo-Turkish war again. Rus' found itself in a situation where it was necessary to wage a war on three fronts. On the border with Moldova, the king was surrounded and agreed to sign peace with the Turks, giving them back the fortress of Azov and access to the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

Fragment of Ivan Aivazovsky's painting "Peter I at Krasnaya Gorka" | Russian Museum

In addition to the Russian-Turkish and northern wars, Peter the Great escalated the situation in the east. Thanks to his expeditions, the cities of Omsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk were founded, later Kamchatka joined Russia. The king wanted to carry out campaigns in North America and India, but he failed to realize these ideas. On the other hand, he conducted the so-called Caspian campaign against Persia, during which he conquered Baku, Rasht, Astrabad, Derbent, as well as other Iranian and Caucasian fortresses. But after the death of Peter the Great, most of these territories were lost, as the new government considered the region not promising, and maintaining the garrison in those conditions was too expensive.

Reforms of Peter I

Due to the fact that the territory of Russia expanded significantly, Peter managed to reorganize the country from a kingdom into an empire, and starting from 1721, Peter I became emperor. Of the numerous reforms of Peter I, the transformations in the army clearly stood out, which allowed him to achieve great military victories. But no less important were such innovations as the transfer of the church under the subordination of the emperor, as well as the development of industry and trade. Emperor Peter the Great was well aware of the need for education and the fight against an outdated way of life. On the one hand, his tax on wearing a beard was perceived as tyranny, but at the same time, there was a direct dependence of the promotion of the nobles on the level of their education.

Peter the Great cuts the boyars' beards | VistaNews

Under Peter, the first Russian newspaper was founded and many translations of foreign books appeared. Artillery, engineering, medical, naval and mining schools were opened, as well as the first gymnasium in the country. Moreover, now not only the children of noble people, but also the offspring of soldiers could attend general education schools. He really wanted to create a compulsory elementary school for everyone, but he did not manage to realize this plan. It is important to note that the reforms of Peter the Great affected not only the economy and politics. He financed the education of talented artists, introduced a new Julian calendar, tried to change the position of women by banning forced marriage. He also raised the dignity of his subjects, obliging them not to kneel even before the tsar and to use their full names, and not to call themselves “Senka” or “Ivashka” as before.

Monument "Tsar Carpenter" in St. Petersburg | Russian Museum

In general, the reforms of Peter the Great changed the value system of the nobles, which can be considered a huge plus, but at the same time, the gap between the nobility and the people increased many times over and was no longer limited only to finances and title. The main disadvantage of the tsarist reforms is considered to be the violent method of their implementation. In fact, it was a struggle of despotism with uneducated people, and Peter hoped to instill consciousness in the people with a whip. Indicative in this regard is the construction of St. Petersburg, which was carried out in the most difficult conditions. Many craftsmen rushed from hard labor to run away, and the king ordered their entire family to be imprisoned until the fugitives returned with a confession.

TVNZ

Since not everyone liked the method of governing the state under Peter the Great, the tsar founded the Preobrazhensky Prikaz, an organ of political investigation and court, which later grew into the infamous Secret Chancellery. The most unpopular decrees in this context were the prohibition of taking notes in a closed room, as well as the prohibition of non-speech. Violation of both of these decrees was punishable by death. In this way, Peter the Great fought conspiracies and palace coups.

Personal life of Peter I

In his youth, Tsar Peter I liked to visit the German Quarter, where he not only became interested in foreign life, for example, he learned to dance, smoke and communicate in a Western manner, but also fell in love with a German girl, Anna Mons. His mother was very alarmed by such a relationship, so when Peter reached the age of 17, she insisted on his wedding with Evdokia Lopukhina. However, they did not have a normal family life: shortly after the wedding, Peter the Great left his wife and visited her only in order to prevent rumors of a certain kind.

Evdokia Lopukhina, first wife of Peter the Great | Sunday afternoon

Tsar Peter I and his wife had three sons: Alexei, Alexander and Pavel, but the last two died in infancy. The eldest son of Peter the Great was to become his heir, but since Evdokia in 1698 unsuccessfully tried to overthrow her husband from the throne in order to transfer the crown to her son and was imprisoned in a monastery, Alexei was forced to flee abroad. He never approved of his father's reforms, considered him a tyrant and planned to overthrow his parent. However, in 1717 the young man was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and next summer he was sentenced to death. The matter did not come to execution, since Alexei soon died in prison under unclear circumstances.

A few years after the dissolution of the marriage with his first wife, Peter the Great took 19-year-old Marta Skavronskaya as his mistress, whom the Russian troops captured as spoils of war. She gave birth to eleven children from the king, half of them even before the legal wedding. The wedding took place in February 1712 after the woman adopted Orthodoxy, thanks to which she became Ekaterina Alekseevna, later known as Empress Catherine I. Among the children of Peter and Catherine are the future Empress Elizabeth I and Anna, mother, the rest died in childhood. Interestingly, the second wife of Peter the Great was the only person in his life who knew how to calm his violent temper even in moments of rage and fits of anger.

Maria Cantemir, favorite of Peter the Great | Wikipedia

Despite the fact that his wife accompanied the emperor in all campaigns, he was able to get carried away by the young Maria Cantemir, the daughter of the former Moldavian ruler, Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich. Maria remained the favorite of Peter the Great until the end of his life. Separately, it is worth mentioning the growth of Peter I. Even for our contemporaries, a more than two-meter man seems very tall. But in the time of Peter I, his 203 centimeters seemed absolutely incredible. Judging by the chronicles of eyewitnesses, when the Tsar and Emperor Peter the Great walked through the crowd, his head towered over the sea of ​​people.

Compared to his older brothers, born to a different mother from their common father, Peter the Great seemed to be quite healthy. But in fact, he was tormented by severe headaches almost all his life, and in the last years of his reign, Peter the Great suffered from kidney stones. The attacks intensified even more after the emperor, along with ordinary soldiers, pulled out the boat that had run aground, but he tried not to pay attention to the illness.

Engraving "Death of Peter the Great" | ArtPolitInfo

At the end of January 1725, the ruler could no longer endure pain and fell ill in his Winter Palace. After the emperor had no strength left to scream, he only groaned, and the whole environment realized that Peter the Great was dying. Peter the Great accepted death in terrible agony. Doctors called pneumonia the official cause of his death, but later doctors had strong doubts about such a verdict. An autopsy was performed, which showed a terrible inflammation of the bladder, which had already developed into gangrene. Peter the Great was buried in the cathedral at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, and his wife, Empress Catherine I, became the heir to the throne.

Started Peter I the struggle for Russia's access to the Baltic Sea and fortification on these lines was hard and lengthy. The Northern War, in which Russia and Sweden were the main opponents, stretched out for 21 years.

However, the decisive battle, which predetermined the outcome of the confrontation, took place on June 27 (July 8), 1709, six miles from the city of Poltava.

The Northern War began catastrophically for Russia - with a crushing defeat at Narva in 1700.

The defeat at Narva inflicted not only material, but also political damage on Russia - the power of Peter I in Europe was no longer taken seriously, while the Swedish king Charles XII, the winner of the "Russian barbarians", were treated with undisguised sympathy.

However, the discouraging start of the war did not break either the will or the political aspirations of Peter. Guided by the principle “for one beaten they give two unbeaten”, the Russian tsar, avoiding a general battle with the Swedes, again set about capturing their fortresses on the shores of the Baltic.

Charles XII himself contributed to this. The Swedish king, endowed with undoubted military talents, was at the same time endowed with excessive self-confidence. It was she who made the Swedish king consider Russia completely defeated and completely focus on the fight against the ally of Peter I, King of the Commonwealth Augustus II.

The pursuit of the dodgy Augustus dragged on for several years, which the Russian Tsar successfully used to reform and re-equip the army, as well as to gradually conquer Ingermanland. In 1703, Petersburg was founded at the mouth of the Neva, after which the Russians continued the tactics of leisurely "taking Swedish lands."

Charles XII decided, at the end of the war with Augustus II, to invade Russia, capturing and setting Moscow on fire, thereby putting an end to the claims of Peter I.

Route of Charles XII during the Great Northern War. Photo: Public Domain

About the dangers of self-confidence

In 1706, Augustus II was finished, and Charles began to prepare an invasion of Russia.

True, the surprise factor was not an ally of Charles XII - all his plans and intentions were clear to Peter I and his military leaders.

The Russian tsar dragged his opponent into a war of attrition, and soon the Swedish army, which had invaded Russian possessions, began to experience problems with food and ammunition.

Charles XII seriously relied on the help of the Swedish king who had gone over to the side Hetman of Little Russia Ivan Mazepa, who promised the Swedes 50 thousand Cossacks, food and comfortable wintering.

In practice, however, together with Mazepa, about 10,000 Cossacks went over to the side of the Swedes. At the same time, Charles XII, not relying too much on their loyalty, did not use the Cossacks in the Battle of Poltava. It is curious that exactly for the same reason, fearing treason, Peter I also refused to use the Cossack units near Poltava.

Military happiness began to betray Charles XII. The three-month siege of Poltava, which the Swedes at first considered easy prey, ended in nothing.

Charles XII, having learned about the approach of Peter I with an army, was determined to give his enemy a general battle, despite the weakened state of his own troops and the great advantage of the Russians in the size of the army.

The Swedish generals, based on previous experience, believed that the Russians in the battle would behave passively, which would enable the Swedes to overturn the Russian army with decisive actions and put them to flight.

Unlike Charles XII, Peter I did not rely on luck and military happiness, but prepared for battle carefully, building defensive redoubts in the path of enemy movement. In addition, the Russian Tsar managed to achieve an overwhelming advantage in artillery, which would be one of the decisive factors in the battle.

On the eve of the battle, the situation was extremely unfortunate for Charles XII. He did not receive reinforcements, he was not supported by the Ottoman Empire, on whose entry into the war he counted.

In addition, "easy prey" Poltava never passed into the hands of the Swedes.

Denis Martin. "Battle of Poltava" (1726). Photo: Public Domain

Despite all this, Charles XII accepted the plan for a general battle. The essence of the Swedes' plan was a sudden attack by infantry at dawn with a breakthrough into the Russian rear, which was supposed to confuse the Russian army, after which the cavalry was supposed to finish the job.

Of the 37 thousand people of the army of Charles XII in the battle of Poltava, he had 8000 infantry, 7800 cavalry and about a thousand irregular cavalry. Peter I had at his disposal a 60,000-strong army, of which 25,000 infantrymen and up to 12,000 cavalry took part in the Battle of Poltava. And all this, not counting the superiority of the Russians in guns, which they had, according to various sources, from 100 to 300, while the Swedes had no more than 40 guns, which, moreover, did not have enough ammunition.

Knowing all this, the self-confident Charles XII nevertheless decided to give a pitched battle.

Swedish collapse instead of Russian

The Swedes' plan for the battle began to crumble already at the very beginning, when the regiments, intending to take the Russians by surprise, stumbled upon redoubts at night, the construction of which was not even suspected.

The stubborn battle ended with the planned retreat of the Russians to the main positions, but in the Swedish camp the impression was that the enemy had fled.

The illusion turned out to be so strong that those close to him already began to congratulate King Charles on his victory.

While the Swedes were preparing for the holiday, disaster was brewing. Carried away by the assault on the 3rd redoubt, the column of the Swedish General Roos broke away from the main forces and was defeated by the Russians. The same fate befell the cavalry detachment General Schlippenbach. Wolmar Schlippenbach himself became the first Swedish general to fall into Russian captivity that day.

