A person who influenced the course of history: examples. People who changed the course of world history. Personality and its contribution to history: the greatest people in human history

There are a great many people who changed the world. These are famous doctors who came up with cures for diseases and learned how to make complex operations; politicians who started wars and conquered countries; astronauts who first orbited the Earth and set foot on the Moon, and so on. There are thousands of them, and it is impossible to tell about them all. This article lists only a small part of these geniuses, thanks to which scientific discoveries, new reforms and directions in art. They are individuals who changed the course of history.

Alexander Suvorov

The great commander who lived in the 18th century became a cult person. He is a figure who has influenced the course of history through his mastery of strategy and skillful planning of war tactics. His name is written in golden letters in the annals of Russian history; he is remembered as a tireless, brilliant military commander.

Alexander Suvorov devoted his entire life to battles and battles. He is a participant in seven wars, led 60 battles without knowing defeat. His literary talent manifested itself in a book in which he teaches the younger generation the art of warfare, shares his experience and knowledge. In this area, Suvorov was many years ahead of his era.

His merit lies primarily in the fact that he improved the tendencies of warfare and developed new methods of offensives and attacks. His entire science was based on three pillars: pressure, speed and eye. This principle developed the soldiers' sense of purpose, development of initiative and a sense of mutual assistance in relation to their colleagues. In battles, he always walked ahead of ordinary military men, showing them an example of courage and heroism.

Catherine II

This woman is a phenomenon. Like all other personalities who influenced the course of history, she was charismatic, strong and intelligent. She was born in Germany, but in 1744 she came to Russia as a bride for the Empress’s nephew, Grand Duke Peter the Third. Her husband was uninteresting and apathetic, they hardly communicated. All free time Catherine spent reading legal and economic works, she was captured by the idea of Enlightenment. Having found like-minded people at court, she easily overthrew her husband from the throne and became the rightful mistress of Rus'.

The period of her reign is called “golden” for the nobility. The ruler reformed the Senate, took church lands into the state treasury, which enriched the state and made life easier for ordinary peasants. In this case, the influence of an individual on the course of history implies the adoption of a mass of new legislative acts. On Catherine’s account: provincial reform, expansion of the rights and freedoms of the nobility, the creation of estates following the example of Western European society and the restoration of Russia’s authority throughout the world.

Peter the Great

Another ruler of Russia, who lived a hundred years earlier than Catherine, also played a huge role in the development of the state. He is not just a person who influenced the course of history. Peter 1 became a national genius. He was hailed as an educator, a "beacon of the era", the savior of Russia, a man who opened the eyes of the common people to european style life and government. Remember the phrase “window to Europe”? So, it was Peter the Great who “cut through” it in spite of all the envious people.

Tsar Peter became a great reformer; his changes in state foundations at first frightened the nobility, and then aroused admiration. This is a personality who influenced the course of history by the fact that, thanks to him, progressive discoveries and achievements were introduced into “hungry and unwashed” Russia Western countries. Peter the Great managed to expand the economic and cultural borders of his empire and conquered new lands. Russia was recognized great power and appreciated its role in the international arena.

Alexander II

After Peter the Great, this was the only tsar who began to carry out such large-scale reforms. His innovations completely renewed the appearance of Russia. Like other famous personalities who changed the course of history, this ruler deserved respect and recognition. The period of his reign falls on the 19th century.

The tsar's main achievement was in Russia, which slowed down the economic and cultural development countries. Of course, Alexander the Second’s predecessors, Catherine the Great and Nicholas the First, also thought about eliminating a system very similar to slavery. But none of them decided to turn the foundations of the state upside down.

Such drastic changes occurred quite late, since a rebellion of dissatisfied people was already brewing in the country. In addition, reforms stalled in the 1880s, which angered revolutionary youth. The reformer Tsar became the target of their terror, which led to the end of the reforms and completely influenced the development of Russia in the future.

Lenin

Vladimir Ilyich, a famous revolutionary, a personality who influenced the course of history. Lenin led a revolt in Russia against the autocracy. He led the revolutionaries to the barricades, as a result of which Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and the communists came to power, whose rule spanned a century and led to significant, dramatic changes in the lives of ordinary people.

