Peter 1 reforms briefly. Introduction of conscription

For all connoisseurs of Russian history, the name of Peter 1 will forever remain associated with the period of reform in almost all spheres of life Russian society. And one of the most important in this series was military reform.

Peter the Great fought throughout the entire period of his reign. All his military campaigns were directed against serious opponents - Sweden and Turkey. And in order to wage endless grueling, and, moreover, offensive wars, a well-equipped, combat-ready army is needed. Actually, the need to create such an army was main reason military reforms of Peter the Great. The process of transformation was not immediate; each stage took place in its own time and was caused by certain events during the hostilities.

It cannot be said that the tsar began reforming the army from scratch. Rather, he continued and expanded the military innovations conceived by his father Alexei Mikhailovich.

So, let's look at the military reforms of Peter 1 briefly point by point:

Reform of the Streltsy army

In 1697, the Streltsy regiments, which were new army, were disbanded and later completely abolished. They were simply not ready to conduct constant hostilities. In addition, the Streltsy riots undermined the tsar’s trust in them. Instead of the Streltsy, three new regiments were formed in 1699, which were staffed by disbanded foreign regiments and recruits.

Introduction of conscription

In 1699, a new system of army recruitment was introduced in the country - conscription. Initially, recruitment was carried out only as needed and was regulated by special decrees, which stipulated what was necessary for this moment number of recruits. Their service was for life. The basis of recruitment was the tax-paying classes of peasants and townspeople. The new system made it possible to create a large standing army in the country, which had a significant advantage over European mercenary troops.

Changing the military training system

Since 1699, the training of soldiers and officers began to be carried out according to a single drill code. The emphasis was on constant military training. In 1700 the first military school for officers was opened, and in 1715 the Naval Academy was opened in St. Petersburg.

Changes in the organizational structure of the army

The army was officially divided into three branches: infantry, artillery and cavalry. The entire structure of the new army and navy was reduced to uniformity: brigades, regiments, divisions. The administration of army affairs was transferred to the jurisdiction of four orders. Since 1718, the Military Collegium has become the highest military body.

In 1722, the Table of Ranks was created, which clearly structured the system of military ranks.

Army rearmament

Peter I began to arm the infantry with flintlock rifles with a single caliber bayonet and swords. Under him, new types of artillery pieces and ammunition were developed. New types of ships were created.

As a result of the military reforms of Peter the Great, rapid economic growth began in Russia. After all, in order to provide such an army colossus, new steel and weapons factories and ammunition factories were needed. As a result, by 1707 the state’s dependence on the import of weapons from Europe was completely eliminated.

The main results of the reform were the creation of a large and well-trained army, which allowed Russia to begin active military competition with Europe and emerge victorious.

The sage avoids all extremes.

Lao Tzu

The reforms of Peter 1 are his main and key activities, which were aimed at changing not only political, but also social life Russian society. According to Pyotr Alekseevich, Russia was very far behind in its development. Western countries. This confidence of the king was further strengthened after he conducted the great embassy. Trying to transform the country, Peter 1 changed almost all aspects of the life of the Russian state, which had developed over centuries.

What was the central government reform?

Reform central control this was one of Peter's first transformations. It should be noted that this reformation continued long time, since it was based on the need to completely restructure the work of Russian authorities.

Peter I's reforms in the field of central government began back in 1699. At the initial stage, this change affected only the Boyar Duma, which was renamed the Near Chancellery. With this step, the Russian Tsar alienated the boyars from power and allowed power to be concentrated in a chancellery that was more pliable and loyal to him. This was an important step that required priority implementation, since it allowed the centralization of government of the country.

Senate and its functions

At the next stage, the king organized the Senate as the main government body in the country. This happened in 1711. The Senate has become one of the key bodies in governing the country, with the broadest powers, which include the following:

• Legislative activity
• Administrative activities
• Judicial functions in the country
• Control functions over other bodies

The Senate consisted of 9 people. These were representatives of noble families, or people whom Peter himself elevated. In this form, the Senate existed until 1722, when the emperor approved the position of prosecutor general, who controlled the legality of the activities of the Senate. Before this, this body was independent and did not bear any responsibility.

