The great Emperor Peter the First... His life was difficult, many historians still study it, and more and more interesting facts are being revealed. Many documentaries and feature films, treatises, articles, novels, essays, and poems have been shot about this famous personality. This was a brilliant child Russian Empire. This sage was interested in everything: he drew beautifully, mastered the work of a mason, carpenter, studied dentistry, even surgery. Pyotr Alekseevich was able to master fourteen crafts.

The great emperor was the heir to the Romanov dynasty, he ascended the throne in 1682 when he was 10 years old. This is the first leader in Russian history who traveled a lot and studied crafts in European countries. Thanks to him, important government reforms were carried out in Russia social order. Peter 1 won the Great Northern War, after which the scale of the country expanded significantly to the Baltic Sea. He was the founder of a great state, which continued to develop for another century after his death. Therefore, it is worth knowing some interesting facts from the life of this outstanding person.

Erudite personality

History, geography, military art, shipbuilding - everything was interesting to the young king. Pyotr Alekseevich loved to read books; later he would compose his own alphabet, which was distinguished by its simplicity and ease of study. He also wanted to write a book on the history of the Fatherland.

The Emperor's Good Health

Peter 1 was very tall, and wore only size 38 shoes. He had a very strong and strong physique, many times thanks to this, he managed to avoid death from accidents and the hands of conspirators. In his youth, Pyotr Alekseevich was very resilient; he could go for days without sleep or food doing what he loved. He loved noise and fun, although he himself was a diligent and assiduous person.

Peter 1's attitude to drunkenness

The Great Emperor greatly condemned binge drinking, and he himself came up with a way to combat it - a medal for drunkenness. This award was given to avid alcohol drinkers. It was made of cast iron and weighed seven kilograms. They put this award on at the police station and secured it with chains so that it was impossible to remove it on their own. The punished drunkard had to wear such a medal for a whole week.

Training soldiers to march

Many soldiers passing military service at that time, they could not remember where is left and where is right. Peter 1 found a very interesting solution: the soldier’s left leg was wrapped in hay, and the right leg was wrapped in straw. The formation commander gave the command not: “left-right”, but “hay-straw”. For a long time, the peasants who came to military service could not distinguish between the concepts of “left” and “right”; only educated people could do this.

Extraordinary decisions of the emperor

An interesting story happened with a certain I.M. Golovin, whom the Tsar sent to Venice to study shipbuilding. But he didn’t want to study, he just played the bass, smoked tobacco and drank wine. Returning to Russia after a while, Golovin honestly admitted to the emperor that he had been idle all this time. After this, Peter 1 acted in a very extraordinary way: he left the ingenuous loafer at court and called him “Prince Bass”, since he played this instrument.

How Peter 1 punished for a bribe

One winter, an interesting incident happened to the emperor. At that time, slingshots were installed on the Neva in the evenings so that no one could enter or leave St. Petersburg. The king himself wanted to check how well the guards were performing their duty. Pretending to be a merchant, Pyotr Alekseevich drove up to one sentry and offered to let him through for 10 rubles. But the guard refused to let him through even for such a significant sum and threatened him with a weapon.

The Tsar drove up to another guard and persuaded him for 2 rubles. After this incident, the sentry who sold out was hanged. A pendant from that ill-fated two-ruble coin was placed around the bribe-taker’s neck. The sentry who conscientiously fulfilled his duty was given a bonus of 10 rubles.

The obstinate character of the emperor

Peter the first was distinguished by his practical dexterity, cheerful disposition, and sharp directness of his statements. Sometimes affection and calm were replaced by anger and unbridled cruelty. Only Ekaterina Alekseevna, the tsar’s second wife, could cope with such a hot temper. She knew when her husband could be calmed down with affection; sometimes he even fell asleep on her chest. The queen could sit for hours next to the sleeping Pyotr Alekseevich, so as not to disturb his sleep. After this he became fresh and cheerful.

Peter the Great is a wonderful conversationalist

The Emperor visited Germany very often. During meals, he never used cutlery or napkins, wiping himself with the sleeves of his camisole. By this he greatly surprised the German young ladies. But he was an excellent conversationalist, as he knew several languages, including German.