Studying the works of Engels and Marx, Lenin advocated equality and strongly condemned capitalism. The theory is good, but in reality it was difficult to implement, since the representatives of the elite still lived in luxury, while ordinary workers and peasants worked hard around the clock. But that was later, during Lenin’s time, at first glance, everything turned out the way he wanted it.

During Lenin's reign such important events like the first world war, Civil War in Russia, cruel and ridiculous execution of the entire royal family, the transfer of the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the founding of the Red Army, the complete establishment of Soviet power and the adoption of its first Constitution.

Stalin

People who changed the course of history... On their list, the name of Joseph Vissarionovich glows in bright scarlet letters. He became the "terrorist" of his time. The establishment of a network of camps, the exile of millions of innocent people there, the execution of entire families for dissent, artificial famine - all this radically changed people's lives. Some considered Stalin to be the devil, others to be God, since it was he who at that time decided the fate of every citizen Soviet Union. He was neither one nor the other, of course. The intimidated people themselves put him on a pedestal. The cult of personality was created on the basis of universal fear and the blood of the innocent victims of the era.

The personality who influenced the course of history, Stalin, distinguished himself not only mass terror. Of course, his contribution to Russian history also has a positive side. It was during his reign that the state made a powerful economic breakthrough, scientific institutions and culture began to develop. It was he who stood at the head of the army that defeated Hitler and saved all of Europe from fascism.

Nikita Khrushchev

This is a very controversial personality who influenced the course of history. His versatile nature is well demonstrated by the tombstone erected for him, which was simultaneously made of white and black stone. Khrushchev, on the one hand, was Stalin’s man, and on the other, a leader who tried to trample on the cult of personality. He began radical reforms that were supposed to completely change the bloody system, released millions of innocent prisoners from the camps, and pardoned hundreds of thousands of those sentenced to death. This period was even called the “thaw”, as persecution and terror ceased.

But Khrushchev did not know how to bring big things to the end, so his reforms can be called half-hearted. His lack of education made him a narrow-minded person, but his excellent intuition, natural common sense and political instincts helped him stay in the highest echelons of power for so long and find a way out in critical situations. It was thanks to Khrushchev that it was possible to avoid a nuclear war during and also turn the bloodiest page in the history of Russia.

Dmitry Mendeleev

Russia gave birth to many great generalists who improved various areas of science. But Mendeleev is worth highlighting, since his contribution to its development is invaluable. Chemistry, physics, geology, economics, sociology - Mendeleev managed to study all this and open new horizons in these fields. He was also a famous shipbuilder, aeronaut and encyclopedist.

The person who influenced the course of history, Mendeleev, discovered a way to predict the emergence of new chemical elements, the discovery of which continues to this day. His table is the basis of chemistry lessons at school and university. Among his achievements is also a complete study of gas dynamics, experiments that helped to derive the equation of state of gas.

In addition, the scientist actively studied the properties of oil, developed a policy for injecting investment into the economy and proposed optimizing the customs service. Many ministers of the tsarist government used his invaluable advice.

Ivan Pavlov

Like all individuals who influenced the course of history, he was a very smart person, had a broad outlook and inner intuition. Ivan Pavlov actively used animals in his experiments, trying to isolate common features vital activity of complex organisms, including humans.

Pavlov was able to prove the diverse activity of nerve endings in the cardiovascular system. He showed how he could regulate blood pressure. He also became the discoverer of trophic nervous function, which consists in the influence of nerves on the process of regeneration and tissue formation.

Later he took up physiology digestive tract, as a result of which he received in 1904 Nobel Prize. His main achievement is considered to be the study of the functioning of the brain, higher nervous activity, conditioned reflexes and the so-called signaling system person. His works became the basis of many theories in medicine.

Mikhail Lomonosov

He lived and worked during the reign of Peter the Great. Then the emphasis was placed on the development of education and enlightenment, and the first Academy of Sciences was created in Russia, in which Lomonosov spent many of his days. He, a simple peasant, was able to rise to incredible heights, run up the social ladder and turn into a scientist, whose trail of fame stretches to this day.

He was interested in everything related to physics and chemistry. He dreamed of freeing the latter from the influence of medicine and pharmaceuticals. It was thanks to him that modern physical chemistry was born as a science and began to actively develop. In addition, he was a famous encyclopedist, studied history and wrote chronicles. He considered Peter the Great an ideal ruler, a key figure in the formation of the state. In their scientific works he described him as a mastermind who changed history and redefined the system of government. Through the efforts of Lomonosov, the first university in Russia was founded - Moscow. Since that time, higher education began to develop.

