Emperor Peter I Alekseevich (1672-1725)

Peter I Alekseevich (1672-1725) - tsar since 1682, emperor since 1721. Son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676) from his second marriage with Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (1651-1694). Statesman, commander, diplomat, founder of the city of St. Petersburg. Peter I was married twice: the first marriage - to Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina (1669-1731), from whom he had a son, Tsarevich Alexei (1690-1718), who was executed in 1718; two sons who died in infancy; second marriage - to Ekaterina Alekseevna Skavronskaya (1683-1727; later Empress Catherine I), from whom he had 9 children, most of whom, with the exception of Anna (1708-1728) and Elizabeth (1709-1761; later Empress Elizaveta Petrovna), died minors. During the Northern War (1700-1721), Peter I annexed to Russia the lands along the Neva River, in Karelia and the Baltic States, previously conquered by Sweden, including the territory with the manor - Saris hoff, Saaris Moisio, on which a ceremonial summer residence was later created Russian emperors - Tsarskoe Selo. In 1710, Peter I presented the manor to his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna. Strengthening his position in the Baltic Sea, Peter the Great laid the city of St. Petersburg at the mouth of the Neva River in 1703, which had turned into a seaport designed to serve the needs of all of Russia. By founding this city, Peter "opened a window to Europe".

In 1720 he wrote the Naval Regulations, completed the reform of the city administration. The Chief Magistrate in the capital (as a collegium) and magistrates in the cities were created.

In 1721, Peter finally concluded the Nishtad Peace Treaty, which put an end to the Northern War. According to the Peace of Nishtad, Russia regained the lands of the Ladoga Novgorod region that had been torn away from it and acquired Vyborg in Finland and the entire Baltic region with Ravel and Riga. For this victory, Peter I received the title of "Father of the Fatherland, Emperor of All Russia, Peter the Great". Thus, the long process of the formation of the Russian Empire was formally completed. In 1724, a decree was issued on the opening of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences with a gymnasium and a university.

In October 1724, Tsar Peter caught a bad cold while rescuing soldiers who were drowning in a flood in the Gulf of Finland. The king died of pneumonia on January 28, 1725 without leaving a will about his heir.

Later, Peter I was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The reforms carried out by him made Russia a strong, developed, civilized country, introduced it to the community of the great world powers.