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Peter the Great
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Peter's father dies
Alexis I died in January 1676 sparking off a chain of events that would eventually see Peter installed as Peter I of Russia. For the time being however, the crown passed to his sickly half brother, the new Feodor III. -
Feodor dies
Feodor’s many illnesses saw him eventually succumb at the tender age of 20, but there was one final male heir blocking Peter’s path to the crown. -
Peter and Ivan are crowned
Peter’s half brother Ivan was next in line and was sickly like Feodor but unlike his predecessor, the boy who was to become Ivan V, was also of infirm mind. As a result, he was jointly crowned along with the new Peter I of Russia. The act was to bring an end to the Moscow Uprising and Ivan’s puppet reign served as an appeasement. -
Peter assumes sole rule
Ivan was beset by serious physical and mental disabilities and in February 1696 he died. Ivan ruled with Peter in name only and his death saw his half brother assume sole Tsardom at the age of 23. -
Peter embarks on his grand tour of Europe
The ‘European tour’ was a notorious trip undertaken by Peter and his delegation in an attempt to win aid and assistance from Western European monarchs.
Peter had dreamt of modernising Russia in line with other countries in Europe and as he travelled with his ‘Grand Embassy’ he hoped to secure help in battling the Grand Ottoman Empire. It was a largely futile quest. -
The Great Northern War
After securing peace with the Ottoman Empire, Peter turned his attentions to gaining territory in the Baltic states. Thus began the Great Northern War which was to last for twenty-one years. It was a long and bitter conflict but ultimately Russia was successful and established itself as a major European power. Ultimately, this was the defining point of Peter’s reign. -
St. Petersburg is founded
Peter captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenskans and subsequently laid down the first stone for a new city. Work continued until St Petersburg was founded and named in the ruler’s honour. -
Peter falls ill
Peter had never enjoyed the best of health and in the winter of 1723 he began to suffer problems with a blocked urinary tract. In an emergency operation, the blockage was cleared and some four pounds of urine were removed but Peter never truly recovered. -
Peter dies
Peter had fallen ill with Uremia at the beginning of 1725 and began to fall into a coma. He passed away on the 08th of February with his autopsy revealing that his bladder was infected with gangrene. It was an unremarkable end to the life of a man who arguably the greatest of all Russian leaders.