Yuri Gagarin

People who influenced the course of history... It is difficult to imagine their list without the name of Yuri Gagarin, the man who conquered space. Star space has attracted people for many centuries, but only in the last century did humanity begin to explore it. At that time it was already well developed technical base for such flights.

The space age was marked by competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. The leaders of giant countries tried to show their power and superiority, and space was one of best options demonstrate this. In the middle of the 20th century, competition began over who could send a person into orbit the fastest. The USSR won this race. We all know the landmark date from school: April 12, 1961, the first cosmonaut flew into orbit, where he spent 108 minutes. This hero's name was Yuri Gagarin. The day after his journey into space, he woke up famous throughout the world. Although, paradoxically, I never considered myself great. Gagarin often said that in those hour and a half he did not even have time to understand what was happening to him and what his feelings were.

Alexander Pushkin

He is called "the sun of Russian poetry." He has long become a national symbol of Russia, his poems, poems and prose are highly valued and revered. And not only in the countries of the former Soviet Union, but throughout the world. Almost every city in Russia has a street, square or square named after Alexander Pushkin. Children study his work at school, devoting him not only during school hours, but also outside of school hours in the form of themed literary evenings.

This man created such harmonious poetry that it has no equal in the whole world. It was with his work that the development of new literature and all its genres began - from poetry to theatrical plays. Pushkin is read in one breath. It is characterized by accuracy and rhythm of lines, they are quickly remembered and easily recited. If we also take into account the enlightenment of this person, his strength of character and deep inner core, then we can say that he really is a person who influenced the course of history. He taught the people to speak Russian in its modern interpretation.

Other historical figures

There are so many of them that it would be impossible to list them all in one article. Here are examples of a small part of Russian figures who changed history. How many others are there? This is Gogol, and Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. If we analyze foreign personalities, we cannot help but note the ancient philosophers: Aristotle and Plato; artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Monet; geographers and discoverers of lands: Magellan, Cook and Columbus; scientists: Galileo and Newton; politicians: Thatcher, Kennedy and Hitler; inventors: Bell and Edison.

All these people were able to completely turn the world upside down, create their own laws and scientific discoveries. Some of them made the world a better place, while others almost destroyed it. In any case, every person on planet Earth knows their names and understands that without these individuals our life would be completely different. Reading biographies famous people, we often find idols for ourselves, from whom we want to take an example and be equal in all our deeds and actions.

Yuri Dolgoruky is considered the founder of Moscow and one of the main “gatherers of lands.” It is believed that this prince pursued a policy of unifying the Russian principalities, but all these ideas turn out to be controversial.

When was Dolgoruky born?

We do not know for sure either the day or even the year of birth of Yuri Dolgoruky. It is known that the name Yuri is a derivative of the name Georgiy. It is also known that Yuri Dolgoruky celebrated his name day in April. If you look at the calendar, it turns out that in April the memory of St. George is celebrated four times, but only once - on the 23rd - in memory of St. George the Victorious, after whom, obviously, the prince was named. It was customary to baptize infants on the fortieth day after birth, but in princely houses this rule was not always observed, therefore among historians it is customary to indicate only the season when Yuri Dolgoruky was born - in the spring.

If in spring, then what year? Vasily Tatishchev indicated the year 1090, but later calculations refute this date. Yuri was the sixth child of Vladimir Monomakh, his older brother Vyacheslav (fifth son) was about 15 years older than Yuri, and he was born between 1081 and 1084. Thus, the year of birth of Yuri Dolgoruky today is still unknown and is determined in the interval between 1095-1097 and 1102.

Whose son?

Who was the mother of Yuri Dolgoruky? Historians have at least some clarity on this matter. The prince could be the son of Vladimir Monomakh’s second wife Efimiya, since Vladimir Monomakh’s first wife, Gita of Wessex, daughter of the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II, died on March 10, probably 1098, while “Gyurgeva’s mother,” which is mentioned in the “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh, died May 7, 1107. Obviously these were two different women. Thus, Vasily Tatishchev’s version about the relationship of Yuri Dolgoruky with the Anglo-Saxons is disputed today.

Founder of Moscow?

