Peter's assemblies

The great reformer diligently implanted new traditions. In Europe, the tsar noticed entertainment gatherings that took place in the homes of noble nobles.
He tried to create something similar in Russia. He called these events the French word "assemblies". They became the prototypes of balls. The assembly program included dinner, wine drinking, dancing, games and talks.
The sovereign himself drew up a kind of charter for the assemblies, according to which their visit was obligatory not only for the nobles, but also for their wives, which was closely watched by the "king of balls" Pavel Yaguzhinsky.
The first assembly took place in the St. Petersburg house of Pyotr Buturlin. Secular life in Russia took root with difficulty: many noblemen were extinguished in a noisy society.