Peter 1 brought tulips to Russia

In 1702, the emperor visited Holland. Walking through the palace flowering gardens, he admired the colorful tulips. After this, the bulbs of these flowers were brought to Russia, and a “garden office” was created to register various plants.

Peter the Great - the founder of modern skates

One day great emperor was in Holland, where he studied shipbuilding. Quite by accident, he became interested in ice skating. Since then, skates have appeared in Russia that are very similar to modern models(with firmly attached runners). Previously, they were attached to shoes using belts and ropes.

Death without a will

The Gulf of Finland was very heavily flooded in 1724. During the flood, soldiers had to escape, and Pyotr Alekseevich helped them, the water was icy. After this, he caught a very bad cold and contracted pneumonia. The emperor died on January 25, never leaving a will about the heir to the throne. The Tsar was buried on the territory of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The personality of Peter 1 is associated with many important historical events for our state.

It is not surprising that almost every fact from the life and work of Peter 1 becomes the object of heated debate among historians: which of known facts about it an extraordinary person reliable, and what is fiction? Important facts from the biography of Peter 1 have reached us; they reveal all his positive and negative sides, both the king and common man. Important facts are the facts of the activities of Peter I, who left a serious mark on the history of the Russian Empire. Interesting facts about Peter 1 amounted to more than one volume scientific research and filled the pages of numerous popular publications.

1. The great Russian Tsar, and later Emperor, Peter 1 ascended the throne on August 18, 1682, and from then on his long reign began. Peter I successfully ruled the country for more than 43 years.

2. Peter 1 became Tsar of Russia in 1682. And since 1721 - Great Peter- the first Russian Emperor.

3. Hardly among Russian emperors there is a more ambiguous and mysterious figure than Peter the Great. This ruler has established himself as talented, energetic and at the same time ruthless statesman.

4. Having ascended the Russian throne, Peter 1 managed to bring a backward and patriarchal country into the ranks of European leaders. His role in the history of our Motherland is invaluable, and his life is full of amazing events.

5. Emperor Peter the Great, who earned this title due to the outstanding role he played in the history of Russia, was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672. The parents of the future emperor were Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, who ruled in those years, and his second wife Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.

6. Nature deprived all of his father’s previous children of health, while Peter grew up strong and never knew illness. This even gave rise to evil tongues to question the paternity of Alexei Mikhailovich.

7. When the boy was 4 years old, his father died, and the empty throne was taken by his elder brother, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage with Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya ─ Fyodor Alekseevich, who entered national history as the sovereign of All Rus' Fedor III.

Fedor Alekseevich

8. As a result of his accession, Peter’s mother largely lost her influence at court and was forced, together with her son, to leave the capital and go to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow.

Peter 1 in childhood

9. Peter 1 spent his childhood and youth in Preobrazhenskoe, who, unlike the heirs of European thrones, surrounded from an early age by the most outstanding teachers of his time, received his education by communicating with semi-literate guys. However, the gap of knowledge inevitable in such cases was compensated by the abundance of his innate talents.

10. During this period, the sovereign could not live without noisy games, to which he devoted most of his day. He could get so carried away that he refused to stop for food and drink.

Peter 1 becomes king at the age of 10 - 1682

11. It was in childhood that the king became friends with someone who would be his devoted companion and confidant throughout his life. It's about about Alexander Menshikov, who participated in all the childish amusements of the future emperor. Interestingly, the ruler was not at all embarrassed by the absence good education from a statesman.

12.As for him personal life. At the age of 17, Peter, having made it a habit to visit the German settlement, started an affair with Anna Mons; his mother, in order to break off the relationship she hated, forcibly married her son to the daughter of a deviant, Evdokia Lopukhina.

13. This marriage, which the young people entered into under duress, turned out to be extremely unhappy, especially for Evdokia, whom Peter eventually ordered to be tonsured a nun. Perhaps it was precisely remorse that forced him to subsequently issue a decree prohibiting girls from being married off without their consent.