If you ask any person who Yuri Dolgoruky is, they will most likely answer you: “He founded Moscow.” And this would be a mistake, since Yuri Dolgoruky was not the founder of Moscow. His name is associated with ancient history Russian capital only for the reason that the first mention of Moscow in the Ipatiev Chronicle occurs in connection with a letter from Dolgoruky to Prince Svyatoslav Olgovich of Novgorod-Seversky, whom Yuri calls “to visit him in Moskov.”

However, Yuri Dolgoruky was not the founder of Moscow. The chronicle says that the prince gave his guest “a strong lunch.” This means that Moscow not only already existed, but was also a city in which it was possible to place a squad and organize a feast. It is known that in the Moscow region there were villages and hamlets that belonged to the boyar Stepan Ivanovich Kuchko. By the way, Dolgoruky killed the boyar himself, and subsequently married his daughter Ulita to his son Andrei Bogolyubsky. By the way, the “Kuchkovich conspiracy” is one of the main versions of the murder of Andrei Bogolyubsky.

Why Dolgoruky?

The situation with historical nicknames has always been and remains interesting. They can be interpreted in different ways, in contrast to the opportunistic preferences of a particular era. Thus, Ivan Kalita was at one time positioned as a greedy prince who carried a wallet with him because of his stinginess, then the same wallet became an attribute of a generous man who gave alms to everyone.

A similar situation exists with the nickname “Dolgoruky”. The 18th-century historian Mikhail Mikhailovich Shcherbatov wrote that Prince Yuri was nicknamed Dolgoruky by analogy with the Persian king Artaxerxes - for “greed for acquisitions.” In current history textbooks, the origin of the nickname is explained by the fact that Yuri Dolgoruky was a “gatherer of lands.”

It must be said that besides Yuri, there were two more “Dolgorukys” in the Rurikovich family. This is the ancestor of the Vyazemsky princes, a descendant of Mstislav the Great, Andrei Vladimirovich Long Hand, who is mentioned only once, in 1300, in chronicles; and a descendant of Saint Michael Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, Prince Ivan Andreevich Obolensky, nicknamed Dolgoruky, the ancestor of the Dolgorukov princes. In all cases, the interpretation of nicknames cannot be proven.

Where did the cult come from?

Until the middle of the 20th century, Yuri Dolgoruky appeared in historical science as one of the “regional” princes, whose activities in general were of little significance for the history of the Russian state. He did a lot for the Rostov-Suzdal land, pursued an active urban development policy, but without the chronicle “link” to Moscow, Yuri Dolgoruky would have remained one of many talented and active, but far from great princes.

Here is what Karamzin writes about him in his “History of the Russian State”: “Our modest Chroniclers rarely talk about the evil qualities of the Sovereigns, diligently praising the good ones; but George, without a doubt, was the first to distinguish himself when, being the son of a so beloved Prince, he did not know how to deserve the love of the people. We saw that he played with the sanctity of oaths and worried Russia, exhausted by internal disagreements, for the benefit of his ambition.”

Vasily Tatishchev was no less categorical: “This Grand Duke He was of considerable height, fat, white in face, not very large eyes, long and crooked nose, small beard, a great lover of women, sweet food and drink; He was more concerned with having fun than with governing and fighting, but it all consisted in the power and supervision of his nobles and favorites... He himself did little, more and more children and allied princes...”

The cult of Yuri Dolgoruky is of late, Stalinist origin. It was prepared for the 800th anniversary of Moscow, in 1947. At the same time they issued a medal with the image of the prince, and made a monument (installed in 1954). The advantage of Yuri Dolgoruky as a symbol of the city was that he was ideally combined with the patron saint of Moscow, George the Victorious.

