196
I BUILT ST. PETERSBURG
AS A WINDOW TO LET IN
THE LIGHT OF EUROPE
THE FOUNDING OF ST. PETERSBURG (1703)
R
ussian ruler Peter the Great
founded St. Petersburg, on
the estuary of the River
Neva, on May 27, 1703. This new
city, fortress, and port by the Baltic
gave Russia direct sea access to
Europe, opening new opportunities
for both trade and military conquest.
In 1712, Peter made his new city
Russia’s capital, stripping the title
from the ancient seat of Moscow.
An admirer of Western palaces,
Peter employed European architects
to design the government buildings,
palaces, university, and houses in
the fashionable baroque style. He
also pressed 30,000 peasants each
year into construction gangs, along
with Russian convict laborersand Swedish prisoners of war.
The regimen was strict, and living
conditions stark: more than 100,000
workers died, but those who
survived could earn their freedom.
The lavish design and vast scale
of Peter’s architecture showed not
only his appreciation of European
culture, but also his determination
to be an exalted, absolute ruler in
the manner of Western despots such
as Louis XIV. Peter used his power
to make significant changes inIN CONTEXT
FOCUS
The rise of RussiaBEFORE
1584 The emperor Ivan the
Terrible dies. The following
succession of rulers bring
greater unity to Russia.1696 Peter the Great assumes
sole rule of Russia.AFTER
1709 Russia wins a decisive
victory over Sweden at the
Battle of Poltava.1718 Peter’s son Alexis,
opposed to his father’s
reforms, dies under torture.1721 Russia and Sweden
sign the Treaty of Nystad,
pledging mutual defence.1725 Peter the Great dies,
ushering in an era of less
competent emperors.1762 Catherine the Great
becomes empress and
continues Peter’s work
of reform and expansion.St. Petersburg offered a new vision
for the country. Its strategic location
facilitated trade, its ethos encouraged
education, and its architecture provided
a showcase for Russian achievement.US_196-197_St_Petersburg.indd 196 15/02/2016 16:43
197
See also: Louis XIV begins personal rule of France 190 ■ Diderot publishes the Encyclopédie 192–95 ■
The storming of the Bastille 208–13 ■ Russia emancipates the serfs 243 ■ The October Revolution 276–79THE EARLY MODERN ERA
Russia. He founded the Russian
navy and reformed the army, which
until then had relied on bands of
men led by untrained village elders.
He reorganized the army along
European lines and developed new
iron and munitions industries to
equip it. By 1725, Russia had a
professional army of 130,000 men.A new and modern culture
Peter transformed his court, making
his courtiers adopt French-style
dress instead of traditional robes,
and ordering them to cut off their
long beards. He founded colleges,
forced the nobility to educate their
children, and promoted people to
high rank according to their merit
rather than their birth, as had
previously been the case.
The emperor was also known
for his harsh treatment of rebels,
his aggressive foreign policy, and
particularly for his successful war
against Sweden, which gave him
control of the Baltic Sea. This style
of rule was continued under later
monarchs, notably Catherine II,
also “the Great,” who extendedthe modernizing trend Peter had
begun. Influenced by the ideas of
the European Enlightenment, she
promoted education and the arts,
sponsored translations of foreign
literary works, and wrote books
herself. She too increased Russia’s
imperial strength, gaining military
victories over the Ottoman Empire.
The rulers were also influenced
by the example of Prussia, a north-
German state that expanded inthe 18th century due to an efficient
bureaucracy, a powerful army,
and strong leadership under kings
such as Frederick II. Between
Prussia and Russia lay Poland,
whose territories these two powers
and Austria carved up and took
over in a series of partitions. This
left Russia with influence over
an area stretching from Eastern
Europe to Siberia that it still
largely retains today. ■Peter the Great Peter (1672–1725) became ruler
of Russia in 1682, at first jointly
with his half-brother Ivan as
co-tsar and their mother as regent,
and then as sole monarch. Well-
educated and constantly curious,
Peter travelled to the Netherlands
and England to learn about
Western life, government, and
architecture. He also studied
disciplines such as shipbuilding
and woodworking, and practised
many with distinction. His rule
was greatly influenced by these
travels and by Western advisers,
leading him to carry out military
reforms and adopt a dictatorialstyle of rule. The position and
grand architecture of his new
city illustrated how his focus
had been directed towards
Western European culture
and power.
Although Peter forged lasting
diplomatic ties with Western
Europe, he failed in his attempt
to form a European alliance
against the Ottomans. He was
more successful in his war
against Sweden, his reforms,
and in establishing himself as
emperor of a vast empire and
monarchy that survived until
the revolution in 1917.Contemporary theories
of rulership provide a model
of enlightened despotism.Baroque western palaces
and cities demonstrate
their rulers’ power.Peter founds St. Petersburg as the capital
of a Westernized Russian empire.Peter I visits Western Europe, absorbing ideas and influences.US_196-197_St_Petersburg.indd 197 15/02/2016 16:43