14. As you know, the king was married twice. His first wife was a girl of noble birth, while his second was a peasant daughter. Catherine I, Peter's second wife, was of low birth.

15. Empress Catherine’s actual name was Martha Samuilovna Skavronskaya. The empress's mother and father were simple Livonian peasants, and she herself managed to work as a laundress. From birth, Martha was blonde; she dyed her hair dark all her life. Such a low origin of his wife did not matter to the ruler. Catherine I is the first woman whom the Emperor fell in love with. The king often discussed important state affairs with her and listened to her advice.

16. The first person to rivete skates to shoes was Peter the Great. The fact is that previously skates were simply tied to shoes with ropes and belts. And the idea of ​​skates, now familiar to us, attached to the soles of boots, was brought by Peter I from Holland during his trip to Western countries.

17. In order for the soldiers of his army to distinguish between the right and left sides, the king ordered hay to be tied to their left leg and straw to their right leg. During drill training, the sergeant-major gave the commands: “hay - straw, hay - straw,” then the company typed a step. Meanwhile, among many European peoples, three centuries ago, the concepts of “right” and “left” distinguished only educated people. The peasants did not know how to do this.

18. From Holland, Peter I brought many interesting things to Russia. Among them are tulips. The bulbs of these plants appeared in Russia in 1702. The reformer was so fascinated by the plants growing in the palace gardens that he established a “garden office” specifically for ordering overseas flowers.

19. During Peter's time, counterfeiters worked in state mints as a punishment. Counterfeiters were identified by the presence of “up to one ruble five altyns of silver money of the same coinage.” In those days, even state mints could not issue uniform money. And those who had them were 100% counterfeiters. Peter decided to use this ability of criminals to produce uniform coins with high quality for the benefit of the state. As punishment, the would-be criminal was sent to one of the mints to mint coins there. Thus, in 1712 alone, thirteen such “craftsmen” were sent to the mints.

20. Peter I – very interesting and controversial historical figure. By the way, the emphasis that was placed over the ensuing centuries was precisely on the physical characteristics of the sovereign. It was largely due to the legend of his substitution, which supposedly occurred during a trip abroad to the countries of Western Europe (1697 ─ 1698). In those years, rumors persisted, fueled by secret oppositionists, about his substitution during the trip of young Peter with the Great Embassy. Thus, contemporaries wrote that the person leaving with the embassy was a young man of twenty-six years old, above average height, thickly built, physically healthy, with a mole on his left cheek and wavy hair, well educated, loving everything Russian, an Orthodox Christian, knowing the Bible by heart, and so on. . But two years later, a completely different person returned - he practically did not speak Russian, hated everything Russian, never learned to write in Russian until the end of his life, having forgotten everything he knew before leaving for the Grand Embassy and miraculously acquired new skills and abilities . And finally, he changed dramatically in appearance. His height increased so much that his entire wardrobe had to be re-sewn, and the mole on his left cheek disappeared without a trace. In general, when he returned to Moscow, he looked like a 40-year-old man, although by that time he was barely 28 years old. All this supposedly happened during the two years of Peter’s absence in Russia.

21.If historical documents do not lie, the emperor had a height that many modern basketball players can envy - more than 2 meters.

22. With such a tall stature, it is all the more surprising that he had a “modest” shoe size: 38.

23. It is strange that the legendary ruler of the Russian Empire could not boast of a strong physique. As historians managed to find out, Peter 1 wore size 48 clothes. Descriptions of the autocrat's appearance left by his contemporaries indicate that he was narrow-shouldered and had a disproportionately small head.

24. Tsar Peter 1 was one of the fierce opponents of alcoholism. The ruler began to fight the drunkenness of his subjects in 1714 with his characteristic humor. He came up with the idea of ​​“awarding” incorrigible alcoholics with medals. Perhaps, world history I did not know a heavier medal than the one invented by the joker emperor. Cast iron was used to create it; even without a chain, such a product weighed about 7 kg or even a little more. The award was presented at the police station where alcoholics were taken. She was placed around her neck using chains. Moreover, they were securely fastened, excluding independent removal. The awarded drunkard had to pass in this form for a week.