At nine o'clock in the morning the main battle of the main forces began. The Swedish infantry attacked the Russian system, a fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. The critical moment for the Russian troops came when, on the left flank, the Swedes overthrew the 1st Battalion of the Novgorod Regiment with a bayonet attack, capturing over a dozen Russian guns.

The authority of the Swedish army was extremely high. The breakthrough of the Swedes threatened to bring confusion and panic into the ranks of the Russian army. However, here Tsar Peter himself intervened in the matter, at the head of the 2nd battalion of the Novgorodians, who stopped the enemy’s advance.

L. Caravak. "Peter I in the Battle of Poltava" (1718). Photo: Public Domain

Meanwhile, the Russian infantry on the right flank under the command of General Mikhail Golitsyn put to flight the Swedish battalions opposing her. The cavalry tried to come to the rescue, but was driven back by the Russian cavalry.

Here the superiority of Russian troops in numbers began to affect. Having not achieved rapid success, the Swedish regiments were exhausted, gaps appeared between them, which led to their encirclement. In the center, the battalions of the Uppland Regiment were almost completely destroyed, where less than two dozen of 700 soldiers survived.

By 11 o'clock in the morning, the worst thing happened for Charles XII - his brave and invincible warriors turned into a disorderly flight.

Feast and surrender

The king himself had to flee, suffering losses among his inner circle.

The defeat of the Swedes was complete: the Russians got only 137 standards and banners of the enemy, the generals and field marshals of the Swedish king and even the first minister of Charles XII were captured.

In the evening of the same day, Peter I celebrated the victory in his tent, where the captured Swedish generals were also invited. The Russian tsar drank for the loyalty and courage of the Swedes and for the health of his teachers in military affairs.

Personal standard of Charles XII, captured during the Battle of Poltava. Peter-Pavel's Fortress. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / A. Sdobnikov

Despite the celebration, Peter sent part of the troops in pursuit of the retreating. The end of the Swedish army came two days later near the town of Perevolochna. Russian troops drove the Swedes into the arrow of the Vorskla and Dnieper rivers, blocking their escape routes.

Only Charles XII himself, Mazepa, a small number of close associates and a guard detachment managed to cross the Dnieper and get away from the chase. This happened a few hours before the approach of the Russian troops.

When the persecutors appeared, led by Menshikov, the broken Swedes capitulated. 16 thousand people were taken prisoner, including 3 generals, 11 colonels, 16 lieutenant colonels, 23 majors, 1 field officer, 12,575 non-commissioned officers and privates.

The losses of the Swedes directly in the battle of Poltava amounted to 9224 people killed and 2973 prisoners.

The losses of the Russian troops amounted to 1345 people killed and 3290 wounded.

Poor Karl, poor Sweden...

The defeat at Poltava turned out to be much more terrible for Charles XII than the defeat of Peter I at Narva. Poltava not only destroyed the military authority of the Swedish king, it dealt a decisive blow to the Swedish army, which never regained its former power.

The war with Russia lasted another 12 years, but it was, figuratively speaking, a delayed defeat. Russian troops gradually finished off the Swedes, occupying more and more new territories, in the end, bringing the matter to devastating landings that operated almost in the vicinity of Stockholm. To counter this with something other than unwillingness to admit defeat, the Swedes could no longer.

The fate of Charles XII himself was even more deplorable. Hiding in the possessions of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, the former idol of Europe spent several years in Bendery, having no real strength to continue the war and at the same time losing power in his homeland.

In 1713, the Sultan literally put the "inmate" out of his possessions, and with difficulty, almost secretly, he made his way to the lands belonging to Sweden. True, he never returned to Stockholm - there Karl was no longer perceived as a king. The Swedish nobility was utterly irritated by the unsuccessful and devastating war, which literally destroyed the country's influence in Europe.

In 1718, Charles XII, resigned to the obvious, tried to make peace with Russia, recognizing most of the conquests of Peter I in the Baltic. The parties, however, did not come to an agreement.

In November of the same year, the king of Sweden, during his last campaign in Norway, which at that time was owned by Denmark, was killed by a stray bullet during the siege of the Fredriksten fortress.

There is a version, however, that Charles XII fell victim to the Swedish elite, who decided that she no longer needed such a failed monarch.

But the “shadow of Poltava” also hovered over the heirs of Charles. Three years after his death, in 1721, Sweden concluded the Treaty of Nystadt with Russia on terms much more difficult than those that Charles XII refused in 1718.

(November 1699).

Peter's allies soon began hostilities against the Swedes. But success

did not accompany them. August II, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, sent

army led by Fleming to Riga. But, having received from its inhabitants one and a half

million thalers, lifted the siege and withdrew his regiments from the city. Deal with Denmark

the situation was even worse: the young Swedish king, a bully and a slasher, landed on

its territory with a fifteen thousandth corps, and Copenhagen was under

year) his country withdrew from the Northern Union. Peter stayed with Augustus II,

ally weak, treacherous, prone to betrayal.

But Peter does not give up in impotence here either. Continues to deal with

fight with Charles XII for access to the Baltic.

Prepare everything you need to fight the first-class Swedish army

it wasn't that easy. According to the plan devised by Peter and his advisers,

the Russian army was to head for Narva and Noteburg (ancient Russian

Nut) - Swedish fortresses on the rivers Narova and Neva. With reconnaissance

Transfiguration officer Vasily Korchmin was sent to both fortresses,

who, having received an engineering education abroad, mastered the science

fortifications. On March 2, 1700, Peter writes to F.A. Golovin what you need

send Korchmin first to Narva, ostensibly to buy Swedish guns for

Russian needs, and then - to Noteburg:

"Also, if it's possible for him to find a job there, to visit Oreshka as well. And

if it is impossible to enter it, although near it. And the place is very necessary: ​​a duct from

Lake Ladoga (look at the maps). And the kid seems not stupid and a secret

that Korchmin is learned."

The recruits were trained at a fast pace. A new one was born before our eyes

army. Experts gave her the highest rating. Heine, the Danish ambassador, even

admired the skill of the soldiers:

The new shelves are wonderful. They are equally good at training and at the parade.

He called the Russian artillery "exemplary", the infantry - "selected",

"highly disciplined". Peter, obviously, heard such reviews more than once and

was satisfied. He eagerly awaited news from Constantinople of the results

negotiations with Turkey in order to move troops to the Swedes as soon as possible, to join

to allies:

I am a person whose word you can rely on. I won't resort to

verbosity; but my allies will see in practice how I will fulfill my obligations and

I will do more than I have to.

receives the long-awaited news - an agreement with Turkey has been concluded. Untying your hands

in the south, the next day Russia declares war on Sweden "for many

(Swedish. - In B.) untruths", including - for a grave insult,

inflicted in 1697 by the Swedes during the stay of the "great embassy" in

Riga "to the very person of the Tsar's Majesty", although officially, formally Russian

the tsar was absent from the embassy; there was, however, a certain constable Pyotr Mikhailov,

but - who then in Riga knew about it? Yes, even if you guessed it, then after all, Peter

vigilantly monitored the observance of his incognito, did not tolerate violations of it,

especially at the beginning of the mission.

Such motivation is a tribute to the old Moscow diplomacy with its grievances over

about real and imaginary insults against the Moscow autocrat,

"poorhi" honor him and thus Russia. Diplomats of other countries at that time

were also picky about things like that.

On August 22, the Russian army set out on a campaign. Northern

the war has begun. The caustic Klyuchevsky is ironic over Peter in connection with

the results of the southern enterprise: the king "found himself in an awkward position" - the fleet,

built with such torment and expense, "was left to rot in the Azov

harbors"; it was not possible to gain a foothold in the Crimea; the channel between the Volga and the Don, which

they began to dig on the orders of Peter, they abandoned it; everything else related to "Eastern

question" (security from Crimean raids, expectations of Balkan Christians),

also put aside; Peter turned sharply from south to north; "new

European conjuncture threw it, like a toy ball, from the mouth of the Don to

Narov and Neva, where he had nothing prepared; himself, so much

preparing for the Black Sea sailors, with all his Pereyaslavsky,

White Sea, Dutch and English navigational knowledge forced

had been waging a land war for many years in order to break through to a new, alien

The historian has greatly exaggerated the colors. He shows no sympathy

feverish measures and throwing of the king, does not fully appreciate their significance.

Yet there is much truth in his reasoning. Peter himself pretty soon

sober from his hopes of that spring-summer season of 1700, when he almost

youthfully rushed into battle, dreamed of quick and bright victories. As it turned out,

Narva is not Azov and not Kazykermen. But at that time he didn't know any of this.

and, full of ideas, hurried to breathe in the salty air

Baltic...

The start of the war with Sweden turned out to be unsuccessful not only for the allies

Russia, but also for herself. On November 19, 1700, Peter's army,

cobbled together from old archery regiments and noble militia, as well as from

poorly trained recruits, was defeated by the army of Charles XII,

considered one of the best in Europe at the time. Only guards and Lefortovo

showed themselves from the best side, repulsing many attacks of the enemy. But they

alone could not, of course, save the situation. Besides the sad role

Peter's confidence in foreign commanders played. It ended up being

capitulated Russian army, having lost up to six thousand soldiers, left

western bank of the Narva River and crossed to its eastern side, leaving the Swedes

one hundred thirty-five guns.

The victory near Narva over the "barbarian" tsar was celebrated not only in

Sweden, but almost all over Europe.

Russian representatives at European courts soon received

dispatches with messages of contempt and ridicule of the local rulers and nobles

at the address of the Russian army, the tsar himself. A.A. Matveev, for example, wrote from The Hague:

"The Swedish ambassador, with great curses, himself going to ministers, did not

only blasphemes your troops, but also slandered your very person, as if you,

frightened by the arrival of his king, two days (before the arrival of the Swedes near Narva and

battles. - V.B.) went to Moscow from the regiments.

The Swedish king, having defeated Denmark and Russia, took up Poland and Saxony,

having one ruler. He did not hide his feelings for him:

His behavior is so shameful and vile that it deserves vengeance from God and

contempt of all well-meaning people.

The Swedish king began, according to Klyuchevsky, to help Peter, as

could only, chasing after Augustus II. And the king used a breather

granted by Charles XII, in full. It's not in his habit to grieve for

about failures. He immediately understood the root, the essence of what happened near Narva.

Later, in the "History of the Svean War", this is written very correctly:

"The Swedes got victory over our army, which is indisputable. But

must be understood - over which army they committed it, for only one old

the Lefortovsky regiment was (which was previously called Shepeleva); two regiments

the guards were only on two attacks at Azov; field battles, and especially with

regular troops, never seen. Other shelves, except for some

colonels, both officers and privates, the most were recruits ... Besides, for

late in the day there was a great famine, after the great mud of provisions

it was impossible to deliver. And, in a single word, to say, the whole thing is like

there was infantile play, but the art was below species. What a surprise

old, trained and practiced army (Swedish. - V.B.) over such

inexperienced to find Victoria? ... But when this misfortune (or, rather,

great happiness) received, then captivity, laziness drove away both to industriousness and

forced day and night on art.

Such is frank and self-critical, as they now say the king's judgment about

Narva disaster. Its size, by the way, was greatly exaggerated by himself.

Peter, and his contemporaries, Russian and foreign, as well as the current

historians.

