The Man Who Created St. Petersburg, Peter the Great: A Close Look at the Unconventional Czar Who Led Russia's Version of the Meiji Restoration

Russia's Westernization! Peter the Great, 18th Century Russian Giant

In this article.A brief history of the enigmatic country of Russia, explained in chronological order!I will talk about Peter the Great, whom I talked about in the article "The Great Czar.

First of all, let's take a look at the afterword of the translator of Henri Troyer's "Peter the Great," which again provides a concise summary of the character of Peter the Great.

　By the way, was Peter I, who is called "the father of modern Russia" and "the revolutionary on the throne," really an enlightened despot? Or, dare I say it, was he only an enlightened despot? As a matter of fact, Peter I was a -...

　On the battlefield, sometimes they are frightened, sometimes they are daredevil, and they always take part in the battle not as a general of a country but as a soldier,

　While professing to be a sincere Orthodox Christian, he also held a grand sacrilege ceremony with a tin prop, a clown pope, and others from the nobility to livestock,

　He was in doubt about his birth, but he respected his birth mother throughout his life,

　After imprisoning his wife in a monastery, he chose a Livonian laundress as his life companion,

　It is said that he tortured his only adult son to death with his own hands.

　In sharp contrast to the greatness of Pyotr as a public figure in history textbooks, his private life is dark, his actions are full of contradictions, and his love of torture, execution, and dissection of corpses is sometimes morbid.

　Even Petersburg, with its modern appearance, was an anti-Christian city built on the white bones of the victims of construction. In fact, it was not only that the city, plagued by mud, water, and pestilence, was difficult to live in. Later, Pushkin and Dostoevsky would depict the city as a fantastic, spiritually haunted place that may have embodied the inner chaos of its builder, Pyotr, on an urban scale.

　Perhaps Pyotr was both a great ruler and a tyrant at the same time. But on top of that, he was a genuine Russian. Like the Russian people, he had a cheerful, industrious, and simple side.

　He mastered 14 craftsmen's trades, from ship carpenter to pyrotechnician, and with his endless curiosity, he even devoted himself to treating his subjects' cavities.

Henri Troyer, Peter the Great, translated by Yoko Kudo, Chuokoronsha, p. 319-320

As you can see from this commentary, Peter the Great is quite an extraordinary man.

We will also take a quick look at his life using a timeline as well.

Reign of Peter the Great

Again, let's begin with a quick review of their reigns using a chronological table.

1672　Birth of Peter the Great

1682　Ivan V and Peter I, brother-in-law, become co-czars. Regency rule by Ivan V's sister Sophia

1694　Peter I (the Great) begins his rule as sole political leader.

1697　Dispatch of ambassadors to Western Europe

1700　Start of the Great Northern War with Sweden

1703　Start of construction in St. Petersburg

1712　Capital moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg

1718　Tortured his heir son Alexei, then died.

1721　Pyotr is given the titles of "Czar," "Great Czar," and "Father of the Fatherland," and the Russian Empire is established.

1725　Pyotr dies. His wife Ekaterina I accedes to the throne.

Refer to "The World History of the Rise and Fall of Russia, Volume 14: The Land of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia.

Pyotr was born in 1672, and his mother was the second wife of the Czar.

The father, the emperor, already had two children, Ivan and Sophia, by a previous wife.

The chronology says, "1682: Ivan V, the brother-in-law, and Peter I became joint emperors. The "regency government by Ivan V's sister Sophia" was a measure taken because of the succession issue of the children of his first and second wives.

As the son of a second wife, Pyotr is naturally lower in the order of succession.

However, his brother-in-law, Ivan, was congenitally mentally handicapped and frail.

Therefore, Pyotr was also considered to become emperor along with Ivan, but in reality, he was completely left out of the process.

There was a regency government by Ivan V's sister Sophia.

Pyotr lived a carefree life away from the center of politics.

At that time, Moscow was clearly a "lagging country" compared to the Western European countries.