Creation of boards

The reform of central government continued in 1718. It took the reformer tsar three whole years (1718-1720) to get rid of last legacy their predecessors - orders. All orders in the country were abolished and collegiums took their place. There was no actual difference between the boards and orders, but in order to radically change the administrative apparatus, Peter went through this transformation. In total, the following bodies were created:

• Collegium of Foreign Affairs. She was in charge foreign policy states.
• Military Collegium. She was engaged in ground forces.
• Admiralty College. Controlled navy Russia.
• Office of Justice. She handled litigation matters, including civil and criminal cases.
• Berg College. It controlled the country's mining industry, as well as factories for this industry.
• Manufactory Collegium. She was involved in the entire manufacturing industry of Russia.

In fact, only one difference between boards and orders can be distinguished. If in the latter the decision was always made by one person, then after the reform all decisions were made collectively. Of course, not many people made decisions, but the leader always had several advisers. They helped to take correct solution. After introduction new system A special system was developed to control the activities of the boards. For these purposes, the General Regulations were created. It was not general, but was published for each board in accordance with its specific work.

Secret Chancery

Peter created a secret office in the country that dealt with state crimes. This office replaced the Preobrazhensky order, which dealt with the same issues. It was a specific government body that was not subordinate to anyone except Peter the Great. In fact, with the help of the secret chancellery, the emperor maintained order in the country.

Decree on unity of inheritance. Table of ranks.

The decree on unified inheritance was signed by the Russian Tsar in 1714. Its essence boiled down, among other things, to the fact that the courtyards that belonged to the boyar and noble estates were completely equalized. Thus, Peter pursued one single goal - to equalize the nobility of all levels that were represented in the country. This ruler is known for the fact that he could bring a person without a family closer to him. After signing this law, he could give each of them what they deserved.

This reform continued in 1722. Peter introduced the Table of Ranks. In fact, this document equalized rights in public service for aristocrats of any origin. This Table divided the entire civil service into two large categories: civil and military. Regardless of the type of service, all government ranks were divided into 14 ranks (classes). They included all key positions, from simple performers to managers.

All ranks were divided into the following categories:

• 14-9 levels. An official who was in these ranks received the nobility and peasants into his possession. The only restriction was that such a nobleman could use the property, but not dispose of it as property. In addition, the estate could not be inherited.
• 8 – 1 level. This was the highest administration, which not only became the nobility and received full control of the estates, as well as serfs, but also received the opportunity to transfer their property by inheritance.

Regional reform

The reforms of Peter 1 affected many areas of the life of the state, including the work of local government bodies. The regional reform of Russia had been planned for a long time, but was carried out by Peter in 1708. It completely changed the work of the local government apparatus. The whole country was divided into separate provinces, of which there were 8 in total:

• Moscow
• Ingermanlandskaya (later renamed Petersburgskaya)
• Smolenskaya
• Kyiv
• Azovskaya
• Kazanskaya
• Arkhangelogorodskaya
• Simbirskaya

Each province was governed by a governor. He was appointed personally by the king. All administrative, judicial and military power was concentrated in the hands of the governor. Since the provinces were quite large in size, they were divided into districts. Later the counties were renamed provinces.

The total number of provinces in Russia in 1719 was 50. The provinces were governed by governors who led military power. As a result, the governor's power was somewhat curtailed, since the new regional reform took away all military power from them.

City government reform

Changes at the local government level prompted the king to reorganize the system of government in the cities. This was an important issue as the urban population increased annually. For example, by the end of Peter’s life, there were already 350 thousand people living in cities, who belonged to different classes and estates. This required the creation of bodies that would work with each class in the city. As a result, a reform of city government was carried out.

Special attention in this reform was paid to the townspeople. Previously, their affairs were handled by governors. New reform transferred power over this class into the hands of the Burmist Chamber. It was an elected body of power located in Moscow, and locally this chamber was represented by individual mayors. Only in 1720 was the Chief Magistrate created, which was responsible for control functions regarding the activities of the mayors.

It should be noted that the reforms of Peter 1 in the field of urban administration introduced clear distinctions between ordinary citizens, who were divided into “regular” and “vile”. The former belonged to the highest inhabitants of the city, and the latter to the lower classes. These categories were not clear cut. For example, “regular townspeople” were divided into: rich merchants (doctors, pharmacists and others), as well as ordinary artisans and traders. All “regulars” enjoyed great support from the state, which provided them with various benefits.