Peter, straining his strength even more, does his best to continue

war, take revenge for defeat. IN. Klyuchevsky, who did not miss a chance

to hurt the king, pays tribute to him: "Leaving his

generals and admirals, Peter took over the less prominent technical part

war: he usually stayed behind his army, organized its rear, recruited

recruits, made plans for military movements, built ships and military factories,

prepared ammunition, provisions and live ammunition, stocked everything, encouraged everyone,

urged, scolded, fought, hung, galloped from one end of the state to

the other, was something like a feldzeugmeister general, a food master general

and the ship's chief master.

I had to rely primarily on my own strength. Allies, by

essentially, led the matter to the disruption of Peter's military plans, in friendship with whom

Augustus II was crucified in every case. Hence - and the betrayal of de Croa and dozens

other foreign officers near Narva, and ending the siege of Riga, and

separate negotiations between the Saxons and the Swedes, and other intrigues. And the king, oh

guessed something, but knew far from everything (for example, about secret letters

de Croa to Augustus II, who sent him to the Russian army, about considerations

the king himself and his adviser, the rogue Patkul), continued to believe so

called ally. When, instead of the garrison of one fortress, unexpectedly

had to deal with a well-trained regular army - the consequences

turned out to be very deplorable for him and joyful for the Swedes. No wonder they

the king triumphed, it was not without reason that he awarded the Russian commander in chief, so

shamefully ran into his camp, with one and a half thousand chervonets and imprisoned him

eat at the royal table.

And Peter and his assistants put in order the shelves, battered under

Narva, form new ones. Cast more than three hundred guns - new Ural

factories operate at full capacity; bells are removed from churches

the manufacture of guns. All this bears fruit. At the end of January 1701, the year from

a little later after the failure near Narva, Player, the ambassador of the empire in Moscow,

informs his potentate that the Russian army has become three times stronger than

former. But the blinded Karl finally loses his sober understanding

environment. He considers Peter's army unworthy of the attention of the great

commander:

There is no pleasure in fighting the Russians because they don't

resist like others, but run.

But not everyone thought so. Even one of his closest aides, General

Stenbock watches his patron anxiously:

The king thinks of nothing else but the warrior; he is more

does not listen to other people's advice; it looks like it's God

tells him directly what he must do.

Many in Europe are looking at events related to,

through the eyes of Charles XII. The rulers of England, Holland, France vied with each other

make the king their ally, admire victories, exalt him

military genius. The duke of Marlborough and

Eugene of Savoy, great generals, English and Austrian. Reminisce

Gustav Adolf, great-grandfather of the Swedish king, victorious commander and

Russia hater.

The leaders of Swedish and European diplomacy in general believed that

Russia, defeated and defeated, should almost fall to her knees before

victorious king. According to the same Matveev, who was in the Netherlands,

"The local gentlemen are waiting for peace, because your best (Petra, - V.B.) troops

beaten ... and it is impossible to train such soldiers soon. "Peter has already learned something

about the morals of this diplomacy. The "Great Embassy" opened the eyes of the king to many things,

then still an inexperienced and trusting diplomat. Experience gained in

diplomatic struggle with its undisguised calculations, cunning, intrigues and

to everyone else. Being a pragmatist, he learns some of these methods, but

often still allows naive credulity and observes elementary

propriety, legal principles violated by others. So when did it start

war with Sweden, Peter allowed her diplomatic representatives to travel to

homeland. But Charles XII decided differently - on his orders they put him in prison

Russian ambassador Khilkov, employees and servants, as well as all Russian merchants.

This fact is noted by Henri Troyat in his book, published in France in

Peter continues to build up strength for the upcoming battles with the "Swede". A

the king, his adversary, travels with an army west of the Russian borders, in

Poland. Thundering the Saxons near Riga. Thinking already, after victories over more

strong enemies, about a campaign against the Russians, whom he considers much more

weaker than the Danes, Poles and Saxons. "August, - aptly remarked

CM. Solovyov, - was a precious ally for Peter, not by force of arms, but by

that he aroused such hatred and such distrust of the Swedish king; He

distracted this terrible enemy from the Russian borders at that time and gave time to the tsar

cheer up your troops and learn how to defeat the Swedes."

Karl got stuck in Poland - he could not fight on two fronts. Peter continues

strengthen the army, mobilize all the resources of the country. He and Russia need

victory, at least for the beginning and small, so that the Russian people, the army in

features, perked up, and Europe changed its mind about oriental

"barbarians". His diplomats wrote about this, in particular Golitsyn from Vienna in the fall

"In all sorts of ways, you need to try to get over the enemy

victory ... Although we will conclude an eternal peace, but how can we make amends for eternal shame?

Our sovereign certainly needs even a small Victoria, which would be his name

still famous throughout Europe; then peace can be made. And then

now they only laugh at our troops and the military command. There's no way I can

to see the ministers, no matter how much I look after them: everyone runs away from me and does not want to

speak".

The Swedes operate quite successfully in Poland. But not only there - they are trying to

sea ​​to break through to Arkhangelsk in order to burn the only port connecting

Russia with Europe. There they repulsed the attack of the Swedish ships with considerable

damage. Peter hurries there to take urgent measures, to strengthen the city, so

important to the state.

Along with worries in the north, I had to think about the south - to keep

fleet at the ready, build new ships off Voronezh in case of hostile

action by Turkey. But it has been calm here.

Worries about getting money were constantly overcome, which are always not available.

enough. Once he shared with Romodanovsky (according to other sources, it was

Prozorovsky):

There is no money in the treasury, there is nothing to give to the troops. There is no artillery, but this

needed soon. What to do? Maybe reduce the treasures in the monasteries in

gold and silver and squeeze money out of it?

This thing is ticklish. You have to come up with something else.

The interlocutor took the tsar to a secret storeroom in the Kremlin. There were heaps

silver and gilded harness and dishes, small silver coins,

Dutch Joachimstalers (in the Russian manner they were called Efimki). Shocked

The king heard the following story from the prince:

When your parent, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, at different times

departed on campaigns, then by proxy of his money and treasures to me

gave it to me to keep. At the end of his life, calling me to him,

bequeathed that I should not give this to any of the heirs until then, unless

there will be an extreme need for money during the war.

One way or another, it happened that day in a secret Kremlin closet -

it is difficult to say, as well as to conclude whether such a conversation took place at all. In

In any case, the "extreme need" for money really came.

The Mint did everything they could. Reduced, in particular, the weight

silver coins, first minted hundreds of thousands, then millions of rubles.

There were "profitrs" - officials who came up with new taxes. Soon

Russian regiments began to win the first victories. At the end of December 1701 in

Livonia, near the village of Erestfer near Dorpat, Sheremetev at the head

17,000th corps attacked Schlippenbach's 7,000th corps. swedes

lost three thousand people. Three hundred and fifty were captured by the Russians. IN

Moscow celebrated the victory with fireworks. All participants in the battle received awards,

down to the soldiers; Sheremetev - the rank of Field Marshal and the Order of Andrei

First-Called. Peter triumphed:

We can finally beat the Swedes!

Sheremetev again smashes, this time near Hummelshof, Schlippenbach, who

loses five thousand killed, three hundred prisoners and all artillery.

Since the autumn of the same year, Peter personally directs military operations in Ingria.

First, his regiments storm the Noteburg fortress at the source of the Neva from

next year, Peter and Menshikov attacked two Swedish naval

ship and won the battle. The victory was entirely his merit, and he, like his

favorite Menshikov, received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

As a result of the victorious outcome of the military campaign of 1701-1703, all

the lands along the Neva, from source to mouth, were in the hands of the victorious Russians. IN

this is a considerable merit of the king, although he does not stick out his role at all, more

that - even hides, obscures it, says "we", "our troops", etc.

Victory, in his opinion, is the result of the general efforts of the army, from soldiers to

field marshal.

In the annexed land, where once Alexander Nevsky thug

lays a fortress at the mouth of the Neva, on the island of Lust-Eiland (Merry Island),

The future new capital of Russia. wooden fortress,

built by soldiers, had six bastions. Placed next to her

Petra's wooden house, which still stands there today, attracting crowds

tourists.

In the newly built fortress, Peter appointed a governor - all the same

Menshikov. He is not embarrassed by either swamps or bad climate. Moreover, he

rejoices that he lives in such a paradise as, without a shadow of doubt or humor, writes

to their correspondents:

"It is true that we live here in paradise."

"I can't help but write to you from this paradise."

"Do not hesitate to doubt the local behavior, for in the paradise of God there is evil

can not".

"Paradise", in which Peter is downright in love, should become, according to him

thoughts, a gateway to the Baltic, to Europe; the right people will come here from all sides

goods. But not only the role of a trading port is destined for St.

founder, history. A year later, the tsar, in a letter to Menshikov, names a new

fortress and port "capital". For her protection from the sea, he orders in 1704

build a sea fortress. It was Kronshlot (Kronstadt) on Kotlin Island, in

thirty miles west of Petersburg. Often sails here, follows

building fortifications.

Now he is in such a state that the enemy is at sea

dare not appear close. Otherwise, we will break the ships into chips. Sleep in Petersburg

will be calm.

The subject of his special care and concern is the construction of a fleet on

Baltic and for the Baltic. Without him, he is sure of it, it is impossible to protect,

keep what you've got:

Every potentate who has a single land force has one hand

It has; and whoever has a fleet, has both hands.

At the Olonets shipyard in 1703, under the leadership of the tsar, construction began

forty-three ships. Then, at the mouth of the Neva, he lays another shipyard -

the famous Admiralteyskaya, which later played such a big role in the development

fleet of Russia. Her work begins in 1705, and in April of the following

slipways descends the first ship.

On the banks of the Neva, the real transformation of Russia into a maritime

power. It was here that Peter cut through that "window to Europe", about which a century since

more later, Pushkin will write. He built for the present and for the future.

There is a story about how he planted acorns in St. Petersburg. Someone from

nobles, who were with him, smiled ironically and thereby aroused an angry

tirade of the monarch:

Understand! You think: I will not live to see mature oaks. Is it true! Notes -

fool! I leave an example for others to do the same, descendants over time

will build ships from them. I don’t work for myself, it’s good for the state

Peter, like no one, perhaps the other, knew how to look into the future:

If God prolongs life and health, Petersburg will be another Amsterdam.

Peter rejoiced at any, the smallest at first, success. Same

tested by his assistants. When in the autumn of 1703 at the mouth of the Neva sailed

foreign ship with a cargo of salt and wine, Menshikov, Petersburg

governor, gave gifts to his entire team.

Peter's troops continue to prevail over the Swedes. That Peter himself thunders

their detachment near Petersburg. Then Sheremetev takes Koporye and Yam by storm, the ancient

Russian cities (1704). Then comes the turn of Dorpat - also Old Russian

Yuriev, founded by Yaroslav the Wise in 1030. Finally, Peter took

revenge and near Narva. On August 9, 1704, he took Narva during

short but fierce assault. During the battles, the Swedes lost thousands

soldier, lots of equipment. Peter does not miss the opportunity to lead the captured Swedes across

streets of Moscow.

The capture of Narva, the ancient Russian Rugodiv, became a weighty revenge for

defeat at the beginning of the war marked a milestone in its initial stage. Peter and

Russia quickly recovered from the first setback, thanks to the vigorous efforts

won a number of victories and gained a foothold on the Baltic coast. It could also

rest, but Peter, irrepressible and active, hurries from Narva to Derpt,

shows the fortifications to the generals and ministers accompanying him, tells

about the assault. From there, through Pskov and Novgorod, he goes to the Olonets shipyard: how

are ships being built there? Then - to St. Petersburg: how is it here, in the "paradise",

deal with the construction of buildings? Back to Narva, where he gives a farewell audience

Ambassador of Turkey, for whom it is not without interest to see what powerful

the fortresses are stormed and captured by the Russians. Further, on the way to Moscow,

inspects the junction of the Tvertsa and Meta rivers in the Vyshny Volochok region,

determines: here to dig the Vyshnevolotsky canal.