ARL GREAT(Latin Carolus Magnus, French Charlemagne, German Karl der Große) (c. 742-814), king of the Franks and Lombards, re-creator of the Roman Empire in the west, one of the greatest rulers in history. By the end of Charles's tenure on the throne, his power extended over all of Central and Western Europe - from the North Sea to the Mediterranean and from Atlantic Ocean to the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea. Charles founded militarized settlements in the depths of Muslim Spain and in the territory of Slavic Eastern Europe, and in the Balkans came into direct contact with the possessions of the Byzantine Empire. But Charlemagne was not just a military leader, but also a brilliant administrator, ruling a colossal and complex kingdom with amazing efficiency. He carried out numerous economic and agrarian reforms, patronized education, and actively participated in resolving complex church issues. Charlemagne concentrated in his hands power over all aspects of life, both religious and secular. Charlemagne was apparently born in 742; his birthday is traditionally considered to be April 2. Information about the place where he was born is contradictory: the castles of Ingelheim near Mainz and Karlheim near Munich, as well as Aachen and Salzburg are indicated. Charles was the eldest son of Pepin the Short and grandson of Charles Martell, the conqueror of the Arabs at Poitiers (732). His mother was Bertha, or Bertrada, daughter of Calibert, Count of Lansky. The marriage union between parents was legalized only in 749. Carolingian dynasty. The largest of the Germanic kingdoms that arose in Western Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire, it was Frankish. The Franks were led by kings from the Merovingian dynasty for almost 300 years. By the 7th century. The Merovingians degenerated into inactive and insignificant rulers. Due to the chronic weakness of monarchs, real political power in the kingdom was carried out by the king's closest associate, called the majordomo. In 751, Pepin the Short, a scion of the ancient Carolingian family, which invariably supplied the Merovingians with majordomos, decided to put an end to the illusory power of his overlords. With the support of the Pope, he removed the last of the Merovingians and placed the crown on himself. The first Carolingian king, he expanded and strengthened the Frankish power in a close alliance with the popes. When Pepin was anointed to the throne, which was performed by Pope Stephen II in the Abbey of Saint-Denis near Paris in 754, his sons Charles and Carloman were also anointed. When Pepin died on September 24, 768, the kingdom, according to his will, went to two sons, Charles and Carloman (theoretically it remained indivisible, but in fact each of the sons was an independent ruler of his part). From the very beginning, this created tension between the brothers. However, the situation, fraught with the threat of the collapse of the kingdom, ended when Carloman suddenly died in December 771. Charles quickly moved to his brother’s region and obtained an oath of allegiance from Carloman’s subjects, and Carloman’s wife with two sons fled and took refuge with the Lombard king Desiderius.

Kirill Martynov

philosopher:

Castaneda brought a cautionary tale to the story: how a talented hoaxer could take advantage of circumstances—in his case, California's hippie-era college culture—to make a fortune for himself.

This phenomenon is somewhat unique: perhaps there have been no other examples in the history of mankind when university professors were so gullible, so enthusiastic and so “open to everything new” that they counted Castaneda’s first book “The Teachings of Don Juan” as a master’s thesis on anthropology. A few years later, Castaneda managed to defend his dissertation in the same style and became a Doctor of Philosophy (here he is a little reminiscent of A.G. Dugin).

To appreciate how stupid this story is, just carefully re-read the first pages of Don Juan, in which the author describes how he accidentally met an elderly Indian magician at a bus stop (and the magician had already “smoked him,” that is, he knew that he would meet Castaneda ). This is a level of intellectual work in the style of the fairy tale about old man Hottabych (only for older children), and for its genre it is done well. But if a student came to me with such “anthropology” or “philosophy,” I would politely send him back. Very peculiar, but nothing to do with knowledge. This would have ended a brilliant career, because Castaneda became a millionaire from his books (a unique case, by the way, when a person earns good money from a book published by the academic publication University of California Press).

The plot with Castaneda’s “witches” is also very funny - his first and most faithful followers were exalted Californian students. Already in the 70s, works appeared, for example, Richard de Mille’s famous text “Castaneda’s Journey,” which exposed Castaneda not only as a hoaxer, but also as a plagiarist. In packaging branded “Don Juan,” Castaneda sold a cocktail of mythology textbooks and quotes from Western philosophy and literature, from Wittgenstein to Lewis Carroll.

Castaneda had a certain influence on the culture of the late 20th century - in Russia, for example, he was actively quoted by Pelevin and Grebenshchikov. This speaks to his popularity as a writer of fiction and, in general, ranks Coelho and Richard Bach rather than scientists or philosophers.

Castaneda also has followers who are trying to make money on his name, imitate him and compile new texts. The two most famous are Victor Sanchez and Ken Eagle's Nest. Of course, there is no difference between them: the mystical chatter is all the same.

