Up next in 10
Czar Peter the Great of Russia casts a long shadow over history. A giant of a man, with appetites for learning and adventure to match, he did more to modernize his country than pretty much any other ruler before or since. But who was Peter the Great as a man, a father, and a reformer?
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Czar Peter the Great of Russia was a giant of a man
0:03
with an appetite for new ideas and culture to match. He did more to modernize his country
0:08
than pretty much any other ruler before or since. But he was also fairly ruthless, and maybe even a little cracked
0:16
So today, we're going to take a look at the remarkable life of Peter the Great
0:21
the physically enormous czar who modernized Russia. OK, time for some big-ass facts about a big-ass Peter
0:30
Born June 9, 1672, Pyotr Alexeyevich became czar of Russia when he was just 10
0:39
But at first, he was co-ruling with his half-brother Ivan. This joint rule was a result of Peter's father having children with two different wives
0:47
Both powerful families wanted a stake in ruling Russia, even if Ivan's family knew he would never be able to officially rule
0:54
Unsurprisingly, this tension between Russia's two most powerful ruling families led to violence
1:00
When Peter was still a boy, he witnessed the brutal slayings of several members of his
1:04
mother's family, including two of his uncles. In all fairness, we've all probably seen one uncle get violent, but usually at a Little
1:11
League game. The slayings were carried out by the Strelze, an elite unit of guardsmen who were controlled
1:16
by Ivan's family at the time. But the bad blood receded somewhat after Ivan perished when he was still quite young, leaving
1:23
Peter to rule on his own. Growing up surrounded by violence and intrigue formed Peter's character, making him cautious
1:29
and, at times, cruel. Everyone who saw young Peter remarked on how tall, handsome, and strong he was
1:44
In fact, he stood nearly seven feet tall, with broad shoulders to match in the tradition
1:49
of the great Russian heroes like Zangiev. So when Russians dubbed him Peter the Great, what they meant was Peter the Yoked, Peter
1:57
the Swole, or depending on the local dialect, Peter the Shredded. As Tsar, Peter was determined to modernize the enormous land over which he ruled
2:05
Russia was, at the time, considered a backward country with precious little infrastructure
2:10
almost no secular culture, and a court that was downright Byzantine. Peter's father, Alexei, had been interested in bolstering Russia's reputation in Europe
2:20
Tsar Alexei's reforms were a major influence on his son, who was determined to drag his
2:24
most unwilling countrymen into the modern era. To that end, Peter arranged the Grand Embassy
2:30
a retinue of Russian noblemen and craftsmen who traveled with him to Western Europe
2:35
The intent was to learn the ways of Westerners and bring back new ideas and technology
2:40
as well as art and culture which Peter hoped would lift his country out of the medieval era The intent was also to take a sick European vacation on the country dime While Peter achieved these goals he also did much to validate Western stereotypes of wild Russians
2:55
The Great Embassy's men, along with their Tsar, partied pretty hard. For example, in England
3:00
they were provided with an elegant house, which they promptly trashed like motley crew. Peter
3:05
happily paid for the damages, but no money could repair the damage to his and his countrymen's
3:10
reputation. There's a traditional Russian saying that holds, Peter the Great broke open windows to
3:22
the West, and he certainly did. There was almost no aspect of life in Russia that Peter did not try
3:28
to westernize. He even demanded his people change their style of dress, forcing all noblemen and
3:33
their families to abandon captains, fur-trimmed hats, and other remnants of traditional Russian
3:39
attire, and to don the latest fashions from Paris. This included knee breeches for men and powdered wigs and faces
3:45
for everyone. Ooh la la. That is a tough sell. Sort of like ordering everyone in Boston to wear Yankees jerseys
3:53
These reforms came so swiftly and suddenly that they offended a number of Russians, noble and otherwise
3:59
But Peter didn't stop there. Next, he came for the beards. Traditionally, Russian men sported long beards
4:05
as long as they could grow, like wizards in a ZZ Top cover band
4:09
Peter saw this tradition as absurd and out of step with modern times
4:13
So he proclaimed a new law. Every man must shave off his beard
4:17
His new law met with great resistance. For some Russian men, their beard was a major symbol of their manhood
4:23
Plus, some guys just look weird without their beard. But Peter was adamant
4:28
He even went around court with a pair of scissors, cutting off the beards of any man who dared to show up wearing one
4:34
Eventually, however, Peter compromised, declaring that if a man really wanted to keep his beard, he could do so, as long as he paid a tax
4:42
Peter the Great's reforms shocked everyone, but most everyone went along with the Tsar because
4:47
you know, he was the Tsar. However, when he insisted upon reforming Russia's Orthodox Church
4:52
he ran into a little trouble. A small percentage of the Orthodox faithful were so opposed to Peter's
4:57
reforms that they would literally rather die than adopt them. For example, there was a heated debate
5:03
about how many fingers one should use when making the sign of the cross. The old believers maintained
5:08
that only two fingers, the index in the middle finger, should be used. The reformers, however
5:13
insisted upon using three to represent the Holy Trinity, and because that's what the fashionably
5:18
modern Westerners did. It may be hard to believe, but some took it so seriously that they actually
5:23