The victories in the Baltics not only made the Russians believe in themselves and

opportunities on the battlefield, but also led to the liberation of a number of lands from the Swedes

along the eastern and southern coasts of the Gulf of Finland, intensified the restructuring

army and state apparatus, the creation of a fleet in the Baltic. That was the start

cause, which promised to bring in the future, and quite close, considerable

successes - military, political, economic.

All these years, Peter and the diplomats sought to mediate

Western states to make peace with Sweden. But there they saw

such attempts were signs of weakness in Russia and did not want to help her in

negotiations with the Swedish king. Charles XII and does not want to hear about the world - not with

Augustus, and even more so with Peter.

Charles's army, despite easy victories, was exhausted in Poland, and in

strategically, it was constantly losing. Russia not only acquired

successes in the Eastern Baltic, but, most importantly, acquired,

it was still far away.

It was felt throughout that not far off new battles with the army of

"Swede" - King Charles. At the beginning of 1706, he almost blocked

the main Russian army, which stood in Grodno. Her commander in chief

field marshal from the Germans G.B. Ogilvy essentially sabotaged the orders at first

Peter about the withdrawal of the army to the east. And only the most energetic intervention of the king,

who sent Menshikov to Grodno, saved the army, preventing disastrous

the consequences of Ogilvy's inaction, bordering on treason.

Saddened him and the news of the next defeat of the Saxons by the Swedes

(the first was thirty thousand, the second - eight!). August II, moreover, secretly

agreement with Carl. In fact, he capitulated - he ceded Poland to King S.

Leshchinsky, "concocted" by Karl (in his own words), broke with

allies. Although, hiding his baseness and betrayal, shortly before

participated in the army of Menshikov in the defeat of the Swedish army of Mardefeld

At the same time, Peter has to deal with many other things. Apart from

current worries about raising money, supplying the army with everything necessary, he again

faces popular discontent - the flight of the mutilated "mean

people" from a heavy yoke to the outskirts, unrest, open, sometimes powerful,

uprisings. Governors, money-makers, detectives rise to fight against violence

(who caught fugitives and serfs, etc.) residents of the Volga region (1704-1711),

Astrakhan (1705-1706), Don and dozens of neighboring counties of Southern Russia,

Volga region, etc. With usually "cruelty and ruthlessness, Peter suppresses

uprisings, sends against them a large army and his best generals, up to

to Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev.

At the same time, Peter is preparing to fight the main army of Charles XII. So

with his associates, he develops in Zhovkva, near Lvov, a strategic

war plan in the event of an invasion by Charles.

Peter constantly makes sure that his army is not taken by surprise

the enemy did not impose a battle in unfavorable conditions for her. About this he

constantly repeats letters, orders in decrees, and it was his thoughts that formed

the basis of the Zholkva strategic plan. It was a course for general

a battle that should have been carefully prepared, fought when

there will be certain chances of winning. Made a decision:

"It is supposed that in Poland there should not be a battle with the enemy, if

if such misfortune happened, it would be difficult to have a retreat. And for that it is necessary

to give battle at their borders, when the necessary need requires it

will. And in Poland, at crossings and in parties, also by stripping provisions and

fodder to torment the enemy, which is why many Polish senators

agreed."

According to the plan, on the way of the Swedes to Russia through Belarus or

Ukraine they will be met by fortified fortresses, defensive barriers, raids

light cavalry, the resistance of local residents (shelter, destruction

food supplies, etc.). Wearing down the enemy, weakening him must

end in a general battle, which will be given on the territory of Russia in

the right moment, given the necessary military forces.

Peter again and again, through his diplomats, offers peace to Sweden. But her

the arrogant king rejects all proposals from the threshold and, in essence,

leads himself into a trap. Some of the contemporaries were already beginning this

understand. Baron Heinrich Huysen, then the Russian ambassador in Vienna, honestly, by the way

speaking, serving Russia, reported to Moscow in September 1707:

"The Swedes go to Russia reluctantly and themselves say that they have almost completely lost the habit of

war after a long rest and luxurious living in Saxony. That's why

some predict victory for Peter if he goes into battle with Charles."

The French Ambassador Bazenval makes an even more definite conclusion:

"The campaign against Russia will be difficult and dangerous, because the Swedes

taught the Muscovites the art of war, and they became formidable

adversary. Moreover, it is impossible to crush such a vast

mighty country."

Karl, in response to a request about possible conditions for peace with Russia, ordered

convey to the French ambassador in Stockholm:

"The king will make peace with Russia only when he arrives in

Moscow, the king will be overthrown from the throne, the state will divide him into

small principalities, convene the boyars, divide their kingdom into

voivodeships".

The king expects decisive events in 1708:

I pray to God that this year he will grant a successful outcome to the case

Pursued by a host of worries, Peter often breaks down, breaks down,

scolds helpers. So, he learned with satisfaction that the fortifications

in the Kremlin and Kitai-Gorod are being repaired and new ones are being built. But it turns out

the Moscow authorities did not deport from Moscow, as he once ordered,

Swedish resident Knipperkron, who oversaw the work in Moscow and

who considered this issue at the meeting were not even written down, the decision was not

recorded. I.A. Musin-Pushkin, responsible for the repair and construction

fortifications, received a cruel dressing from the king, and the prince-Caesar Romodanovsky -

"Please announce to all the ministers that they are great deeds, about which

consult, write down, and each minister would sign under the adopted

the decision that it is very necessary; and without that, it is by no means possible to determine the matter,

for by this every foolishness will be revealed.

Thinking about the future, Peter did not rule out the possibility of his death. On

this case, he ordered to issue in the event of his death three thousand rubles

Ekaterina Vasilevskaya, his actual wife. Giving orders into the night

in Dzencioly, where the Russian army was stationed in winter quarters, led by

Menshikov.

Charles XII finally moved with his army (sixty-three thousand

soldier) to the east. The Russian army (one hundred thousand people), performing Zholkvensky

plan backed down. The Swedes endured great hardships, finding neither bread nor

livestock, no fodder. Therefore, they walked slowly, with frequent and long stops.

The forces of the invading army were dwindling. But still thirty-five thousand marched with the king

experienced, hardened warriors. After her from Riga, Lewenhaupt led sixteen thousand

soldiers and a huge convoy with supplies.

The Russian army covered the roads to Mogilev, Shklov, Kopys. On the right

on the flank stood Sheremetev with thirteen infantry regiments and Menshikov with

eleven dragoon regiments; in the center - Repnin with ten regiments of soldiers

and dragoons; on the left flank Golitsyn with ten dragoon regiments. All of them

were cut off from each other by swamps. On the twenty-fifth of June the tsar leaves for

army. Sending letters to Sheremetev:

"I'll be with you soon. And I ask, if possible, before me the main battle is not

Charles XII resumed his movement to the east, with the aim of taking Moscow. He

still planned the overthrow of Peter, which he should, in his opinion,

replace Jacob Sobieski. North and northwest of Russia, including Novgorod and

Pskov, will depart to Sweden; Ukraine and Smolensk region - Leshchinsky, and in Kyiv

the vassal of the last "Grand Duke" Mazepa will sit; Russian southern lands

were intended for the Turks, Crimeans and other supporters of Charles. In Russia,

said Karl Leshchinsky, all reforms would be canceled, a new

army, the old order will reign; here he is adamant:

The power of Moscow, which has risen so high thanks to the introduction of

foreign military discipline must be destroyed.

The king dreamed that Russia would be turned back - she would be dragged away for

pieces will be thrown away from the Baltic (Petersburg - wiped off the face of the earth!), And he himself

will be the supreme judge in everything that happens from the Elbe to the Amur.

It was thus about the national existence of Russia as

state, his life or death. Until now, Peter, his commanders and troops

acted successfully, prudently, although there were failures. But here

Repnin was attacked by the army of Charles. Artillery opened fire first

enemy. Two hours later, the Swedish infantry attacked, crossing

ford across the river Babich. Repnin's warriors resisted heroically, desperately,

but the superior forces of the enemy broke their stubbornness. Having received no help, Repnin

retreated, withdrew both flanks. On the fifth of July, all Russian troops crossed the Dnieper,

and three days later the Swedes entered Mogilev. Of the eight thousand Russians who fought

a lot of soldiers remained on the battlefield; the Swedes, who were more successful,

lost less. Repnin retreated, although he did not suffer a rout. Peter soon

learned that a number of Russian regiments retreated in disarray during the battle, their

guns went to the Swedes. Others resisted the enemy, but fought

"Cossack, not soldier" custom. The king showed no mercy

to their commanders - the enemy approached Russia with the main forces, and

negligence, inability could be very costly. He ordered to betray

military court of Repnin and Chambers - military generals, to whom until now

treated with respect, considered with their opinion. Only the courage shown

Repnin during the battle, saved him from death - the general by decision

the military court was demoted to soldiers (soon, in the battle of Lesnaya, he again

will show himself a brave man and regain his rank and position). Chambers suspended

from his post, but the rank of general was retained for him, an elderly man.

The battle of Golovchin was not a great success for the Swedes, either

suffered heavy losses, but for the Russian army it was a useful lesson, and Peter

I got everything I could out of it. He held a show trial

generals. Then he compiled the "Rules of the Battle" - they dealt with

interaction of different types of troops in battle, stamina and mutual assistance

"Whoever leaves his place or betrays each other and starts a dishonorable run,

then he will be deprived of life and honesty.

Despite all his discontent, Peter was aware that

what happened near Golovchin is not such a strong defeat, moreover, it

showed the increased strength of the Russian army:

"I thank God very much: before the general battle I saw

the enemy well and that from this army of his one third of us so withstood

and walked away."

After this battle, the initiative completely passes to Russia. Carl

begins to hesitate, shows a certain caution. In Mogilev he stands

the king's army.

Unable to stand the expectation, Karl nevertheless left Mogilev. But did not go to

north, towards his general, and south, to Propoisk, then - to

northeast, towards Smolensk. Peter closely follows the actions of the king,

unexpected and unpredictable, adjusts to them the maneuvers of his troops.

The points of the Zholkva plan are being fulfilled - the Russian regiments are retreating, luring

enemy, exhaust him. Then they begin to destroy it piece by piece.

The king in August orders:

Look at enemy turns: and where to turn - to Smolensk

or to Ukraine - to work to forestall it. The enemy retreated from Mogilev miles

with five, against which we also advanced. And our avant-garde acquires

three miles from the enemy. And where their intention is, God knows, but more guessing

to Ukraine.

Charles often did not inform even his closest relatives about his intentions.

assistants. Nevertheless, the advance of the army, its general direction of Peter and

other commanders guessed correctly. At a military council held 6 more

July in Shklov, they provided for possible options for the movement of the Swedish

The Russian army is still ahead of the Swedish one, destroying everything along the way.

"Provisions and fodder, as well as bread standing on the field and in the threshing floors or in

granaries in the villages ... burn, not sparing even the buildings.

Everywhere he orders to destroy bridges, mills. Residents taking with them

cattle moved into the forests. Measures, strict but necessary, brought success.

Peter reported:

Ordinary soldiers approached the king, asking him to provide them with bread,

People, on the other hand, from hunger and illness are so swollen that they can hardly march.

Swedish soldiers, hungry and skinned, rummaged through the villages in search of

food, deserted. Near the army of the king, Russian dragoon regiments and

irregular cavalry was plagued by continuous attacks and skirmishes;

Peter's orders were:

To tire the main army with burning and ruin.