However, the Russians were firmly proud of their own culture, however late it may have been, and did not try to imbibe foreign culture.

In Russia, his favorite people to associate with were the people of a German village on the outskirts of Moscow.

The area was inhabited by Germans who had been allowed to reside in Russia, and there was a unique atmosphere of European-style culture that was both Russian and non-Russian. It is like Nagasaki's Dejima in Japan.

Fed up with the old Russian culture, Pyotr was fascinated by this advanced Western culture.

He was a man of extraordinary curiosity. It was his encounter with Western culture at this time that may have been a major factor in his later determined efforts to westernize Russia.

Finally, in 1694, Ivan V and his sister-in-law Sophia were ousted, leaving Pyotr alone in power as emperor.

His first step was to Europeanize Russia.

In 1697, he led a delegation to Europe.

An ordinary monarch would have simply sent his vassals to the country and continued to govern as he did, but Peter the Great was different in more ways than one.

It is amazing that he not only accompanied the delegation, but actually learned advanced technology as an engineer under a false name.

It is said that Pyotr was more than 2 meters tall, so he was quite conspicuous. Moreover, it is said that it was obvious that he was the Czar of Russia.

Still, Pyotr was unconcerned. He absorbed European civilization with his own body.

This leads to the part in the afterword I mentioned earlier, where he says, "He mastered 14 craftsmen's trades, from carpenters to pyrotechnicians, and even became passionate about curing his subjects' cavities with his unrelenting curiosity.

The last part of the story, "he was even absorbed in the treatment of cavities," is said to refer to the fact that there was no treatment for cavities in Russia at that time, and Pyotr forced his subjects to follow a treatment method he brought back from Europe, namely, to pull out all the cavities from one side to the other. Terrible...

Now, at any rate, Pyotr has seen the advanced civilization in Europe and is finally ready to begin the modernization of Russia.

That was the building of St. Petersburg from 1702.

Peter the Great built St. Petersburg

Russia had no ports at that time. The northern part of the country is extremely cold and is closed to ice for most of the year, so it does not serve as a port.

The Baltic coast is also unavailable because it was held by Sweden and Poland.

In other words, even if they had wanted to trade by sea, they had absolutely no way to do so.

For Peter the Great, who wanted to adopt advanced European technology, the acquisition of a port was the most important wish of all.

It was the swampy lands near the mouth of the Neva River that Peter the Great managed to acquire during his war with Sweden starting in 1700.

He builds a fortress here and begins to build a new city.

However, this was a damp, extremely cold, marshy land, the worst land in the world, which was subject to flood damage every year. Everyone admonished the emperor for his madness to build a city here, but he would not listen to them.

Czar Peter the Great put all his energies into building the city of St. Petersburg, which took nine years to complete. However, the environment of this worst land was harsh, and it is said that more than 100,000 people died as a result of the large number of serfs who were mobilized to build the city. The scale of the death toll for the construction of the city is simply too great...

Under such overwhelming command of Pyotr, the transfer of the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1712 was to be the decisive step in the westernization of Russia.

Henri Troyer's biography describes this St. Petersburg construction as follows.

Neva" is Finnish for mud. Everything here is sticky, unresponsive, and unhealthy. But Piotr calls it "heaven.

When the westerly winds blow and the current of the Neva River rolls back, the houses in the coastal lowlands are flooded, but he doesn't care.

The harsh winter traps the boats in ice for six months, but it doesn't matter. And in the spring, when the snow melts, the roads are cut off and the village is completely isolated, but it doesn't matter.

To build Petersburg is to challenge nature. At the same time, it is a challenge to Russia's past. Petersburg will be the anti-Moscow. Pyotr hated with all his heart the ancient capital, with its continental climate, its generations-old traditions, its local superstitions, its court intrigues, its oriental, antiquated, yet rebellious spirit.

For him, Moscow is nothing more than a reminder of the Imperial Princess Sophia, her riflemen, and their bloody rebellion. If we want our country to walk into the future, we must "open the window" to the sea and to Europe.