The urban reform was quite effective, but it had a clear bias towards wealthy citizens who received maximum state support. Thus, the king created a situation in which life became somewhat easier for the cities, and in response, the most influential and wealthy citizens supported the government.

Church reform

The reforms of Peter 1 did not bypass the church. In fact, the new transformations finally subordinated the church to the state. This reform actually began in 1700, with the death of Patriarch Adrian. Peter forbade holding elections for a new patriarch. The reason was quite convincing - Russia entered the Northern War, which means that electoral and church affairs can wait for better times. Stefan Yavorsky was appointed to temporarily fulfill the duties of Patriarch of Moscow.

The most significant changes in the life of the church began after the end of the war with Sweden in 1721. The reform of the church came down to the following main steps:

• The institution of the patriarchate was completely eliminated; from now on there should be no such position in the church
• The Church was losing its independence. From now on, all its affairs were managed by the Spiritual College, created specifically for these purposes.

The spiritual college existed for less than a year. It was replaced by a new body of state power - the Most Holy Governing Synod. It consisted of clergy who were personally appointed by the Emperor of Russia. In fact, from that time on, the church was finally subordinated to the state, and its management was actually carried out by the emperor himself through the Synod. To carry out control functions over the activities of the synod, the position of chief prosecutor was introduced. This was an official whom the emperor himself also appointed.

Peter saw the role of the church in the life of the state in the fact that it had to teach the peasants to respect and honor the tsar (emperor). As a result, laws were even developed that obliged priests to conduct special conversations with peasants, convincing them to obey their ruler in everything.

The significance of Peter's reforms

The reforms of Peter 1 actually completely changed the order of life in Russia. Some of the reforms actually brought a positive effect, while others created negative preconditions. For example, the reform of local government led to a sharp increase in the number of officials, as a result of which corruption and embezzlement in the country literally went off scale.

In general, the reforms of Peter 1 had the following meaning:

• The power of the state was strengthened.
• The upper classes of society were actually equal in opportunities and rights. Thus, the boundaries between classes were erased.
• Complete subordination of the church to state power.

The results of the reforms cannot be clearly identified, since they had many negative aspects, but you can learn about this from our special material.

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History table: Reforms of Emperor Peter I

Peter I is one of the most prominent rulers Russian state, reigned from 1682 to 1721. During his reign, reforms were carried out in many areas, many wars were won, and the foundation for the future greatness of the Russian Empire was laid!

Table navigation: Reforms of Peter 1:

Reforms in the field:	Reform date:	Reform name:	The essence of the reform:	Results and significance of the reform:
In the field of army and navy:		1. Creation regular army	Creation of a professional army, replacing the local militia and streltsy troops. Formation based on conscription	Russia became a great military and naval power and won the Northern War, gaining access to the Baltic Sea
		2. Construction of the first Russian fleet	A regular navy appears
		3. Training of personnel and officials abroad	Training of military and sailors from foreign professionals
In the economic sphere:		1. Militarization of the economy	State support for the construction of metallurgical plants in the Urals. During times of military difficulties, bells were melted down to make cannons.	An economic basis for conducting military operations has been created - strengthening the defense capability of the state
		2. Development of manufactories	Creation of many new manufactories Registration of peasants to enterprises (registered peasants)	Industry growth. The number of manufactories increased 7 times. Russia is becoming one of the leading industrial powers in Europe. Many industries are being created and modernized.
		3. Trade reform	1. Protectionism - support for your manufacturer; export more goods than import; high customs duties on the import of foreign goods. 1724 – Customs tariff 2. Construction of canals 3. Search for new trade routes	Growth of industry and flourishing trade
		4. Craft	Association of artisans into workshops	Improving the quality and productivity of artisans
	1724	5. Tax reform	A poll tax was introduced (levied on males) instead of a household tax.	Budget growth. Increasing the tax burden on the population
Reforms in the field of state and local self-government:	1711	1. Creation of the Governing Senate	10 people who made up the king’s inner circle. Helped the king in government affairs and replaced the king during his absence	Increased performance government agencies. Strengthening royal power
	1718-1720	2. Creation of boards	11 boards replaced many orders. The cumbersome and confusing system of executive power has been put in order.
	1721	3. Peter's acceptance of the imperial title		Increasing the authority of Peter 1 abroad. Discontent of the Old Believers.
	1714	4. Decree on unified inheritance	He equated estates with estates, nobles with boyars. Only one son inherited the property	Elimination of the division between boyars and nobles. The emergence of landless nobility (due to the ban on the division of land between heirs) After the death of Peter 1, it was cancelled.
	1722	5. Adoption of the Table of Ranks	There are 14 ranks established for officials and military personnel. Having risen to the 8th rank, the official became a hereditary nobleman	Opportunities for career growth opened up for everyone, regardless of background
	1708	6. Regional reform	The country was divided into eight provinces	Strengthening the authority of local authorities. Putting things in order
	1699	Urban reform	An elected Burmister Chamber was created	Development of local government
Church reforms:	1700	1. Liquidation of the patriarchate		The Emperor became the de facto head of the Orthodox Church
	1721	2. Creation of the Synod	Replaced the Patriarch, the composition of the Synod was appointed by the Tsar
In the sphere of folk culture and everyday life:		1. Introduction of European style	Mandatory wearing European clothes and shaving beards - a tax was imposed for refusal.	Many were dissatisfied, the king was called the Antichrist
		2. Introduction of a new calendar	The chronology from the Nativity of Christ replaced the chronology “from the creation of the world.” The start of the year has been moved from September to January.	Instead of 7208, the year 1700 came. The chronology has survived to this day.
		3. Introduction of the civil alphabet
		4. Transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg	Peter did not like Moscow with its “inveterate antiquity”; he built a new capital near the sea	A “window to Europe” has been cut. High mortality rate among city builders
In the field of education and science:		1. Education reform	Training of specialists abroad Creation of schools in Russia Support of book publishing	Improving the quality of education, quantity educated people. Training of specialists. Serfs could not attend public schools
	1710	2. Introduction of the civil alphabet	Replaced the old Church Slavonic alphabet
		3.Creation of the first Russian Museum of Kunstkamera
	1724	4. Decree on the establishment of the Academy of Sciences	It was created after the death of Peter 1

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Reforms of public administration of Emperor Peter 1

Historians call Peter's reforms of central government the large-scale transformations of the state apparatus that took place during the reign of Peter the Great. The main innovations of the ruler are the creation of the Governing Senate, as well as the complete replacement of the system of orders by the Collegiums, and the formation of the royal Secret Office of the Holy Synod.

During Peter's accession to the throne as a key post government controlled Nobles performed, who received their rank by right of family name and origin. Peter, who came to power, understood that the established system of government was one of the weak links. That it is precisely this that is slowing down the country’s development.

The tsar's travels around Europe from 1697 to 1698 as part of the Grand Embassy allowed him to become familiar with the system of administrative bodies in European states. Based on them, he decides to carry out reforms in Russia.

With the beginning of Peter's rule, the Boyar Duma began to lose its power and subsequently turned into an ordinary bureaucratic department. From 1701, all its work was delegated to a new body called the "Concilia of Ministers", which was a council of heads of the most important government bodies. At the same time, it included many of the same boyars.

Two years before this, the Near Office is created, controlling the financial transactions of each order and making administrative decisions. All royal advisers were required to sign important documents and register these events in a special book of registered decrees.

Establishment of the Senate

On March 2, 1711, Peter the Great formed the so-called Governing Senate, which is the highest body of administrative, judicial and legislative power. The king entrusted all his duties to this body during his absence, because frequent trips due to Northern War could not cause a halt in the development of the state. At the same time, this administrative body was completely subordinate to the royal will and had a collegial structure, the members of which were personally selected by Peter. On February 22, 1711, a new additional post of fiscal was created, which was supposed to exercise additional supervision over officials during the tsar’s absence.

The formation and development of the collegiums occurs in the period from 1718 to 1726. In them the tsar saw an organ capable of replacing the outdated system of slow orders, which, for the most part, only duplicated each other’s functions.

When they appeared, the Collegiums completely absorbed orders, and in the period from 1718 to 1720, the presidents of the formed Collegiums were even senators and personally sat in the Senate. It should be noted that subsequently only the main Collegiums remained in the Senate:

• Foreign Affairs;
• Admiralty;
• Military.

The formation of the above-described system of collegiums completes the process of bureaucratization and centralization of the Russian state apparatus. Delineation of departmental functions, as well as general norms activities regulated by the General Regulations are the main difference between the updated Petrine apparatus and the previous management system.

General Regulations

By a royal decree of May 9, 1718, the presidents of the three boards were instructed to begin developing a document called the General Regulations, which would be a system of office management and based on the Swedish charter. This system later it became known as “collegiate”. In fact, the regulations approved a collegial way of discussing and resolving cases, as well as organizing office work and regulating relations with self-government bodies and the Senate.

Tenth March 1720 this document was approved and signed by the ruler of Russia Peter the Great. The Charter included an introduction, as well as fifty-six chapters with general principles work of each device government agency and various applications for interpreting new foreign words, which were in the text of the General Regulations.

Holy Synod

Before the end of the Northern War, Peter the Great begins to plan his church reforms. He orders Bishop Feofan Prokopovich to begin developing the Spiritual Regulations and on February 5, 1721, the tsar approves and signs the establishment of the Theological College, which will later become known as the “Holy Governing Synod.”

Each member of this body was obliged to personally swear allegiance to the king. On May 11, 1722, the post of Chief Prosecutor appeared, supervising the activities of the Synod and reporting all news to the ruler.

By creating the Synod, the sovereign introduced the church into the mechanism of the state, essentially likening it to one of the many existing administrative institutions at that time, endowed certain functions and responsibilities.

Scheme of government under Peter I

Table: reforms of Peter I in the field of public administration

Date of reform	Contents of the reform
1704	The Boyar Duma was abolished
1711	The Senate was established (legislative, control and financial functions)
1700-1720	Abolition of the Patriarchate and creation of the Holy Synod
1708-1710	Local government reform. Creation of provinces
1714-1722	Creation of the prosecutor's office, introduction of the position of fiscal officers
1718-1721	Replacement of orders by collegiums
1722	Change in the system of succession to the throne (now the monarch himself appointed his successor)
1721	Proclamation of Russia as an empire

Scheme: local government after the management reforms of Peter I

Video lecture: Reforms of Peter I in the field of management

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The main reason for the administrative reforms of Peter I was his desire to build an absolutist model of monarchy, when all the key levers of government were in the hands of the tsar and his closest advisers.

Local government reforms - in brief

Provincial (regional) reform

Provincial reform of Peter I the Great

The transformations were carried out in two stages:

first stage (1708-1714) was aimed primarily at improving the quality of service to the army - the corresponding military units and shipyards were assigned to the created 8 (by 1714 there were already 11) provinces;
second stage (1719-1721) introduced a three-tier structure: province-province-district, strengthening the vertical of power, police supervision and increasing the efficiency of taxation.

Urban reform

first stage (1699) began with the establishment of the Burmister Chamber (Town Hall), under whose subordination the zemstvo huts were transferred, and the main function became the collection of taxes (instead of the governor);

second stage (1720) marked by the creation of the Chief Magistrate. A division of cities into categories was introduced, and residents into categories and guilds. The magistrate, in its administrative level, corresponded to the collegiums and was subordinate to the Senate.

Central government reforms - in brief

The preparatory stage for the reform of central management can be considered the organization Near office and gradual loss of influence Boyar Duma(last mention in 1704), whose function begins to be fulfilled Ministerial Council. All senior positions in the government bodies created by Peter I are occupied by people loyal to him and personally responsible for the decisions made.

Creation of the Governing Senate

March 2, 1711 Peter I created Governing Senate- the body of the highest legislative, judicial and administrative power, which was supposed to govern the country during the absence of the king during the war. The Senate was completely controlled by the Tsar and was a collegial body (decisions made by members of the Senate had to be unanimous), whose members were appointed by Peter I personally. On February 22, 1711, for additional supervision of officials during the Tsar's absence, the post of fiscal was created.