burned themselves alive in their own churches to oppose his religious reforms Some even claimed Peter was the Antichrist It would be just like the devil to trick you into using too many fingers during the benediction
5:40
Not many people realize it, but Russia is one-sixth of the entire landmass on Earth
5:46
It spans from the edges of Western Europe down to the Caspian Sea, up north to the Arctic Sea
5:52
and across the steppes to Vladivostok on the Pacific shore. To borrow a phrase from Douglas Adams
5:57
you just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. Yet this enormous country is very nearly landlocked
6:05
Peter knew that if Russia were to ever become a world power, it needed a navy
6:10
For centuries, the Mongols had ruled the only warm water port in Russia
6:14
the Black Sea, so the country had never developed one. While in England, Peter sought the aid of King William III
6:20
who was eager to improve trade relations with Russia. William gave Peter access to British naval bases
6:25
and even gave him a state-of-the-art English ship as a gift. He learned more shipbuilding techniques in Amsterdam
6:31
because the Dutch at that time were a great naval power. Once he got back home, Peter founded the School of Mathematics
6:37
and Navigation Sciences to disseminate modern ideas within Russia. At the same time, an accelerated shipbuilding program
6:43
was put into place. Because of his accomplishments, Peter is known today
6:47
as the father of the Russian Navy. He was also the unofficial creator of the television show Undercover Boss
6:53
You see, Peter actually went to work in a shipyard, insisting that he be called not
6:58
Tsar Peter, not Your Majesty, but Sergeant Pyotr Mikhailov. He worked just like any other man, learning all the steps needed to construct a ship
7:08
His demand for anonymity was amusing to all the other men, who knew exactly who he was
7:13
It's hard to disappear into a role when you're a seven-foot giant with a face known throughout Europe
7:18
In an effort to show that Russia could be just as modern as Europe, and also to score
7:22
an epic dunk at the face of his nemesis, the Swedish King, Peter decided to build a new
7:27
capital city in the northwest of Russia, on the water. And although a true port was needed for Peter's new navy, the task was considered impossible
7:35
because the site he chose was a literal swamp. Building an entire city in a swamp is a bit like trying to build a swing set in a bowl
7:42
of ice cream, only much more expensive. Thousands of workers perished, transforming the swamp into the city of St. Petersburg
7:49
But it achieved Peter's goal of westernizing Russia. For years, the city has been called the Venice of the North because of its large number of cs
7:57
And while the skyline is dotted with onion domes where Peter would have preferred western-style steeples
8:03
sometimes you gotta compromise. Peter the Great public life may have been one of enlightenment and partying but his personal life was very different depending on how you define partying Peter sole heir was the Tsarovich Alexei and he was unhappy with how the boy turned out
8:26
Alexei was small and bookish and loved Western culture. You'd think Peter would have at least appreciated that part
8:32
but he treated his son harshly until Alexei left Russia for a time
8:36
Peter considered this a betrayal and demanded Alexei return, promising in letters that he would be more understanding
8:43
Unfortunately, he apparently meant he would be more understanding of enhanced interrogation techniques
8:49
Because when Alexei returned home, Peter had him imprisoned and regularly beaten by his personal guards
8:54
Alexei eventually perished as a result of the harsh treatment, and Peter lost his only heir
8:59
And although he had more kids with his second wife, only one daughter, the Empress Elisia Gata, survived
9:06
And she bore no children. Really, uh, shot yourself in the foot there, Petey
9:10
While Peter's half-brother Ivan perished as a young man, he had a healthy sister, Sophia
9:15
who repeatedly schemed to seize power from him. She got her final opportunity when Peter and his retinue went west on the Great Embassy
9:22
He was the first Russian ruler ever to leave the country, so his voyage was unprecedented
9:27
and risky to his rule at home. Sophia essentially took over in Peter's absence, much as she had done during his and Ivan's
9:34
Regency years before, when she had involved herself in two disastrous military campaigns
9:39
led by her advisor and lover, Prince Vasily Golitsyn. Typical sibling, messing with your
9:44
stuff when you leave for summer camp. But this time, she failed to consolidate her power base
9:49
by the time her brother returned from the West. Peter was unamused by his sister's scheme and had
9:54
Sofia permanently sent to a Moscow convent. Before you think she got off light compared to her nephew
10:00
Peter ordered Sophia's guards slain and had their bodies hung outside the windows of the convent
10:05
so she could watch them rot, you know, in case the message wasn't clear
10:16
Peter the Great had a fondness for commoners, possibly due to the peasant upbringing of his
10:21
beloved second wife, Catherine. When he established his table of ranks, it made him one of the first
10:26
world leaders to develop a plan for citizens to rise in government and society by their personal
10:31
merit rather than the nobility of their birth. Naturally, this ruffled the feathers of many
10:36
nobles and high-ranking government officials. Everyone else, however, was pretty high on the
10:40
idea. Although the Petrine Table of Ranks eventually became corrupt, it was a huge step
10:46
towards democratization at a time when serfdom was still a concern. One might even compare Peter's
10:52
table with the English Magna Carta. It was a step towards equality, albeit for a tiny minority
10:58
Sometimes progress is a game of inches