On the thirtieth of August, a larger fight takes place near the village of Dobrogo -

five regiments of "natural Swedes" were completely defeated by the attacker

of them the Russian detachment led by Prince M.M. Golitsyn. The Swedes lost three

thousands of people killed, Russians - three hundred and seventy-five people. After

Russian victories withdrew, having fully completed their task. But Karl

observing the course of the battle, the unfavorable outcome for the Swedes did not interfere

portray the battle as a new victory. Peter was sincerely happy:

This dance in the eyes of the hot Karlus pretty danced. I just started

to serve, I have never heard such fire and decent action from our soldiers and

I saw (God forbid, and henceforth so!). And even in this war, the king of Sweden is not

from whom he himself did not see.

Carl, despite all his farfarony, was very upset. Still would -

the defeat was complete, only the swamps saved his army from the final

death. He is already beginning to think about the fate of the Russian campaign, to consult

with the generals. In early September, he invites to his place and asks their opinion:

notices: in order to give them, the generals, an answer, you need to know that

intends to make a king. Karl's answer probably couldn't help but stun him.

assistants and advisers:

I don't have any intentions.

The king did not bother to develop a plan of war, to discuss it with

generals. It seemed to him that it would be easier to defeat Russia,

than to smash Saxony. This time, after Good, he deigned to ask the opinion

their generals. At the council they decided: to go not to Moscow, but to Ukraine. Meaning

this sharp turn in the movement of the Swedish army was well explained by Matveev from

The Hague, where he managed to ferret out the Swedish "secret":

"From the secret of the local Swedish minister, friends told me that

Swede, consider the caution of the tsarist troops and the impossibility of passing to Smolensk,

also due to a lack of food and feed, he decided to go to

Ukraine, firstly, because this country is populous and plentiful and there are no

does not have regular forts with strong garrisons; second, Swedish

hopes to gather many people among the free Cossack people who will see him through

direct and safe roads to Moscow; thirdly, nearby may have

convenient transfer with the Crimean Khan to call him into an alliance with the Poles,

who support Leshchinsky's side; fourth, finally will have

the opportunity to send Cossacks to Moscow to incite the people."

On September 10, a regiment of Swedish cavalry led by the king himself

the village of Raevka suffered a new and severe defeat. Under it was killed

horse, and Karl was almost taken prisoner. All this happened in front of Peter's eyes,

participating in the battle. The king, after another affront, decided not to wait

Levengaupt, who hurried to him from Riga: quickly went south - this step,

inexplicable and ridiculous, allowed the Russians to win another victory, this

times much more impressive and serious, such that Peter would call her

"mother" of Poltava Victoria.

The king, having received news of the intentions of Charles and the march of Levengaupt, convened

advice. According to his decision, the main forces of the Russian army, led by

Sheremetev should go to Ukraine, "accompanying" Karl; a corvolant

(flying detachment) of eleven and a half thousand people with Peter at the head

was supposed to strike Lewenhaupt. The latter led an army of sixteen

thousand soldiers and a convoy with food and fodder. September twenty-eighth in the morning

Peter overtook him near the village of Lesnoy. The appearance of the corvolant was for the Swedes

complete surprise - dense forests stretched around, impenetrable

swamps. The battle lasted several hours. The soldiers on both sides are so tired

that they fell to the ground (the Swedes - at their convoy, the Russians - on the battlefield

positions) and "rested for a good time", and at a distance of half

cannon shots from each other. Then the battle resumed. Towards her end

the appearance of Bour's Russian cavalry decided the matter in favor of the attackers. swedes

suffered a complete defeat, only the night and the blizzard saved the remnants of their troops,

running in the dark. Lewenhaupt left eight thousand dead on the battlefield

and the entire convoy, so necessary for the starving army of Charles. The king found out about

brought to him six thousand seven hundred hungry and ragged soldiers - all that

left from the "sixteen thousandth army. At the first news, the king did not sleep

all night, walked sad and silent; now after the story

defeated general, sent a report to Stockholm about a new Swedish victory

and continued the march to Ukraine. True, since then he begins to doubt

his final victory, but carefully hides it.

The victory at Lesnaya breathed confidence into the Russian army, and about this

well says Peter himself, who won this battle:

This victory may be the first to be called, softly over the regular

the army never had such a thing; besides being a much smaller number

in front of the enemy. And truly, it is the fault of Russia's successful pursuits,

because here the first sample of a soldier was and, of course, encouraged the people; and mother

Poltava battle, both by the encouragement of people and by time, for according to

nine-month-old baby happiness produced.

The news of the brilliant success made an impression in Russia and abroad.

abroad. Peter could be pleased - a victory was won, and by a smaller number

soldier, over the hardened army of the Swedes; the main army of Charles was now

cut off from the rear supply bases, in a strategic environment. In battle

under Lesnaya, Peter proved himself to be a bold innovator, an outstanding commander -

organized a corvolant of infantry soldiers mounted on horses; place

chose not an open field, but a closed rugged terrain; finally,

built his army not in one line, as was customary then, but in two.

Shortly after Lesnaya, in October, the Swedes suffered another defeat:

thirteen thousandth corps of Lubecker approached Petersburg from the side

Finland. Admiral Apraksin with the garrison defeated the Swedes, who lost up to

thirds of its personnel, six thousand horses. After such an upheaval

the enemy never made any attempt to approach Peter's "paradise". IN

honor of victory on the orders of Peter knocked out a medal; on one side is a portrait

the winner and the inscription: "Imperial Majesty Admiral F.M. Apraksin"; on

the other - ships lined up in a line, and words in a circle; "Keeping this

not sleeping; death is better than infidelity. 1708".

While in Smolensk, where on arrival he was met with cannon fire and

guns, in a halo of success and glory, Peter experienced a strong blow - he was informed about

betrayal of the Ukrainian hetman Mazepa, who went over to Charles XII. Peter,

who trusted the hetman, was amazed and took urgent measures. To Baturin, bet

hetman, Menshikov hurries with the army, and on the other side Mazepa moves with

Swedish regiments. The haste is quite understandable; in the hetman's capital

stored huge stocks of food, gunpowder, supplies for artillery.

Menshikov was ahead of the enemy, and everything that was possible was taken out of Baturin, the rest

put on fire, the fortress was destroyed.

For Mazepa, this was a heavy blow, but not the only one and not the main one. Behind

others followed him. It began with the fact that they did not follow the traitor hetman

Ukrainian Cossacks, he brought not a large Cossack army to the camp to Karl, as

promised and what the king hoped for, but a miserable two or three thousand people. Yes, and those are not

knew his true aims, expecting them to join Sheremetev's army; when

everything turned out, they secretly began to leave the Swedish camp. Further, in Ukraine,

who learned from Peter's decrees that Mazepa wants to return his motherland

Polish lords, a people's war began against the Mazepins and the Swedes.

Meanwhile, in Europe, after the forest fear of Sweden with its

an unbalanced ruler is replaced by fear of the power of a growing Russia

led by an energetic, brave and wise, as they now begin to believe,

sovereign. The change in the situation is reflected, among other things, in the fact that Peter,

previously raised the question of Russia's entry into the Great Union, now removes

his. This was publicly announced in the fall of 1708 by his ambassador to the Netherlands

Matveev. And at the beginning of winter, he also declares to his overlord that the Danish king

Frederick IV is going to negotiate with the Saxon elector Augustus II

about the resumption of hostilities against Sweden. And talks really

began, they were later joined by the Prussian king. This intensified

Sweden's foreign policy isolation. The matter went to the revival of the Northern Union.

Such was the impact of what happened at Lesnaya.

And the situation of Karl became more and more deplorable (frosts, hunger,

hostile attitude of Ukrainians, etc.). True, some kind of light flashed, a beam

hopes - koshevoy Gordienko with his Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, too, following the example

Mazepa, spoke out against the Russians, launched attacks on their military detachments. Peter

acts decisively and coolly - in the spring of 1709, his army takes by storm and

utterly ruins the Zaporozhian Sich. Cossacks Gordienko go to Karl, but

this acquisition is not a serious one. This, in particular, is understood by Mazepa and

rushes about in search of a way out: then he suggests that Karl make, following the example

Alexander the Great, campaign to the east, to Asia (that is, to the depths of Russia),

then unite with Bulavin (in the south of Russia, in the region of the Don and the Don,

the popular uprising is expanding), then he sends his friends to Peter - colonels

Apostle and Galagan - with a proposal to give him the Swedish king and his

top military leaders.

Karl also rushes about - and not only in Ukraine, hostile to him, in search of food and

apartments, but also in the capitals of the allied powers, asks them for help if not

troops, then money, trying to establish relations with Turkey and the Crimea, but those

waiting, afraid. In Ukraine, towns and fortresses, met on the way

Swedes, defended heroically, inflicted considerable damage on them. Ukrainian residents

and Russian military detachments deprived them not only of food, but also of rest and housing.

Once (it was in February 1709) the king with his army was in

Kolomake, within Sloboda Ukraine. Mazepa, who was riding next to him on

horses, flattered him, spoke of the non-existent military successes of the Swedes. Then

from Asia. The Swedish candidate for Alexandra the Great immediately commanded his

secretary de Gyllenkrok to learn about the roads to Asia. He replied that to Asia,

I mean, it's still far away. Carl disagreed.

But Mazepa told me that the border is not far from here; we have to go there

pass to be able to say that we were also in Asia.

Your majesty, if you please, joke, and, of course, you do not think of such

things seriously.

I'm not kidding at all. So go there immediately and inquire

Gillencroc headed, but not towards Asia, but towards Mazepa. Did

reprimand him:

Your Excellency can see from here how dangerous it is to joke like that.

way with our king. It's the lord who loves glory the most

in the world, and it is easy to induce him to move further than it would be advisable.

Russian troops and Ukrainian troops continued to attack the Swedish army.

partisans. As before, there was not enough food, and illnesses prevailed. But

winter ended, and with the beginning of spring, the hopes of the Swedes were revived.

On April 1, Charles approached Poltava with an army, decided to storm -

again Mazepa whispered to him that with its capture, Ukraine would come under his high

hand. Roads went from Poltava to the south, to the Crimea. And with the khan and the sultan the king is like

once in this time was negotiating joint action against Russia. But

a three-month siege of the city did not bring success. Its four thousandth garrison

fearlessly repelled all assaults.

Peter immediately realized the strategic importance that so stubbornly

sought to take Karl. In a letter to Menshikov, who stood with the army

raided Opishnia, where the Swedes settled, interrupted them. Karl hurried there, but

the Russians calmly and in an organized manner withdrew to the other side of the Vorskla. And on the night of

On the fourth of June to Poltava, near which the entire Swedish army stood,

Peter arrived. Three days later, assessing the situation on the spot, the balance of power

(Russian troops also came here), he informs Apraksin of his decision:

We came together closely with the seven, with the help of God we will certainly be in this

month, the main thing to do with them is to have.

The Swedish army was near Poltava in a strategic environment, was

greatly weakened by defeats, sieges, marches, hunger. Russian army,

on the contrary, it has become much stronger, more combat-ready. On the twentieth of May she

crossed the Vorskla, and immediately began work on the construction

field fortifications in the position chosen by Peter for the future general

battles. As in the case of Lesnaya, the Russian troops stood in a closed area, its

the flanks rested on the forests, behind - the high bank of the river, through which

built bridges. In front of the front lay an open plain, from where

advancing the Swedes; six redoubts were prepared there, where the arrows settled.