25. A number of quite obvious facts cast doubt on the reliability of the fact that Peter 1 was tall. Having visited the country's museums, the exhibitions of which display personal belongings, clothes (size 48!) and shoes of the sovereign, it is not difficult to see that they would have been impossible to use if Peter 1 had really been so tall. They would simply be small. The same idea is suggested by several of his surviving beds, on which, if he was over 2 m tall, he would have had to sleep sitting up. By the way, authentic samples of the tsar’s shoes make it possible to determine with absolute accuracy the size of Peter 1’s feet. So, it has been established that in our days he would have bought himself shoes... size 39! Another argument that indirectly refutes the generally accepted idea of ​​the king’s height can be the stuffed animal of his favorite horse Lisette, presented in the St. Petersburg Zoological Museum. The horse was rather squat and would have been uncomfortable for a tall rider. And finally, the last thing: could Peter 1 genetically achieve such a height if all his ancestors, about whom there is sufficiently complete information, did not differ in special physical parameters?

26.What could have given rise to the legend about the king’s unique height? It has been scientifically proven that in the process of evolution over the last 300 years, the height of people has increased by an average of 10-15 cm. This suggests that the sovereign was indeed significantly taller than those around him and was considered an unusually tall man, but not according to today, but according to those long gone in the past, when a height of 155 cm was considered quite normal. Today, the size of Peter 1’s feet, determined from shoe samples, leads to the conclusion that his height hardly exceeded 170-180 cm.

27.Having issued his famous decree “There will be sea-going vessels” in October 1696, he very quickly became convinced that, in addition to enthusiasm and financial investments, the success of the business he started required knowledge in the field of shipbuilding and navigation. It was for this reason that, as part of the Russian embassy (but incognito), he went to Holland, which was then one of the leading maritime powers in the world. There, in the small port city of Saardam, Peter 1 took a course in carpentry and shipbuilding, quite reasonably reasoning that before demanding from others, one must learn the secrets of the craft oneself.

28. So, in August 1697, at the shipyard owned by the Dutch shipbuilder Lynstru Rogge, a new worker, Pyotr Mikhailov, appeared, with facial features and dashing posture unusually similar to the Russian Tsar. However, no one had any suspicions, especially since the Dutch could hardly imagine the monarch in a work apron and with an ax in his hands.

29. This foreign voyage of the sovereign significantly enriched the palette Russian life, since he tried to transfer much of what he happened to see there to Russia. For example, Holland was exactly the country from which Peter 1 brought potatoes. Moreover, from this small state, washed by North Sea, tobacco, coffee, tulip bulbs, as well as a huge selection of surgical instruments. By the way, the idea of ​​forcing his subjects to shave their beards also came to the sovereign during a visit to Holland.

30. It should be noted that the king was partial to a number of activities that were not typical for other august persons. For example, his passion for turning is well known. Until now, visitors to the St. Petersburg Museum “House of Peter I” can see the machine on which the sovereign personally turned various wooden crafts.

31.An important step towards introducing Russia to the standards adopted in Europe was the introduction of the Julian calendar under Peter 1. The previous chronology, originating from the creation of the world, became very inconvenient in the realities of life in the coming 18th century. In this regard, on December 15, 1699, the king issued a Decree, according to which the years began to be counted in accordance with the calendar generally accepted abroad, introduced into use by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. Thus, on January 1, Russia, together with the entire civilized world, entered not the year 7208 from the Creation of the world, but the 1700th year from the Nativity of Christ.

32. At the same time, the Decree of Peter 1 came out about celebrating the New Year on the first day of January, and not in September, as it was before. One of the innovations was the custom of decorating houses with New Year trees.

33.Many interesting facts about Peter 1 are related to his hobbies, among which there were some very unusual ones. Peter I was interested in medicine. He tried his hand at surgery and actively studied the anatomy of the human body. But most of all the king was fascinated by dentistry. He liked to pull out bad teeth. It is known that with the help of instruments brought from Holland, he often removed diseased teeth of his courtiers. At the same time, sometimes the king got carried away. Then their healthy teeth could also be given away.