Absolute monarchy

The absolute monarchy in Russia was called autocracy. Ivan III, Ivan IV (the Terrible), as well as Alexei Mikhailovich tried to come to this form of government. They partially succeeded. But the main obstacle on their way was the representative body - the boyar duma. They were unable to remove her from the political arena and were forced to reckon with the owners of large estates who enjoyed influence in their domains. Only Tsar Peter I succeeded.

It often happened that large and well-born boyars were supported by their smaller relatives, forming warring groups in the Duma. More from early childhood Peter experienced this himself as a result of the intrigues of the boyars Miloslavsky, relatives of the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich and the Naryshkins, relatives of his mother, the second wife of Alexei Mikhailovich. It was the state reforms of Peter I that were able to implement many transformations.

In the struggle for centralized power, he was supported by the nobles, a class of service people who received the title not by inheritance, but for length of service or zeal in work. It was these people who were Peter’s support during the reforms. For the development of Russia, the boyar clans and their feuds served as a brake.

The establishment of autocracy was possible with the centralization of the state, by uniting all lands, reducing the influence of the old aristocracy on the king, which became possible way liquidation of the boyar duma and zemstvo councils. As a result of this reform, Russia received autocracy (absolutism, unlimited monarchy). And Peter I went down in history as the last Tsar of Russia and the first Emperor of the Russian state.

Noble-bureaucratic apparatus

In the pre-Petrine era, the ruling group consisted of secular feudal lords - boyars, endowed with estates; nobles who owned estates. The border between the two classes was steadily shrinking. Often estates were larger in size than estates, and the number of nobles grew due to the granting of titles to serving people. What was new under Peter I was the creation of a noble-bureaucratic apparatus.

Before Peter I main distinctive feature, separating representatives of these classes, was the inheritance of land, which was assigned to the boyars forever, and after the death of a nobleman, his relatives could only claim a small allowance. What did Peter I do? He simply assigned land to the nobles with a compulsory 25-year civil service.

It was the nobles who became the support of the sovereigns; due to established traditions, they were forced to serve in the service - both civilian and military. This class was interested in centralized power and strengthening the autocracy. Time of Troubles(Seven Boyars) showed the unreliability of the boyar class.

Formation of the nobility

When carrying out government reforms, Peter I formed a new hierarchy of service people, who began to be called officials. It was formalized by the Table of Ranks of 1722, where all ranks: military, civil and courtiers were divided into 14 classes. The first included the Field Marshal General, the Admiral General and the Chancellor. The last, 14th, included the lower ranks - such as collegiate registrars, warrant officers, junior pharmacists, accountants, skippers of the 2nd rank and others.

At the beginning, each rank corresponded to the position held by the official. Privy advisers served in the Secret Chancellery, collegiate advisers were listed on the collegiums. Subsequently, the rank did not always correspond to the position held. For example, after the abolition of colleges, the rank of collegiate adviser remained.

The advantage of military officials over civilians

Peter I paid all his attention to the army, as well as to the fleet. He understood well that without her the country would not be able to defend its interests. Therefore, the interests of military employees prevailed over the interests of civil servants. For example, the title of nobility was given to civilians from the 8th grade, to the military - from the 14th grade. The ranks in the guard were 2 classes higher than in the army.

Each nobleman was obliged to perform public service - civil or military. The sons of nobles who reached the age of 20 were required to serve 25 years in any service: military, naval, civil. The offspring of nobles entered military service at the age of 15 and served as soldiers in the early stages. The sons of high-ranking officials held positions as soldiers in the guard.

Clergy

In the hierarchy of classes in Russia, after the nobility came the clergy. Orthodoxy was the main religion of the state. Church servants had a large number of privileges, which, in principle, Tsar Peter I reserved for them. The clergy were exempt from various taxes and civil service. The Emperor reduced the number of monks, considering them parasites, and determined that a person can become a monk mature age who can live without a wife.

Discontent, and sometimes opposition to the Russian Orthodox Church All the reforms of Peter I, its undoubted authority among the people, led him to the conclusion to carry out proactive reforms, which, as he admitted, would not allow a new impostor to rise from its ranks. To do this, he proclaims the subordination of the church to the monarch. In 1701, the Monastic Order was formed, which included all monasteries with lands.