On the twenty-fifth of June, Peter holds a council of war, which developed

battle disposition. Makes a review of the troops. Allocates generals to divisions,

subordinates the cavalry to Menshikov, the artillery to Bruce. Field Marshal and

the generals, according to the "History of the Svean War", asked for his royal

majesty, so as not to join the battle, to which the sovereign deigned to say,

not to talk about it anymore. For Peter, personal participation in the battle, as

see, it goes without saying.

The next day he was informed that a non-commissioned officer from

Semyonovsky regiment. The traitor must have told the enemy about the weaknesses of the Russian

positions, in particular about one of the regiments, which consisted of unfired

recruits. Peter immediately ordered them to take off their uniforms and dress the soldiers in it.

Novgorod regiment, experienced and brave warriors. He circled over and over again

regiments in positions, took the last measures, encouraged. Guards officers

regiments heard from him a call:

You know that their arrogant and shrewd king will

already painted apartments in Moscow; already granted his general Shparr

governor of Moscow and our dear Fatherland decided to divide into

small principalities and, having introduced a heretical faith into them, completely destroy them. Let's leave

Can such curses and contempt be ours without vengeance?

Lieutenant General Prince M.M. Golitsyn answered him on behalf of everyone,

citing the example of the battle near Lesnaya:

You saw our work and loyalty, when through the whole day we stood on fire,

the ranks did not interfere and spans of space did not give way to the enemy; four times from

The shooting of the gun flared up, four times the bags and pockets were filled with cartridges.

Now the troops are the same, and we, your servants, are the same. We hope to have a feat now, as

Karl, a few days before the battle, received information that Türkiye

is not going to start a war with Russia, and the troops of Krassau and Leshchinsky are not

can come to his aid, since the cavalry of Goltz, the general of the Russian

army, continuously haunts them. In addition, to the Russian Tsar, according to

defector reports, an irregular cavalry numbering in

general battle. A few days earlier, during a cavalry

reconnaissance came across Russian Cossacks at the fire. The king was wounded

bullet in the leg. The camp doctor cut out the bullet, but Karl could not walk.

army. In his speech to the soldiers and officers, he called for the conquest of Russia,

to seize her wealth. The officers were invited to dinner in the tents of the Russian Tsar:

He prepared a lot of food for us. Go tomorrow where it leads you

Peter, unlike his opponent, in his speech to the soldiers spoke of something else - about

defense of the Fatherland, "the people of all Russia".

Warriors! Here comes the hour that will decide the fate of the Fatherland! So don't

should you think that you are fighting for Peter, but for the state, Petra

entrusted, for your kind, for the Fatherland ... Glory should not confuse you either

enemy, as if invincible, which lies you yourself with your victories over

it has been proven time and time again. Have the truth in the battle before your eyes ... And oh

Petr, know that his life is not dear to him, if only Russia would live in

blessedness and glory for your welfare.

the cavalry was counterattacked by Menshikov's cavalry. Having pressed a little

Russians, the Swedes came under terrible artillery fire and retreated. Rehnschild,

commanding the army due to the wound of Charles, sent his cavalry to the left

flank around the Russian right flank. But she was rejected by Menshikov and Bruce; on

the battlefield superiority of Russian artillery was overwhelming.

By order of Peter Menshikov withdrew his cavalry. The Swedes, taking the maneuver for

retreat, rushed after, but again came under fire from guns and rifles.

They fled from him in the forest, but even here death awaited them from the Russian regiments.

Peter still kept the main forces in the camp, at about 8 o'clock in the morning he brought

them from there. He pulled six of Sheremetev's dragoon regiments from the front line and put

them aside along with the Cossacks of Skoropadsky, ordered to wait for instructions on

entering the battle. Sheremetev and Repnin urged the tsar not to withdraw their units:

It is safer to have a battle with a superior number than with an equal one.

Reason and art win more than multitude.

Peter was, of course, right. He built an army into battle formations: infantry in

center, between its regiments - artillery, on the flanks - cavalry. The swedes hit

to the very center of the Russian formation, where the Novgorod regiment stood. First it

the battalion began to retreat, unable to withstand the powerful onslaught of the enemy. Peter at the head

the second battalion went on the attack and threw back the Swedes. At this time the Russian

the cavalry during the attack pushed back the Swedish cavalry.

Buckshot and the fire of Russian guns suffered huge losses to the Swedes:

"The first volley, according to a contemporary, was fired from the royal majesty so

strongly that in the enemy army from fallen bodies to the ground and guns from the hands

killed, a loud sound was made, which inspired, supposedly huge buildings

collapsed."

The Russian regiments, at the signal of the tsar, began a general attack. The Swedes ran, their

Panic gripped the ranks. They did not listen to the calls of the king, who was raised to

hands, and he unsuccessfully shouted, convinced his defeated army.

The victory was complete. Peter, who had not known fatigue all these days, immediately

writes to Moscow, informs about the "very great and unexpected Victoria." to him in

the tent brought captured generals and ministers of Sweden. The king asked:

Can't I see my brother Karl today?

The king was not found, either alive or dead. The Swedish army escaped

flight to the west, to the Dnieper. Peter's cavalry pursued her, but soon

the tired horses stopped. In the evening of the same day, the king sent regiments in pursuit

guards and dragoons. And before that, in the middle of the day, he arranged in his tents

dinner for the winners. They also invited captured generals and ministers. This case

very indicative - Peter, as a truly Russian person, was merciless with

enemy in the course of the fight against him, but to the defeated showed chivalrous

generosity, Field Marshal Rehnschild even praised for his courage. All

those present heard a remarkable speech of the Russian tsar-commander:

Yesterday, my brother King Charles asked you to dinner in my tents,

and you, according to a promise, arrived in my tents, and my brother Karl came to me with you in the tent

he didn’t grant, in which he didn’t keep his password (words, promises. - VB). I

I expected him very much and sincerely wished him to dine in my tents. But when

His Majesty did not deign to welcome me to dinner, then I ask you in the tents

dine mine.

At dinner, Peter proposed his famous toast:

For the health of teachers, for the Swedes!

Well, Your Majesty, - Piper immediately answered, - they thanked

their teachers!

Talking with the prisoners, Peter heard from the same Pieper and Renschild that

they had long urged the king to make peace with Russia, and declared:

Peace is more important to me than all victories, my dear ones.

During the battle, the Swedes lost more than eight thousand killed, three thousand

captured, Russians - one thousand three hundred and forty-five killed. Into the hands of the winners

Perevolochny Karl, Mazepa and a small number of their companions crossed over to

western coast and fled towards the Turkish possessions. Both are at the end of July.

rushed to Bender, where soon the traitor Mazepa died - either his

death or poisoning. The army abandoned by the king - more than

sixteen thousand soldiers, hungry and demoralized, led by Karl

left Levengaupt, - surrendered to Menshikov's nine thousandth corps. That's why

On occasion, Peter orders his field marshal:

Kindly send us, without delay, five hundred horses with carts, on

which to bring an enemy gun and ammunition to the wagon train.

The army of Charles XII ceased to exist. Russian positions immediately

noticeably strengthened, and Peter is well aware of this. Hastening his generals

demands that they knock out the Swedes from the cities, fortresses of the Baltic.

Informs August II of his forthcoming arrival with an army in Poland. WITH

Apraksin discusses the plan of "fishing" near Vyborg, the capture of Revel (Tallinn).

The prince-Caesar rejoices:

Now, without a doubt, Your Majesty's desire, I will give you a residence

to have in Petersburg, was accomplished through this final decline of the enemy.

For the victory near Poltava, all its participants were awarded medals -

silver (soldiers) or gold (officers); all soldiers were given an award in

the amount of a monthly or one and a half month salary. Ranks, orders, lands

received by generals and officers. Menshikov became a field marshal, Golovkin -

chancellor, Shafirov - sub-chancellor, Prince G. Dolgoruky - secret adviser.

Five months later, at the suggestion of Kurbatov, the chief profit officer, by decree of Peter

arrears were written off from the peasants for all previous years, except for the last two.

Finally, Peter submits a petition to Sheremetev with a request to note his

merits, by the way, are considerable:

both about my service, so that the rank of ryr- (counter. - V.B.)

admiral, or shaunbeinakht, but here, in the army, the rank, and not the rank of the senior

lieutenant general. And about the first, how the decree will be sent to you from Moscow, then

b and to the admiral about my rank, a decree was sent from their majesty.

Behind the playful form of address, behind the mention of "sovereigns", "their

majesties" (Prince-Caesar F.Yu. Romodanovsky and the head of the Zemstvo Order

del I.I. Buturlin) hides Peter's idea of ​​his service to the Fatherland,

their tireless labors on the battlefield. Romodanovsky informs him about the promotion

in ranks for "brave cavalry feats and in military affairs courageous

art" - the king really showed during the battle of Poltava

great skill as a commander, endangered as a soldier: one

an enemy bullet hit the pommel of his saddle, another hit his hat. To Prince-Caesar the Tsar

replies gratefully:

And although I have not yet deserved it, but just for the sake of your common goodness

this has been given to me, in which I pray to the God of strength, so that I can continue to have such mercy

deserve.

Soon Peter arrives in Kyiv and here he hears the sermon of the prefect of Kyiv

Academy of Feofan Prokopovich, a brilliantly educated person (studied at

Kyiv, Lvov, Krakow, Rome), an excellent orator and publicist. She

dedicated to Poltava Victoria, Peter, its organizer, commander:

You not only sent regiments to battle, but you yourself became disgusting with the adversary,

he himself rushed to the first swords and a copy.

Peter listened with pleasure to the preacher, and in his mind, probably,

there were pictures of past battles, especially the one that had just died down,

glorious and has already become the property of the history of the Fatherland.

Poltava victory radically changed the course of the war, put a sharp edge

between what was before her and subsequent events in the theater of military

actions. And Peter, like all Russian people, understood this very well. Like

happened at the time of the success of Russian weapons, new and so brilliant

Victoria was celebrated magnificently and solemnly, with fiction, what was the great

the master is the king himself. According to his plan, the streets and squares of Moscow passed

troops of the victors, spent more than twenty-two thousand captured Swedes (taken

near Lesnaya and Poltava) and countless trophies. Among the prisoners marched

the first minister of the king, Count Pieper, and among the trophies they carried a stretcher, on

which Charles was during the battle. For the new year 1710, the inhabitants of Moscow

saw another, no less magnificent action - after a solemn prayer service in

Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, a huge firework was lit on the occasion of the same Poltava

victoria.

In Europe, contempt for Russia was replaced by shock, respect,

mixed with fear of her power.

Peter is still ready to make peace, but, of course, on acceptable

Russian conditions. However, Karl again rejects reasonable offers.

The ruler who ruined the country and ruined the army, himself found himself in a position

freeloader in a foreign country (in Turkish Bendery), behaves self-confidently, slightly

whether not as a winner. To Sweden, he sends recruitment orders one after the other.

soldier to continue the war, although his one and a half million people are already groaning

from exhaustion. But the king does not want to hear anything; requests and messages from

He simply does not take Stockholm into account, he orders them not at all

send. And the Stockholm authorities blindly follow his orders, thank

Lord for the salvation of the king; As for what happened near Poltava, then

they are spreading an absurd version: there, twenty thousand Swedes suffered

defeat by two hundred thousand Russians!

