Peter the Great Quotes

The Tsar Who Remade Russia

Peter fought the Great Northern War against Sweden for twenty-one years, from 1700 to 1721. He lost catastrophically at Narva in 1700, rebuilt his entire army, and won decisively at Poltava in 1709. He created the Russian Navy from nothing. He reformed the calendar, the alphabet, the tax system, the military, the government, and the church. He forced Russian nobles to shave their beards and wear Western clothing. He built Russia's first museum, first newspaper, and first public library. He died on February 8, 1725, at fifty-two, from a bladder infection. He left behind an empire that had not existed when he was born.