34. The emperor was fluent in fourteen crafts. However, not all the crafts that Peter tried to master during his long life obeyed him. At one time, the emperor tried to learn how to weave bast shoes, but he failed. Since then, he respected the “sages” who managed to master the science that seemed so difficult to him.

35.Behavior, appearance, the habits of his subjects - there is hardly any sphere of human life left that Peter 1 did not touch upon with his decrees.

36.The greatest indignation of the boyars was caused by his order regarding beards. The ruler, who wanted to establish European orders in Russia, categorically ordered that facial hair be shaved off. The protesters were forced to submit over time, since otherwise they would face a huge tax.

37. The most famous king issued many other humorous decrees. For example, one of his orders was a ban on appointing people with red hair to government positions.

38. He also managed to become famous as a fighter with national costumes. Interesting facts from the life of the sovereign confirm that among his decrees there is an order on wearing European clothing. It was he who forced the fair sex to wear low-cut dresses instead of sundresses, and men to wear camisoles and short pants.

39. Many wonderful things would never have appeared in Russia if it were not for Peter 1. Interesting facts are connected with potatoes. The inhabitants of our country were not familiar with this vegetable until the king brought it from Holland. The first attempts to introduce potatoes as everyday food were unsuccessful. The peasants tried to eat it raw, without thinking of baking or boiling it, and as a result they abandoned this tasty and nutritious vegetable. Also, during the time of Peter I, rice was first introduced into Russia.

40.Tulips are beautiful flowers, the cultivation of which also began in the state at the request of Peter the Great. The autocrat brought the bulbs of these plants to the country from Holland, where he spent quite a lot of time. The emperor even organized a “garden office”, the main goal of which was the introduction of overseas flowers.

41. The first Kunstkamera museum was founded by Peter, where his personal collections brought from different parts of the world are kept. All the Tsar's collections were transported to the Summer Palace in 1714. This is how the Kunstkamera Museum was created. Everyone who visited the Kunstkamera received free alcohol.

42. Catherine I had many affairs and often cheated on the Tsar. The lover of the tsar's wife, Willim Mons, was sentenced to death on November 13, 1724 - he was executed by beheading on November 16 in St. Petersburg, and his head was preserved in alcohol and placed in the queen's bedroom.

43. The king issued a decree: all thieves who stole more than the value of a rope from the state treasury were to be hanged on this rope.

44. Peter 1 at a reception in Germany did not know how to use napkins and ate everything with his hands, which amazed the princesses with his clumsiness.

45. Peter managed to do an excellent job military career and as a result become an admiral of the Russian, Dutch, English and Danish fleets.

46. ​​Naval and military affairs were the king’s favorite areas. Peter founded a regular fleet and army in Russia. He constantly studied and gained new knowledge in these areas. The Naval Academy in Russia was founded by the Tsar in 1714.

47. The king introduced a tax on baths, which were privately owned. At the same time, the development of public baths was encouraged.

48. In 1702, Peter I managed to take powerful Swedish fortresses. In 1705, thanks to the efforts of the Tsar, Russia gained access to the Baltic Sea. In 1709 the legendary Battle of Poltava, which brought great glory to Peter 1.

49. Gain military power Russian state was the emperor’s life’s work. During the reign of Peter I, compulsory military service was introduced. To create an army, taxes were collected from local residents. The regular army began to operate in Russia in 1699.

50. The emperor achieved great success in navigation and shipbuilding. He was also an excellent gardener, mason, and knew how to make watches and draw. Peter 1 often surprised everyone with his virtuoso piano playing.

51. The king issued a letter that prohibited wives from taking drunk men from pubs. In addition, the king was against women on the ship, and they were taken only as a last resort.

52. Under Great Peter, several successful reforms were carried out in education, medicine, industrial and financial sectors. The first gymnasium and many schools for children were opened during the reign of Peter I.

53. Peter was the first to make a long journey to Western European countries. Peter 1 allowed Russia to pursue a full-fledged foreign economic policy in the future thanks to his progressive reforms.

54. One of the areas of activity of Peter I was the creation of a powerful fleet on the Sea of ​​​​Azov, which he eventually succeeded in doing. Access to the Baltic Sea was specially built for the development of trade. The emperor managed to conquer the shores of the Caspian Sea and annex Kamchatka.

55. The construction of St. Petersburg began in 1703 by order of the Tsar. Only in St. Petersburg was it allowed to build stone houses since 1703. The Emperor made a lot of efforts to turn St. Petersburg into the cultural capital of Russia.

56. The king was asked to choose the title “Emperor of the East,” which he refused.

57. Today the exact cause of the king’s death is not known. According to some sources, Peter suffered from a bladder disease. According to others, he fell ill with severe pneumonia. King before last day continued to rule the state, despite severe illness. Peter 1 died in 1725. He is buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

58. The Tsar did not have time to write his will, but at the same time he left a serious mark on the history of the Russian Empire. Catherine 1 passed the rule of the Russian Empire after the death of Peter. After the death of the king, the era of palace coups began.

59. Monuments to Peter 1 were erected in many leading countries. The Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg is one of the famous monuments to Peter 1.

60. After the death of the king, cities began to be named in his honor.

photo from the Internet

A historical figure whose greatness is undeniable and incommensurable, the first Russian emperor Peter 1 was, in essence, a simple man.

Twice married, he wanted to leave behind not only enlightened children, future scientists and reasonable rulers, but also enlightened people. However, from 11 children Peter the Great was survived by only two daughters: Catherine and Elizabeth. The heir, Pyotr Petrovich, born in 1715, whose bicentenary anniversary could have been celebrated by grateful people, also died in childhood. Against the background of a father bursting with health, the fact of the presence of such weak and sick children is surprising, like other interesting facts from the life of Peter 1.

Interesting facts from the life of Peter 1. Peter 1 biography

Peter 1 biography: interesting facts

The life of the great emperor, with all its complexities and interesting facts, still excites the minds of historians, researchers and ordinary people. Hundreds of scientific treatises, articles and essays, documentaries and feature films, memoirs of colleagues and scientists - all this does not give us a complete picture of the life of the brilliant child of his country, but allows us to learn more about him. For example, it is known that Peter 1 was an extremely versatile person. He was interested in everything - even medicine. The emperor's passionate love for dentistry, namely the extraction of teeth, cost many courtiers not only sick, but also healthy teeth.

Interesting facts from the life of Peter 1 are not limited to hobbies or sciences, because the breadth of his interests lay not only in the theoretical, but also in the practical field - he perfectly mastered 14 crafts. The emperor took lessons in drawing and cartography, navigation and shipbuilding, and was an excellent mason, carpenter and even surgeon. The only skill that Peter 1 could not master was weaving bast shoes. In his hearts the king shouted: “There is no craft wiser than the bast shoe!”

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Among the Russian emperors there is hardly a more ambiguous and mysterious figure than Peter the Great. This ruler took the throne in 1682 and reigned for 43 years, establishing himself as a talented, energetic and at the same time ruthless statesman. It is not surprising that almost every interesting fact about Peter 1 becomes the object of heated debate among historians. What is known about this extraordinary person?

Interesting fact about Peter 1: height and physique

If historical documents do not lie, the emperor had a height that many modern basketball players would envy. An interesting fact about Peter 1 says that the ruler was taller than two meters. This is all the more surprising considering his “modest” shoe size: 38.

Strange, but the legendary ruler of the Russian Empire could not boast of a strong physique. As historians found out, this man wore size 48 clothes. Descriptions of the autocrat's appearance left by his contemporaries indicate that he was narrow-shouldered and had a disproportionately small head.

Marriage to a peasant woman

Another interesting fact about him concerns his personal life. As you know, the king was married twice. His first wife was a girl of noble birth, while his second was a peasant daughter. Empress Catherine's actual name was Martha, the empress's mother and father were ordinary Livonian peasants, and she herself managed to work as a laundress.

This origin of his wife did not matter to the ruler; she was the only love of his life. It is curious that the autocrat even cared about Catherine-Martha’s opinion about the events taking place in the state. He not only asked her opinion on important issues, but also often followed the advice he received.

The fight against drunkenness

The next interesting fact about Peter 1: the king was one of the fierce opponents of alcoholism. The ruler began to fight the drunkenness of his subjects in 1714 with his characteristic humor. He came up with the idea of ​​“awarding” incorrigible alcoholics with medals.

Perhaps world history has never known a heavier medal than the one invented by the joker emperor. Cast iron was used to create it; even without a chain, such a product weighed about 7 kg or even a little more. The award was presented at the police station where alcoholics were taken. She was placed around her neck using chains. Moreover, they were securely fastened, excluding independent removal. The awarded drunkard had to pass in this form for a week.

Strange hobbies

Many interesting facts about Peter 1 are related to his hobbies, among which there were some very unusual ones. For example, one of the passions of the autocrat who ruled Russia was medicine. In particular, he was very fascinated by the mysteries of dentistry, the process of pulling out teeth. It’s funny, but people who had exceptionally healthy teeth were often forced to become “patients” of this royal dentist.

However, not all the crafts that Peter tried to master during his long life obeyed him. At one time the emperor tried to learn, but nothing worked out for him. Since then, he respected the “sages” who managed to master the science that seemed so difficult to him.

Anecdotal decrees

The behavior, appearance, habits of his subjects - there was hardly any sphere of human life that was not touched by Peter 1 with his decrees. Interesting facts from the life of the tsar report that the greatest indignation of the boyars was caused by his order regarding beards. The ruler, who wanted to establish European orders in Russia, categorically ordered that facial hair be shaved off. The protesters were forced to submit over time, since otherwise they would face a huge tax.

The most famous king also issued many other humorous decrees. For example, one of his orders was a ban on appointing people with red hair to government positions.

Peter 1 also managed to become famous as a fighter against national costumes. Interesting facts from the life of the sovereign confirm that among his decrees there was an order to wear European clothing. It was he who forced the fair sex to wear low-cut dresses instead of sundresses, and men to wear camisoles and short pants.

Rumors of illegitimacy

In the distant past there were also people who doubted whether he had the right to Russian throne Tsar Peter 1. Interesting facts from the biography of the ruler claim that there were rumors in the state about his illegal origin. Detractors insisted that the empress, who had the honor of becoming the mother of one of the most famous sovereigns of Russia, was cheating on her husband.

The evidence given by proponents of this theory can hardly be called compelling. It turns out that almost all the children who were born to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, his official father, were distinguished by fragile health. Peter the Great was the only exception, which gave rise to rumors.

What to tell children

Some details from the life of the sovereign may seem interesting to the younger generation. Many wonderful things would never have appeared in Russia if it were not for Peter 1. Interesting facts for children are related to potatoes. The inhabitants of our country were not familiar with this vegetable until the king brought it from Holland. The first attempts to introduce potatoes as everyday food were unsuccessful. The peasants tried to eat it raw, without thinking of baking or boiling it, and as a result they abandoned this tasty and nutritious vegetable.

Tulips are beautiful flowers, the cultivation of which also began in the state at the request of Peter the Great. The autocrat brought the bulbs of these plants to the country from Holland, where he spent quite a lot of time. The emperor even organized a “garden office”, the main goal of which was the introduction of overseas flowers.

Rumors of substitution

The most interesting facts about Peter 1 are not connected with potatoes and tulips. They relate to a trip he took at the age of 26 with the Grand Embassy. Eyewitnesses claim that a young man of heavy build, with a mole located on his left cheek, left his native lands. He showed respect for everything related to Russian culture, knew the Bible practically by heart, and demonstrated education and erudition.

Why did the people decide that it was not the real tsar who returned to Russia after this trip? Some of the sovereign's contemporaries insist that after a two-year absence, he began to poorly understand the Russian language and have a negative attitude towards everything connected with primordially Russian customs. In addition, he acquired many new skills that he physically could not have acquired during the trip. Finally, the mole on his cheek disappeared, and he looked like a 40-year-old man.

The Tsar's childhood

Fascinating details are known not only about the years of the reign of the famous emperor. Interesting facts from the childhood of Peter 1 are no less interesting for historians studying his personality. It turns out that during this period the sovereign could not live without noisy games, to which he devoted most of his day. He could get so carried away that he refused to stop for food and drink.

It was in childhood that the king became friends with someone who would be his devoted associate and confidant throughout his life. We are talking about Alexander Menshikov, who participated in all the childish amusements of the future emperor. It is interesting that the ruler was not at all embarrassed by the lack of a good education of the statesman.

This is what the most look like fascinating facts from the life of a great ruler.

Emperor Peter I, also called the Great, brought about a real technical and cultural revolution in the country. He was the first in the dynasty to reject a number of outdated norms and introduced a fresh stream of knowledge and culture into the development of Russia, while jealously guarding Russian identity. The rigidity of his unpredictable and explosive character, combined with a sharp mind, turned him into one of the greatest rulers of the Russian Empire.

Facts from the life of Peter I

1. Peter the Great ruled the country for 43 years - a period close to a record. Most other rulers lasted much less time on the throne, with the exception of Ivan the Terrible and several others (see).
2. Peter I was the first Russian emperor.
3. Young Peter was proclaimed king at the age of ten. He began governing the country independently at the age of seventeen.
4. It was he who introduced skates in Russia with blades tightly riveted to the sole. Before that, they were simply secured with belts or ropes. However, he did not invent this innovation himself - Peter the Great got the idea during his stay in Holland.
5. He taught soldiers to distinguish their left side from their right by tying hay to one leg and straw to the other. Now such a trick may sound funny, but then, in the era of total illiteracy of common people, it was a good achievement.
6. One of the emperor's hobbies was dentistry - he liked to personally pull out his patients' diseased teeth. Boyars from his inner circle usually fell under the distribution.
7. One of the decrees issued by Peter the Great commanded all his subjects to consider gophers as ferrets (see).
8. Judging by the surviving evidence, Peter I had a heroic physique, but at the same time modest foot size.
9. The emperor chose a commoner as his second wife. She subsequently became known as Catherine I.
10. Peter the Great began his famous reforms after returning from a long trip to Europe, armed with a mass of new ideas. In total, he was absent from Russia for about two years.
11. It was this emperor who first brought such now popular flowers as tulips to Russia (see).
12. Peter the Great established a medal “For Drunkenness,” which he “awarded” for a week to boyars caught in this vice. She weighed more than seven kilograms, they hung her around her neck at the police station, locking the chain with a padlock, and it was impossible to remove it on her own.
13. By imperial decree, all counterfeiters were sent to work at the state mint as punishment. Peter I reasoned that it was better to put their skills to good use than to send the offenders to prison.
14. The cause of Peter I's death was pneumonia, which developed from a common cold. And he got a cold while personally taking part in rescuing drowning soldiers during a flood that happened in the Gulf of Finland.
15. The emperor perfectly mastered several crafts, including the most complex blacksmithing. However, he never succeeded in weaving bast shoes.
16. It was he who ordered to celebrate the onset of the new year on the night of December 31 to January 1, introducing the Julian calendar in Russia.
17. The boyars from his entourage, Peter the Great, forced people to shave off their mustaches and beards on a voluntary-compulsory basis. Those who stubbornly wanted to maintain facial hair were required to pay a special “beard tax.”
18. Peter I first brought rice to Russian territory (see).
19. The Emperor knew how to play the piano at a professional level.
20. In one of his decrees, he forbade wives from forcibly taking their drunken husbands home from taverns.
21. Peter the Great ordered that all thieves who stole more money from the state treasury than the value of the rope on which the convicts were hanged should be sentenced to hanging.
22. By order of the emperor, his wife's lover was executed by beheading, and his head preserved in alcohol was installed in her bedroom.
23. Visitors to the Kunstkamera, founded by Peter I, were served free strong alcohol.
24. The Emperor actively promoted the construction of public baths, while introducing a tax on privately owned baths.
25. Peter the Great introduced compulsory military service and organized a permanent army and navy.