True, Sweden retained some hope - she had a strong fleet

in the Baltic, its territory remained unaffected by the war, and the Swedish troops,

in addition to Sweden itself, they were in the Baltic states and Finland, Pomerania and

Norway. In addition, there were reasons to expect military assistance from states

Western Europe, such as England, Holland, Austria on one side,

France, on the other. Their rulers, based on their interests, calculated

get Sweden on your side. Now those plans are crumbling. I had to

to urgently rebuild foreign policy combinations. According to Robert Massey,

American historian, Poltava became a "stern warning" for everything

world, and "European politicians who used to devote the affairs of the king to a few

more attention than the Shah of Persia or the Mogul of India, learned from now on

carefully consider Russian interests. The new balance of power established by the

in the morning by Sheremetev's infantry, Menshikov's cavalry and Bruce's artillery,

led by their two-meter ruler, will be preserved and developed in the XVIII,

19th and 20th centuries".

The direct result of Poltava is the revival of the Northern Union of Russia, Denmark,

Commonwealth. But Peter's allies are again defeated by the Swedes. Russia

on the contrary, he is gaining new victories - Sheremetev in the Baltic, Menshikov - in

Poland: in 1710, Russian troops took Riga, Vyborg, Revel, Kexholm

(Korela) and other cities. The campaign against Vyborg was led by Peter himself. He also compiled

plan for his siege. In 1710 he led two hundred and fifty transport ships to him.

with soldiers, artillery, supplies. The campaign took place in very difficult

conditions - the sea was not yet free of ice, a powerful fortress had a strong

garrison, artillery. To deceive the besieged, the king ordered the sailors

put on a Swedish uniform, and raise Swedish flags on ships. He is detailed

examined the fortress from the sea and land, outlined a plan of action. Apraksin ordered:

How the breaches and other things according to my disposition will be ready, and from which

shoot should be at least a week and storm.

The next day, Peter entered the fortress at the head of the Preobrazhensky regiment. Three days

he studies fortifications. He celebrated victory first here, then in

Petersburg, where the tsar-colonel and his guards carried trophies through the streets -

Swedish banners.

Peter had every reason to express feelings of joy and satisfaction at

on the successful campaign of 1710:

"And taco Livonia and Estonia are very from the enemy

cleansed, and, with a single word, utter that the enemy on the left

to the side of this Eastern (Baltic. - V.B.) Sea not exactly

cities, but below the degree of land does not have.

Thus, the Russian troops cleared the Eastern Baltic from the Swedes.

On the occasion of this, cannons were fired in St. Petersburg for three days, bells were rung;

on the ships that stood on the Neva roadstead, staged an illumination.

It seemed that nothing could prevent Russia in its victorious march against

"Swede". But, as one day not so long ago (in the summer of 1704), the king wisely

warned his first field marshal: "The always good luck of many people

led into ruin," so now, only some seven years after

this teaching, the same thing happened to him. Suddenly declared war

Russian Ottoman Porta. In 1711 P.A. Tolstoy, who spent many years in prison

ambassador in Istanbul, informed his boss in the Ambassadorial order:

"Do not be surprised that I, as the king of Sweden, was in a great

strength, reported on the peacefulness of the Porte, and now that the Swedes are defeated, I doubt it!

The reason for my doubt is this: the Turks see that the royal majesty is now

the winner of the strong people of Sweden and wants to soon arrange everything in his own way

desire in Poland, and then, having no longer any obstacle, can begin

war with them, the Turks. So they think and do not at all believe that

Majesty did not start a war with them when he was free from other wars.

The intrigues of European diplomats in Istanbul, Charles XII and his

advisers, Mazepa's money. Türkiye, dreaming of returning Azov, resuming

relations with Russia.

This turn of events meant the prospect of a war on two fronts. But Petra

this, apparently, did not bother, especially after Lesnaya and Poltava. Difficulties like

always, it is only spurred on. Apraksin, the governor of Azov, he sends

orders: prepare the fleet for battles, plows and boats - for the Don

Cossacks, and to fight the Crimeans invite Kalmyks and Kuban Tatars.

Sheremetev is rushing - the one from the Baltic was supposed to go south, to the new

theater of war. The field marshal is different, as usual,

slowness, and the tsar hurries him, expresses obvious impatience in letters:

"Go with haste."

"So that you immediately send the regiments on the march to the appointed places."

"And it is very necessary to march, because if the infantry does not keep up,

the enemy attacks one cavalry, then not without Velikov's fear.

"To teach dragoons by fire, both horse and foot, to give peace to broadswords, for with

the Turks must fight very differently and more with the infantry of the affirmative

slingshots."

On the sixth of March, the tsar leaves for the army in the field. A few days before

state; according to the founder-tsar, the Senate was created for the duration of his

absence:

"Determined to be for the absence of our Governing Senate for

management".

Created as a temporary body, the Senate lasted more than two

centuries. The king left strict orders regarding duties,

the limits of the power of the new institution:

"Each of them (senators, the list of which, of nine people, he also

made up. - V.V.) let him be obedient to decrees as we ourselves, under cruel

punishment or even death, depending on the fault.

Pyotr Alekseevich instructed the Senate to supervise court cases and

expenditure of funds, their multiplication, for, as he wrote, "money is

artery of war.

Then, on the day of departure, the king declared his lawful wife

Catherine, the pastor's former maid, with whom, in contrast

from his first wife, he had the best relations, there were also children -

daughters Anna and Elizabeth. The marriage took place in the church in February. He cares

future of wife and children. He confesses to Menshikov about the reasons for registering the marriage:

"Even I am compelled to commit for this obscure path, so that if the orphans

will remain, it would be better if they could have their own life.

The Russian and Turkish armies met on the Prut River in early July.

Terrible heat, thirst weakened the Peter's soldiers - many went crazy,

ended up with themselves.

army. The vizier had one hundred thirty-five thousand (and together with the Tatars - one hundred

eighty thousand). The attack was launched by the Janissaries. Their fierce onslaught described

Poniatowski, acting as a military adviser to the vizier:

"The Janissaries ... continued to advance, not waiting for orders. Emitting wild

cries, invoking, according to their custom, to God with repeated "Alla", "Alla", they

rushed at the enemy with sabers in their hands and, of course, would have broken through the front in

this first powerful attack, if not for the slingshots that the enemy threw

In front of them. At the same time, a strong fire almost point-blank not only cooled the ardor

Janissaries, but also led them into confusion and forced a hasty retreat.

Kegaya (that is, the assistant to the great vizier) and the head of the Janissaries chopped with sabers

fugitives and tried to stop them and put them in order. The most brave

resumed their cries and attacked a second time. The second attack was different.

strong as the first, and the Turks were again forced to retreat."

The enemy, who lost up to seven thousand killed, was stunned by the stamina

Russians, whose losses were much less. Moreover, at the moment

retreat of the enemy, according to the compilers of the "History of the Svean War", Peter could

to win a "full victory" if he could properly organize

the pursuit. But he and his generals feared, and with good reason: the Russian

the convoy did not even have time to dig in, the soldiers were exhausted by thirst, heat, and hunger.

The state of the Turks was not the best either, although Peter did not know about it. On

the next day, the janissaries refused to repeat the attacks, despite the order

vizier. Sutton, the British ambassador, reported in this connection to his

superiors:

"Sane people, eyewitnesses of this battle, said that if

the Russians knew about the horror and stupor that seized the Turks, and could

take advantage of their advantage by continuing the artillery barrage and

having made a sortie, the Turks, of course, would have been defeated.

To Peter, the position of himself and the army seemed hopeless. tenth of july

The king writes a letter to the Senate:

"Gentlemen the Senate! I inform you that I and all my army

without our guilt and our error, but only through false

according to the news, seven times the strongest Turkish force is so surrounded,

that all avenues to cutting off provisions have been cut off, and that without

God's special help, I can not foresee anything else, except

complete defeat or that I will fall into Turkish captivity. If

if this last happens, then you must honor me as your king

and sovereign, and do nothing that I, even if it

at our own command, was required until I myself

I will appear among you in my face. But if I die and you are faithful

receive news of my death, then choose among yourselves

the most worthy of my heirs."

negotiation; if they do not agree, then burn the convoy and attack the enemy.

After some delay, negotiations began, and Peter rushes into

other extreme: if earlier he clearly underestimated the strength of the enemy and

overestimated his own, now, on the contrary, he exaggerates the power of the Turks, he is ready to go

to maximum concessions in order to wrest peace even at a very high price.

The Vezir, an inexperienced man in military affairs, leaned towards peace in many ways.

reasons. First of all, the Turks were afraid of Russian soldiers, the regular army

Petra looked incomparably better than the crowd, however huge, which

was the Turkish army. Not all Russians stood on the Prut

forces, and the enemy knew it - Renne's actions at Brailov produced on him

strong impression; and on the Prut he did not examine his choked

attacks as a victory. Moreover, the Turks were afraid of some kind of military trick

Russians - did not believe that they seriously wanted peace, the conclusion of which,

by the way, the vizier received the sanction of the Sultan.

Peter, sending P.P. Shafirov, cunning and cautious

diplomat, agreed to sacrifice everything in the south and north, just to get away from

shameful captivity and slavery.

But things did not reach the extreme conditions. The vizier and the sultan were not inclined,

as it turned out, to stand up for the interests of Sweden. Regarding your requirements

also showed moderation, based on the current situation (they are in this

case, they took into account the power of Russia even to a greater extent than Peter).

On July 12, Shafirov and M.B. Sheremetev (general, field marshal's son)

signed a peace treaty with the great vizier Baltaji Mehmed Pasha. According to him

Türkiye got Azov back, Russia promised to destroy the Taganrog fortresses on

Sea of ​​Azov and Kamenny Zaton on the Dnieper, do not keep troops in Poland, do not

interfere in its affairs, "take away your hand" from the Cossacks, that is, do not support

them, have no connection with them.

Peace conditions cannot be called difficult and humiliating for Russia, although

she was losing what she had won at a high cost in her time. But persisted

army, artillery (the Turks were given only those guns that were available in Kamenny

Zaton), conquests in the Baltic states (they were not even discussed during

negotiations). Demands of Devlet-Giray for the resumption of tribute payments by Moscow

Crimea was left in vain.

Both sides were satisfied with the peace that had been concluded. Karl was dissatisfied

XII, who dreamed of taking revenge on Russia with the help of Turkey.

The feeling of bitterness did not leave Peter for a long time after Prut. Upon arrival at

Warsaw in response to congratulations on the happy deliverance on the Prut

The king frankly admitted:

"My happiness is that I had to get a hundred cane blows, and

only got fifty.

Peter received a substantive and memorable lesson on the Prut - the loss of feeling

caution, prudence, prudence almost turned around

catastrophe for him and the country. No wonder he experienced his failure, spent in

sleepless nights thinking about the inglorious campaign.

But Peter is called by all the new things that brook no delay. He leads

strengthening the army, building a fleet, fighting, compiling

new civil laws. Administrative changes continue:

clarification of the functions of the Senate and the establishment of provinces, the construction of manufactories and

printing of books, simplification of the font and improvement of the "paradise", building

ships and training of sailors and much more.

in Leipzig (1713) brochure "Description of St. Petersburg and Kronstadt in 1710

and 1711", does not hide his surprise and admiration:

"He spends his day, avoiding all idleness, in unceasing

labor. In the morning his majesty gets up very early, and I have met him more than once in

the earliest time on the embankment going to Prince Menshikov, or to the admirals,

or to the Admiralty and the rope yard. He has lunch around noon, anyway

where and from whom, but most willingly from ministers - generals or envoys ...