Although it was originally an insignificant settlement that was forcefully developed through sloppy planning, Petersburg will not be added to the map of Russia as a mere fortified city in the future. It will be a city that embodies the enterprising spirit of a tsar who rejected his ancestral heritage. The city would carry his name to the last generation and symbolize his reign. He had a vague hunch, though he did not think of moving the capital.
Some line breaks have been made.

Henri Troyer, Peter the Great, translated by Yoko Kudo, Chuokoronsha, p. 319-320

At first, he did not even think of building a capital city, but we can sense his enthusiasm to break with the ancient capital of Moscow, to achieve westernization, and to create a new Russia.

And in 1712, St. Petersburg would be completed and the capital would be moved.

The break with the past and the break from political power is reminiscent of the Heijo-kyo to Heian-kyo in Japan.

And in fact, this was also done in the history between Rome and Istanbul, which I visited last year on my round-the-world trip.

It reminds us that history repeats itself with changing forms.

Peter the Great tortured and murdered his son and heir Alexei, with whom he did not get along.

In 1718, Peter the Great sent his own successor, Alexei, to his death.

What in the world was going on between them?

Alexei was the child of Pyotr's first marriage; his mother was driven away to a monastery when he was eight years old, and from then on, it is believed that a deep rift developed between the father and the child who was deprived of his mother. Father and son differed considerably in personality. The son was introspective, in contrast to the father. At the very least, the child did not grow up as the father had hoped.

Takeo Kuriyuzawa, "Illustrated History of Russia," Kawade Shobo Shinsha, p. 67

Pyotr's first wife was Evdokiya, a woman he had married in a political marriage. She was a devout Russian Orthodox woman who longed for the good old days in Moscow, and she did not get along with Pyotr, who did not like Russia.

Eventually, Pyotr pushed her into a monastery, where he himself began to have mistresses and secret marriages.

Alexei grew up to be the complete opposite of Pyotr, perhaps due to the influence of his mother, who adored such a good old Moscow.

Henri Troyer's biography states

By his very nature, Alexei is a man like Pyotr's shadow painting. In everything, he is the exact opposite of his father. It is the blood of the weak and pious Evdokya that runs through his veins, not the blood of a despot who wants to make him into a man in his own image. Pyotr boasts of his power like Hercules, but Alexei is a frail young man who sometimes suffers from hallucinations.

The father loves war, the son detests it. While the father thrives on the authority of the church, the son finds peace only in communion with monks. While the father pours over scientific books, the son indulges in reading the Bible. When the father dreams of awakening Russia from its long-held dream, the son blindly believes in the ancient customs of Moscow. The father makes all sacrifices to move forward, while the son relentlessly looks back to the past.
Some line breaks have been made.

Henri Troyer, Peter the Great, translated by Yoko Kudo, Chuokoronsha, p. 180

Alexei was a tick-tock Moscowite and non-belligerent, while Pyotr was a Westerner.

Therefore, the nobles, who were antagonistic to Pyotr's forceful reforms, gradually approached Alexei.

Even if Alexei had no intention of doing so, it seemed too threatening to the skeptical Piotr.

Fearing for his safety, Alexei leaves for Vienna and goes into exile.

But an angry Pyotr would not allow the exile, no matter how hard he tried. Bring him back! Tolstoy ordered.

Even for Tolstoy, who was known as a brilliant man, it was thought to be extremely difficult to find and bring back Alexei who was hidden in a foreign country, but to his surprise, he succeeded! He tracked down Alexei, who had been hidden in a foreign country, and through skillful negotiation, secured Alexei and sent him back to Russia. He secured Alexei through skillful negotiation and sent him back to Russia. Emperor Peter was overjoyed.

Amazingly, the brilliant man who pulled off this feat is the ancestor of the great writer Lev Tolstoy.

This success led to further prosperity for the Tolstoy family, which rose to become the greatest aristocratic family in Russia.

This episode shows how venerable and noble the Tolstoy family is.

Above is the famous painting in which Peter the Great chastises his son Alexei.

Alexei returned to Russia, but Pyotr's anger did not abate and he was tortured to death.

Previous Article'The Key to the Mystery of Russia! Tyrant! A great tyrant! The Chaotic Spirit of Ivan the Terrible"Ivan the Terrible, introduced in the previous section, also killed his own son with his own hands.

Knowing the history of Ivan the Terrible, how did Pyotr feel about having killed his son?

Seven years after his son's death, in 1725, he too would end his life.

Death of Pyotr

He was the emperor Pyotr who killed his own son, but he had always had a tyrannical temperament and an instability that swung from one extreme to the other while maintaining a firm ego. This is similar to Ivan the Terrible, whom I mentioned in my previous article.

He continues to live a life of extremes, including orgies, torture and executions, until his later years.

Finally, perhaps due to overwork, his body began to deteriorate suddenly and he became ill.

Then, at the end of November 1724, a decisive event awaited him.

He had gone to inspect the canal facilities outside of town, even though it was the middle of winter.

As he approached the village of Rahta, near Petersburg, he spotted a ship on a sandbar near the riverbank. On deck, a group of soldiers returning from Kronshtadt were moving right and left. Without hesitation, the Tsar enters the icy water and joins the rescue operation. Loudly ordering people to get out of the water, he himself struggles. While chest-deep in the water, he feels proud that he still has superhuman strength left in him.

He, who was willing to sacrifice lives by the thousands for the cause of the nation, was willing to risk his life to save a few poor soldiers. When they all land safely on the ground, the Tsar's face beams with pride. At fifty-three years old, he behaved just as he had when he was twenty. However, this great adventure had definitely ruined his health. When he returned to Petersburg, he had a high fever. But, as usual, he took his ailment with contempt. According to Campledon, "Every day he went about visiting the principal houses with two hundred attendants, musicians and what not. The whole party would sing, drink, eat, and frolic without regard for the inconvenience to their masters."

Some line breaks have been made.

Henri Troyer, Peter the Great, translated by Yoko Kudo, Chuokoronsha, p. 298-299

He has killed thousands of people through his reign of terror, caused the deaths of over 100,000 workers during the construction of St. Petersburg, and even tortured his own son to death a few years ago.

The emperor himself, Peter the Great, jumped into the extremely cold river for a few soldiers and risked his life to rescue them.

Too bizarre. Too mysterious.

Why did Pyotr act this way? Was it calculation? Or did his body act on its own? If it was calculation, the effect is too weak for the sacrifice he made.

The great emperor, who had raged as such a cruel tyrant, would give up his life for just a few people.

From one extreme to the other. The very "Russian" abyss may be there.

But this rescue mission will finally cost him his life.

During the night of January 20-21, 1725, Pyotr complained of severe urinary retention. On the recommendation of the Italian physician Lazzarotti, a puncture was attempted, and on January 23, 1725, an operation was performed under the direction of the English surgeon Horn. On January 23, 1725, the British surgeon Horn performed the operation. "Nearly two kilograms of urine were removed," Campledon wrote, "but it was covered with floating lumps of flesh and what appeared to be decomposing guts, and gave off a horrible stench.

After taking a breath, the Tsar took a small sip of barley gruel. Then he went to confession and received the Eucharist. This was repeated three times in three days. I believe and I have hope," he murmured. On his deathbed, he hoped to die a devout member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Perhaps he was hoping to make up for his earlier insult of Monro. Soon the pain came again. The doctors seemed certain that there was a tumor at the bladder outlet. Piotr moaned faintly as he endured the pain. It's just too painful," he said. I feel like I have a house on my stomach.
Some line breaks have been made.

Henri Troyer, Peter the Great, translated by Yoko Kudo, Chuokoronsha, p. 299

Eventually, his suffering continued and all hope of recovery was lost, and on January 28, Pyotr finally met his demise.

Thus ended the life of the great Tsar Peter the Great, who achieved the westernization of Russia and founded St. Petersburg.

Conclusion - Pyotr's Postmortem and Evaluation of Him

Peter the Great reigned over Russia as absolute tsar alongside Ivan the Terrible.

His life, like Ivan the Terrible's, was also substandard.

With his overwhelming charisma and overwhelming leadership power, he strongly led Russia and established a path for Russia to become a solidly powerful country.

After his death, Russia was again in turmoil. Henri Troyer wrote the following about Russia after Peter's death and those who will miss him.

In this soft and disorderly world, which Menshikov controlled at will, some people already began to miss the decisive politics of their predecessor. As time went by, the wounds inflicted by Pyotr on the people became silent, while only the basic principles of his government shone with eternal radiance. People forgot his crimes and remembered his achievements. Even those who had opposed him in his lifetime were amazed at the extent of the loss caused by his death.

Campledon says, "Just as much as he on the throne was feared by the people, so he in the tomb was spared by them." He added, "This great monarch performed miracles. If those who saw Russia thirty years ago could see what is happening here today, they would surely agree that it was only through that brave, perceptive, and industrious monarch that such a harmonious and total transformation was achieved. It is only through that brave, bright, hardworking and diligent monarch that such a harmonious and total transformation could have been achieved.

In truth, Pyotr, with barbaric stubbornness, sacrificed the well-being of the Russian people for the glory of the Russian nation. While transforming his homeland, he wanted to catch up with and surpass Europe. He chose as his role model not France, a sophisticated and rebellious Catholic country, but Germany, with its active and staunch Protestants. Moreover, his preference for Germany was in its essence entirely Russian. This should have been understood by the people of his time shortly after his death.

The people had the impression that for thirty years they had been ruled by an extraordinary man of superhuman intellect and physical strength, a man whose strengths and weaknesses were both extraordinary and out of the ordinary. The civilization-hungry barbarian, the jolly fellow who sometimes kills in anger, the workaholic, the military chief eager to rule the people, the beheader who can hold a club and a pen, the monarch who makes himself the butt of jokes at the drop of a hat while having a triumphal arch built, the sincere Orthodox who devises this and that rite of consecration, the man who is a man of the people, the man who is a man of the people, the man who is a man of the people...the man who is a man of the people, the man who is a man of the people, the man who is a man of the people.... The faithful Orthodox Church, ......, with all the contradictions it could muster within itself, surrendered itself to all its excesses with the same carelessness it had always shown.

Can we judge this giant of simmering primal instincts by ordinary moral standards? Could he have pulled the country out of its perpetual lethargy if he had not struck Russia like a tornado? Wise people will begin to ask themselves whether Russia without him will return to the chaos it once again finds itself in.
Some line breaks have been made.

Henri Troyer, Peter the Great, translated by Yoko Kudo, Chuokoron-sha, p. 307-308

After the death of Peter the Great, another substandard man, the Russian people gave him a reputation exactly like that of Ivan the Terrible.

Especially the last sentence, "Can we judge this giant of simmering primitive instincts by ordinary moral standards? How could we have pulled this country out of its perpetual lethargy if it had not struck Russia like a tornado?" This part is very important.

Ivan the Terrible, also known as the "Thunder Emperor," was a monarch associated with the overwhelming power of nature.

It takes a man of that magnitude to rule over such a vast area of Russia.

They take it in stride to do things that no ordinary person could ever accomplish.

It is true that both Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great were tyrants, and their paths were traversed by lightning, storms, and tornadoes. However, to the Russian people, these are natural disasters that cannot be avoided, and are accepted as something that can only be endured with patience.

This Russian perseverance on an overwhelming scale is so deep-rooted that it has been described as a Russian virtue: "the ability to endure.

The Russia of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy was created by these substandard czars.

Peter the Great, the man who modernized Russia and created St. Petersburg, was also a very interesting figure.

The above is "The Man Who Created St. Petersburg, Peter the Great: A Close Look at the Substandard Czar Who Carried Out Russia's Version of the Meiji Restoration".

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