Military reform

The main concern of Peter I was the army and navy. Having dispersed the Streltsy, he practically left the country without an army, and there was no navy in it. His dream was access to the Baltic Sea. A powerful stimulus for military reforms was the Narva defeat, which showed the backwardness of the army. Peter I understood that the Russian economy could not provide high-quality weapons and equipment. There were not enough plants and factories. There was no technology. Everything had to start over.

Back in 1694, while conducting the Kozhukhov maneuvers, the future emperor came to the conclusion that regiments organized according to a foreign model were far superior to the Streltsy units. Therefore, after 4 years they were disbanded. Instead, the army consisted of four regiments created according to Western models: Semenovsky, Lefortovo, Preobrazhensky, Butyrsky. They served as the basis of the new Russian army. In 1699, by his order, a recruitment drive was announced. The new recruits were undergoing training. At the same time, a large number of foreign officers entered the army.

The result of Peter I's reforms was victory in the Northern War. It showed the combat effectiveness of the Russian army. Instead of the militia, regular and well-trained regiments were formed, which were entirely supported by the state. Peter I left behind a combat-ready army that was capable of repelling any enemy.

Creation of a navy by Peter I

The first Russian fleet, created by Peter I, took part in the Azov campaign. It consisted of 2 battleships, 4 fire ships, 23 galley ships and 1300 plows. All of them were built under the leadership of the Tsar on the Voronezh River. This was the basis of the Russian fleet. After the Azov fortress was captured, the boyar duma approved the decision of Peter I to build ships for the Baltic.

Shipyards were built on the estuaries of the Olonka, Luga and Syas rivers, where galleys were built. To protect the coast and attack enemy ships, sailing ships were purchased and built. They were based near St. Petersburg, and a little later a base was built in Kronstadt. The next bases were in Vyborg, Abo, Reval and Helsingfors. The fleet was controlled by Admiralty order.

Education reform

Education under Peter I made a tremendous leap. The army and navy needed educated commanders. On the issue of education, Peter I took a decisive position, realizing that foreign specialists would not be able to solve the problem of a shortage of qualified personnel. Therefore, a school of navigation and mathematical sciences and a number of other schools, such as artillery, medicine, and engineering, are opening in Moscow.

Education under Peter I after the army was of priority importance. Opened in the new capital Maritime Academy. Mining schools were organized at the Ural and Olonets plants to train engineers. A project was created to create an Academy of Sciences, a university and a gymnasium.

Economic transformation

What is new in the Russian economy is the reorientation from small industrial enterprises to manufactories. Their total number was more than two hundred. The autocrat encouraged their creation in every possible way. It should immediately be noted that Russian manufactory differed from the European one in that the main productive force in it were peasants.

Manufactories were state-owned, landed and merchant-owned. They produced gunpowder, saltpeter, cloth, glass, linen, metal and metal products, and much more. Russia began to take first place in the world in metal production.

To maintain Russian manufacturers high customs duties were introduced. To wage war, money and manpower were needed. Population censuses are being conducted. Taxes were now collected from the male population, regardless of age. Its amount was 70 kopecks per year per soul. This made it possible to increase tax collection fourfold.

Cheap labor made products competitive in European markets. There was an accumulation of capital, which made it possible to modernize enterprises. There was a diversified industry in Russia. Its main centers were located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Urals.

Consequences of reforms

Scientists are still arguing about the role of Peter I in the history of Russia. His reforms were spontaneous in nature, outlined during the long Northern War, which revealed Russia's backwardness in many areas of life. The economic and technical gap with the developed countries of Europe was overcome, access to the Baltic was opened, which made trade with Europe more accessible and profitable.

The role of Peter I in the history of Russia is perceived ambiguously by many historians. The strengthening of Russia as a state, the strengthening of absolutism in the form of autocracy, and the economic breakthrough put Russia on a par with European countries. But by what methods was this done! According to the historian Klyuchevsky, absolute monarchy, which wanted to drag its subjects into modernity from the Middle Ages, contained a fundamental contradiction. It was expressed in a series of palace coups subsequently.

The autocracy brutally exploited the peasants, turning them practically into slaves. Over 40 thousand peasants, cut off from home and family, worked on the construction of St. Petersburg. The families of those who escaped from this hard labor were taken into custody until they were found. Peasants built factories, bridges, factories, and roads. Their conditions were terrible. Recruitment was carried out from peasants, and their duties were periodically increased. The entire burden of reforms fell on the shoulders of the people.