After dinner, after resting according to Russian custom for an hour, the tsar again

gets to work and retires late at night. card game,

does not favor hunting and the like, and his only amusement, with which he

differs sharply from all other monarchs, is swimming on water. Water,

seems to be his real element, and he often rides for whole days on a boat

or a boat ... This passion in the king reaches the point that from walking along

the river is not held back by any weather: neither rain, nor snow, nor wind. One day,

when the Neva River had already become and only in front of the palace there was still a polynya

no more than a hundred paces in circumference, and he rode back and forth on it for

tiny geek."

Even in winter, Peter continued his maneuvers on boats, putting them on skates.

and skids, saying:

We swim on ice, so that in winter we don’t forget sea exercises!

In the same and next year, Peter pays much attention to relations with

Turkey, which insists on strict compliance with the conditions of the Prut

treaty, with Poland, where the locals were greatly annoyed by the Saxons of Augustus

II. The tsar succeeded in getting his unreliable ally to withdraw his troops from Poland.

marauding soldiers in Saxony (1716).

Meanwhile, during these years, Russian troops beat the Swedes in Pomerania, in the southern

coast of the Baltic Sea. Peter is oppressed by the inconsistency of actions

allies. Moreover, the Danish and Polish kings once again lead

treacherous separate peace talks with the Swedes behind him.

In his hearts, Peter declares that he will withdraw his troops from Pomerania. After

cools down - after all, but the war with Sweden must be brought to an end; What

to do if you have such allies. Again sends a letter to Copenhagen,

sets out to the king a plan of military action, assures him:

“I have no personal interest in either place; but what

I do it here, I do it for Your Majesty."

But all the same, there are no guns from Denmark, the troops are fruitlessly marking time.

It is clear to Peter that Russia again needs to rely on its own strength, and he will soon

will do whatever it takes to do so. He hides irritation, discontent

allies. Menshikov, who under Stettin told him, no doubt,

a lot of unflattering things to the Danes, he calms, cools:

With the Danish court, how possible, to act kindly, for, although the truth

If you speak without evasion, they will accept you for evil. True, their deeds are wicked

wrong, but what to do, and it is not necessary for the Swedes to irritate them, and especially

on the sea. If we had contentment at sea, then it would be a different matter; and when not

we have - the need for them to flaunt (to flatter the Danes. - V.V.), although that

the opposite to see, so as not to drive away.

The king, giving the most illustrious prince lessons in diplomatic subtlety and

restraint, hoped, apparently, for the Danish fleet.

In 1713, Russian troops made successful campaigns in Finland,

which then belonged to Sweden, took Helsingfors, Borgo, Abo and others.

Pomerania near Toningen surrendered to the allies eleven thousand Swedes of the general

Stenbock. But Sweden still had a very strong fleet - her last

hope, "according to Peter. Although the efforts of himself and many of his assistants

from year to year, more and more new ships of the Baltic Fleet were built, the king for the time being

the tsar informs Shafirov in Istanbul:

"Our fleet, thank God, is a multiplier, we are now thirteen linear

we have ships from 50 guns and above, and we are still waiting for a satisfied number to come with us.

Successes are evident, but this is not enough for the king:

"And we are not strong with large ships."

And here Peter finally gets his way. In addition to building

ships in Russian shipyards, buys them abroad. He trains officers

sailors driving ships in Kronstadt. Organizes and leads fleets in

trips to the Finnish coast. Constant efforts bear fruit. Twenty

On July 7, 1714, the Russian fleet defeated a large Swedish squadron at

cape. It consisted of sixteen battleships, eight galleys and

five other courts. First on the frigate "Elephant" and nine smaller

The ships were attacked by the Russian avant-garde, led by Shautbeinakht Peter Mikhailov.

Despite the advantage of the Swedes in guns (one hundred and sixteen against twenty

three Russians), Russian ships boldly went on the attack, which ended

boarding. Peter then admired the courage of his sailors:

"Truly, it is impossible to describe the courage of ours, both initial and ordinary,

ponezhe boarding is so cruelly repaired that from enemy guns

several soldiers were torn to pieces not by cannonballs, but by the spirit of gunpowder."

The entire detachment, led by Vice Admiral Ehrenschild, was captured by

Russian. The remaining ships of the squadron, due to complete calm, could not provide him

This victory, this time by sea, and even in the Baltic, struck like a thunder

Europe; panic began in Stockholm - the royal court hastily leaves

captured Swedish ships. And the streets of the city were happy

winners with trophies and prisoners, among whom was Ehrenschild.

In the Senate, Prince Caesar Romodanovsky greeted Peter:

"Hello Vice Admiral!"

So Peter received a new rank and thus an increase in salary, which he

neatly picked up, signing the statement. New vice admiral with full

base compared the Gangut battle with the Poltava victory, Indeed

the glory of Russian weapons thundered not only on land, but also at sea, on the same

The Baltic, which has long dreamed of Peter.

Once Peter, with the words addressed to Catherine, briefly and aptly defined

the scope and nature of their duties:

"We, thank God, are healthy, only it's hard to live, because I don't know how to be left-handed

to own, and in one right hand he is forced to hold a sword and pen; and helpers

how much, you know."

The same, but in other words, he inspires his negligent son:

"... This (military business. - V.V.) is one of the two necessary for

government, hedgehog order and defense.

So - internal management ("routine"), for which the "pen" is suitable

(drawing up decrees, regulations, instructions), and foreign policy, topics

most - military affairs ("defense"), a sword is already needed here. Two hypostases;

sovereign-"legislator" and commander-diplomat, and in both Peter did very

Peter himself worked day and night, not knowing fatigue, as the ancients said

chroniclers, wiped sweat for the Russian land and managed to raise all of Russia to

to get an outlet to the Baltic, which is necessary for a growing state, in order to finally

to defend the national independence of the country.

Peter's sword, whose actions relied on the power of the Russian army and

fleet, led the country to brilliant victories on land and at sea. Russian

St. Andrew's flag established itself on the fields and waters of battles. He also became

a symbol of internal transformations, success in the "routine" to which

Peter taught Russia.

Peter I - the youngest son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage with Natalya Naryshkina - was born on May 30, 1672. As a child, Peter was educated at home, knew German from a young age, then studied Dutch, English and French. With the help of palace masters (carpentry, turning, weapons, blacksmithing, etc.). The future emperor was physically strong, agile, inquisitive and capable, had a good memory.

In April 1682, Peter was enthroned after the death of a childless man, bypassing his older half-brother Ivan. However, the sister of Peter and Ivan - and the relatives of Alexei Mikhailovich's first wife - the Miloslavskys used the Streltsy uprising in Moscow for a palace coup. In May 1682, the supporters and relatives of the Naryshkins were killed or exiled, Ivan was declared the "senior" tsar, and Peter the "junior" tsar under the ruler Sophia.

Under Sophia, Peter lived in the village of Preobrazhensky near Moscow. Here, from his peers, Peter formed "amusing regiments" - the future imperial guard. In those same years, the prince met the son of the court groom Alexander Menshikov, who later became the "right hand" of the emperor.

In the second half of the 1680s, clashes began between Peter and Sofya Alekseevna, who were striving for autocracy. In August 1689, having received news that Sophia was preparing a palace coup, Peter hastily left Preobrazhensky for the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, where troops loyal to him and his supporters arrived. Armed detachments of nobles, gathered by the messengers of Peter I, surrounded Moscow, Sophia was removed from power and imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, her close associates were exiled or executed.

After the death of Ivan Alekseevich (1696), Peter I became an autocratic tsar.

Possessing a strong will, purposefulness and great capacity for work, Peter I throughout his life replenished his knowledge and skills in various fields, paying special attention to military and naval affairs. In 1689-1693, under the guidance of the Dutch master Timmerman and the Russian master Kartsev, Peter I learned to build ships on Lake Pereslavl. In 1697-1698, during his first trip abroad, he completed a full course in artillery sciences in Koenigsberg, worked as a carpenter at the shipyards of Amsterdam (Holland) for six months, studying ship architecture and drawing plans, and completed a theoretical course in shipbuilding in England.

By order of Peter I, books, instruments, weapons were purchased abroad, foreign craftsmen and scientists were invited. Peter I met with Leibniz, Newton and other scientists, in 1717 he was elected an honorary member of the Paris Academy of Sciences.

During the reign of Peter I carried out major reforms aimed at overcoming the backwardness of Russia from the advanced countries of the West. Transformations touched all spheres of public life. Peter I expanded the landlords' property rights over the property and personality of serfs, replaced the household taxation of peasants with poll tax, issued a decree on the possession of peasants, who were allowed to be acquired by the owners of manufactories, practiced the mass registration of state and yasak peasants to state and private factories, the mobilization of peasants and townspeople into the army and for the construction of cities, fortresses, canals, etc. The decree on uniform inheritance (1714) equalized estates and estates, giving their owners the right to transfer real estate to one of the sons, and thereby secured noble ownership of land. The Table of Ranks (1722) established the order of rank in the military and civil service not according to nobility, but according to personal abilities and merit.

Peter I contributed to the rise of the country's productive forces, encouraged the development of domestic manufactories, means of communication, domestic and foreign trade.

The reforms of the state apparatus under Peter I were an important step towards the transformation of the Russian autocracy of the 17th century into the bureaucratic-noble monarchy of the 18th century with its bureaucracy and service classes. The place of the Boyar Duma was taken by the Senate (1711), boards were established instead of orders (1718), the control apparatus was represented first by "fiscals" (1711), and then by prosecutors headed by the prosecutor general. Instead of the patriarchate, the Spiritual College, or Synod, was established, which was under the control of the government. Administrative reform was of great importance. In 1708-1709, instead of counties, voivodships and governorships, 8 (then 10) provinces headed by governors were established. In 1719, the provinces were divided into 47 provinces.

As a military leader, Peter I is among the most educated and talented builders of the armed forces, commanders and naval commanders of Russian and world history of the eighteenth century. His whole life's work was to strengthen the military power of Russia and increase its role in the international arena. He had to continue the war with Turkey, which began in 1686, to wage a long-term struggle for Russia's access to the sea in the North and South. As a result of the Azov campaigns (1695-1696), Azov was occupied by Russian troops, and Russia fortified on the shores of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. In the long Northern War (1700-1721), Russia under the leadership of Peter I achieved a complete victory, gained access to the Baltic Sea, which gave it the opportunity to establish direct ties with Western countries. After the Persian campaign (1722-1723), the western coast of the Caspian Sea with the cities of Derbent and Baku went to Russia.

Under Peter I, for the first time in the history of Russia, permanent diplomatic missions and consulates abroad were established, outdated forms of diplomatic relations and etiquette were abolished.

Major reforms were also carried out by Peter I in the field of culture and education. A secular school appeared, the monopoly of the clergy on education was eliminated. Peter I founded the Pushkar School (1699), the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences (1701), the Medical and Surgical School; the first Russian public theater was opened. In St. Petersburg, the Naval Academy (1715), engineering and artillery schools (1719), schools of translators at collegiums were established, the first Russian museum, the Kunstkamera (1719) with a public library, was opened. In 1700, a new calendar was introduced with the beginning of the year on January 1 (instead of September 1) and the reckoning from the "Christmas", and not from the "Creation of the World".

By order of Peter I, various expeditions were carried out, including to Central Asia, the Far East, Siberia, and a systematic study of the country's geography and mapping was laid.

Peter I was married twice: to Evdokia Feodorovna Lopukhina and to Marta Skavronskaya (later Empress Catherine I); had a son from his first marriage Alexei and from the second - daughters Anna and Elizabeth (besides them, 8 children of Peter I died in early childhood).

Peter I died in 1725 and was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources