Peter The Great

By: Vivian and Miranda

Synopsis
● Peter the great was born in Moscow, Russia on June, 1672.
● He was best known for his extensive reforms in an attempt to establish
Russia as a great nation.
● He was a Russian czar in the late 17th century.
● He created a strong navy, reorganized his army according to western
standards, secularized schools, administered greater control over the
reactionary Orthodox Church, and introduced new administrative and
territorial divisions of the country.
Peters significance
● He was one of the most powerful monarchs in the world
● He lead a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditionalist and
medieval social and political systems
● His reforms made a long lasting impact on russia
● He is also known for founding and developing the city of St. Petersburg
About Peter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt4D2QnhQPY
Changes that peter contributed to
● He was concentrated on developing a commerce industry and created a
gentrified bourgeoisie (middle class) population
● He modernized the Russian alphabet
● Introduced the Julian calendar
● Established the first Russian newspaper
Marriages and Family
● Peter had two wives
● He had 14 children with them
● Only three survived till adulthood
● Peter's mother selected his first wife
● He divorced his wife and forced her to join a convent
● His mistress took the name of Catherine and converted to the Russian
Orthodox Church
● All of Peters male children had died
Religion
● Peter the great was deeply religious
● He was brought up in the russian Orthodox faith but he had low regards
for the church's hierarchy
● Peter could not tolerate the Patriarch (leader of the church) exercising
power superior to the Czar
● For leadership in the church Peter increasingly turned to Ukrainians
● Peter implemented a law that stipulated no Russian man could join a
monastery before the age of 50
Peters early life
● A dispute arose between the Miloslavsky family and the Naryshkin family
over who should inherit the throne, Peters other half brother was next in
line for the throne but got chronically ill
● In the conflict some of Peter's relative and friends were murdered
● Peter witnessed some of these acts of political violence
● He engaged in such pastimes as shipbuilding and sailing as well as mock
battles with his toy army
● His marriage was a failure, and then 10 years later forced his wife to
become a nun
● Therefore freed himself from the union
● Peter then aged 17 planned to take power from his half-sister Sophia
Death
● He began having problems with his urinary tract and bladder
● A team of doctors performed surgery, removing four pounds of blocked
urine
● Peter stayed on bed rest for the rest of autumn and during October he
thought he was cured
● According to legend along the Finnish Gulf, Peter went to inspect some
iron works and saw a group of soldiers drowning near shore and came to
the rescue
● The rescue is said to have made his bladder problem worse and was the
cause of his death
● Peter died between four and five in the morning 8 February 1725.
● An autopsy revealed his bladder was infected with gangrene
Human Rights Violated
Article 3 Article 5

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman
security of person. or degrading treatment or punishment.

How he violated this: How he violated this:

He forced many people in his westernization,
this violates the liberty of an individual
● Peter had ordered the authorities to deal severely
with the rebels
● he had determined to drown all contradictions in
torrents of blood.
● His son Alexis died during this interrogation under
torture as a punishment for rebelling against him
Human Rights Peter Violated
Article 7
All are equal before the law and are
entitled without any discrimination to
equal protection of the law. All are
entitled to equal protection against any
discrimination in violation of this
Declaration and against any incitement
to such discrimination.
How he Violated this:
● He imposed taxes on men who did
not shave their beards and on
woman who wore dresses that
were ¨Old fashioned¨
Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom
of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek,
receive and impart information and
ideas
How he violated this:
● He tortured and put people
under punishment whom he
thought to not agree with
him
Article 30
No one can take away your
human rights
How he violated this:
● He took the rights and
freedoms of certain people
who went against his
beliefs of a westernized
society
What Peters hobbies were
During his lifetime, Peter learned what shipbuilding was, navigation and
watchmaking. He took drawing and engraving lessons; he studied how to
make paper; he learned carpentry and gardening. He also studied everything
about the human body and practiced surgery. Occasionally, to relax, he even
practiced dentistry, removing unhealthy teeth. Sometimes he would get
carried away and pull out the healthy ones too.

While in Holland studying shipbuilding, Peter became interested with ice

skating and found a way to upgrade ice skates. Skates used to be tied to
ordinary shoes with ropes and belts but Peter invented skates that had the
blades already attached to the soles.
Positive and negative peter had on russia
Positives negatives
-he established centers of higher living -he increased tax burden for the lower class
-he started a newspaper to make sure - that led to widening the gap between the
classes which caused tension and
complications with them.
everyone knew about certain activities
-women had some freedom
-peter made a navy which improved the
country's offense and defense
-he improved access to education for
people
-he made trade much better and improved
in russia
Macbeth's similarity to Peter the great
Both Macbeth and Peter were murderers. They killed people who were loyal
and close to them because they felt like they were ¨in the way¨ of their
power. They thought of them as threats so they decided the best thing to do
was take their life.

¨Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown And put a barren scepter in my grip, Thence to be
wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding. If ’t be so, For Banquo’s issue have I
filed my mind. ¨(3.1.63)

This quote is important because it shows that he will do whatever he can to get power. And kill
anyone in his way, such as Banquo and his son.
Macbeth's Similarity to Peter The Great
Another similarity was that Peter and Macbeth both believed in life after death. They believed that
after one dies they will either go to heaven or hell. Peter the great's religion shows that they believe
in life after death as well as in macbeth's play there is proof that he does too.

Macbeth states ¨I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell That
summons thee to heaven or to hell.¨ (2.1.62-64)

Macbeth is telling Ducan to be ready and that today was his last day either you will be sent to heaven
or hell.
Discussion questions
-Do you think Peter had more of a positive effect on Russia or negative?

-Who would you pick as your leader in todays time period, Peter or Macbeth?
 Work cited
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www.biography.com/people/peter-the-great-9542228.

n/a, n/a. “Peter I, the Great.” Biography of Peter the Great of Russia, SAINT-PETERSBURG.COM, 0AD,
www.saint-petersburg.com/royal-family/peter-the-great/.

Nikiforov, Leonid Alekseyevich. “Peter I.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 16 Oct. 2018,
www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-the-Great.

n/a, n/a. “The Early 18th Century: The Age of Peter the Great.” Guggenheim, 22 Nov. 2016,
www.guggenheim.org/arts-curriculum/topic/age-of-peter-the-great.

Greenspan, Jesse. “Why Peter the Great Tortured and Killed His Own Son.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 6 July 2018,
www.history.com/news/peter-the-great-tortured-killed-own-son.

n/a, n/a. “Prominent Russians: Peter I the Great.” Peter I the Great – Russiapedia The Romanov Dynasty Prominent Russians, 0AD,
russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/the-romanov-dynasty/peter-i/.

Karabell, Shellie. “Leadership In Russia: The Legacy Of Peter The Great.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Nov. 2017,
www.forbes.com/sites/shelliekarabell/2017/11/05/leadership-in-russia-the-legacy-of-peter-the-great/.