Peter the Great, born Pyotr Alexeyevich, ruled Russia from 1682 until his death on February 8, 1725. He is renowned for initiating Russia’s modernization and turning it into a formidable maritime power. His reign was marked by participation in several wars, notably the Azov campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and the Great Northern War against Sweden.

1. As a child, Peter was notably healthier than his often-sick siblings.
2. Peter I was a great reformer who separated church from state, leading Russia towards secularism.
3. At age four, after his father’s death, his elder half-brother, Feodor III, ascended to the throne.
4. Rumors circulated at the royal court about Peter’s uncertain paternity.
5. The Tsar implemented a tax on private baths, encouraging public sanitation while raising funds.
6. Peter was proclaimed Tsar at the tender age of ten.
7. Under his rule, free education was introduced for all social classes, linking nobility careers to educational attainment.
8. Peter I introduced universal military service, establishing a standing army and navy.
9. Peter occasionally practiced dentistry as a hobby, sometimes overzealously.
10. His reign saw the establishment of a special department for petitions and complaints, known as “racketeering.“
11. The first Russian newspaper, “Vedomosti,“ began circulation in 1703.
12. Peter I implemented the Julian calendar in Russia in 1699.
13. He introduced potatoes to Russia, though they were initially met with skepticism.
14. Despite his two-meter height, Peter had relatively small feet and a slender build.
15. To combat drunkenness, he awarded heavy medals to notorious drunkards.
16. Peter mastered various trades, including blacksmithing, and frequently worked in forges.
17. He often used doubles for diplomatic trips abroad.
18. Peter I’s admiration for European culture influenced his architectural and social reforms.
19. He founded Russia’s first museum, the Kunstkamera, still open in St. Petersburg.
20. His first marriage was arranged by his mother, later leading to a decree allowing marriages only with mutual consent.
21. Tulip bulbs were introduced to Russia in 1702, inspired by Peter’s fascination with Dutch palace gardens.
22. His second wife, Catherine I, was a peasant-born laundress without formal education.
23. Peter frequently conducted incognito inspections of his guards’ duties.
24. He is credited with inventing skates, a novel concept of footwear with blades for ice skating.
25. Boyars unwilling to shave their beards were taxed.
26. Peter established the celebration of New Year’s Eve on December 31.
27. Rice was first imported to Russia during his reign.
28. Instead of execution, counterfeiters were employed at the mint, utilizing their skills.
29. A man of many skills, Peter mastered 14 crafts but never learned to weave traditional Russian bast shoes.
30. He spent much of his life on military campaigns.
31. The lover of his wife, Willem Mons, was executed in 1724, and his preserved head was placed in the Empress’s bedroom.
32. In 1702, Peter captured key Swedish fortresses.
33. The legendary Battle of Poltava in 1709 greatly added to his fame.
34. Despite severe illness, Peter continued to govern until his last days.
35. In October 1724, Peter fell ill while rescuing soldiers during a flood, leading to his death from pneumonia in January 1725. He was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Peter the Great’s legacy is a blend of military might, cultural reform, and relentless pursuit of modernization, making him one of the most influential rulers in Russian history.