Creation of Boards

Collegium system

From 1718 to 1726 the creation and development of executive management bodies took place - Collegiums, the purpose of which Peter I saw was to replace the outdated system of orders, which were overly clumsy and duplicating their own functions. The collegiums absorbed orders and relieved the Senate of the burden of deciding small and insignificant issues. The creation of the collegium system completed the process of centralization and bureaucratization of the state apparatus. A clear distribution of departmental functions and uniform standards of activity significantly distinguished new device from the order system.

Publication of the General Regulations

March 10, 1720 General Regulations was published and signed by Peter I. This charter of the state civil service in Russia consisted of an introduction, 56 chapters and an appendix with an interpretation of the foreign words included in it. The regulations approved the collegial (unanimous) method of decision-making by the boards, determined the procedure for discussing cases, the organization of office work, and the relationship of the boards with the Senate and local authorities.

Creation of the Holy Synod

February 5, 1721 was established "Holy Governing Synod"(Theological College). The reason for its creation was the desire of Peter I to integrate the Church into the mechanism of the state, limit influence and strengthen control over its activities. All members of the Synod signed the Spiritual Regulations and personally swore allegiance to the Tsar. To protect the interests of the tsar and additional control, the position of chief prosecutor was created under the Synod.

The result of the reforms of the state apparatus under Peter I was a broad structure of administrative bodies, some of which duplicated the functions of each other, but in general were more mobile in terms of solving emerging problems. You can see a schematic representation of government and management bodies in the table on the side.

Military reforms - briefly

The main point The military reforms undertaken by Peter I consisted of five directions:

1. Introduction from 1705 of regular recruitment into the land and naval forces- conscription for tax-paying classes with lifelong service;
2. Army rearmament and development military industry - construction of factories for the production of weapons, textile factories, metalworking, etc.;
3. Increasing the efficiency of military command and control- edition regulatory documents(statutes, articles, instructions), division of command of troops by type, creation of separate ministries for the army and navy (Military and Admiralty boards);
4. Creation of a fleet and related infrastructure- construction of shipyards, ships, training of military naval specialists;
5. Development military school - opening of specialized educational institutions for training officers and new military formations: engineering, mathematics, navigation and other schools.

results military reform were impressive. By the end of Peter's reign, the number of regular ground forces reached 210 thousand, and irregular troops up to 110 thousand. The fleet consisted of 48 battleships, 787 galleys and other vessels; There were almost 30 thousand people on all ships.

Economic reforms of Peter I the Great - briefly

The reason for the economic reforms of Peter I was the need to strengthen the provision of the army with supplies and weapons for waging the Northern War, as well as the significant lag of the Russian Kingdom in the industrial sector from the leading European powers.

Currency reform

Without changing appearance silver wire kopecks, starting from 1694, dates began to be put on them, and then the weight was reduced to 0.28 g. Since 1700, the minting of coins began copper coins- money, half a half, half a half, i.e. denominations smaller than a penny.

The main units of the new monetary system were the copper kopeck and the silver ruble. The monetary system was converted to decimal(1 ruble = 100 kopecks = 200 money), and the process of minting coins was modernized - a screw press began to be used. To meet the needs of the economy, Peter I created five mints.

Tax reform

First census population 1710 was based on the household principle of accounting for taxes and revealed that peasants united their households, surrounding them with a single fence, in order to evade paying taxes.

By decree of November 26, 1718 Peter I began the second census, according to the rules of which not the number of households was recorded, but specific male persons. (capita census)

Introduction of the poll tax

After the end of the census in 1722(5,967,313 males were counted), calculations were made of the fees sufficient to support the army. Eventually capitation tax has been installed in 1724 - from each soul (i.e., every man, boy, old man belonging to the tax-paying classes) was supposed to pay 95 kopecks.

Reforms in industry and trade

Monopolies and protectionism

Peter I approved in 1724 protective customs tariff, prohibiting or limiting the import of foreign goods and semi-finished products with high duties. This was primarily due to the low quality of domestic products, which could not stand up to competition. Private and state monopolies were organized within the country - pharmaceutical, wine, salt, flax, tobacco, bread, etc. At the same time, state monopolies served to replenish the treasury from the sale of popular products, and private monopolies served to accelerate the development of specific branches of production and trade.

Social reforms - briefly

In the fields of education, healthcare and science

Most educational institutions were created due to the need to train new types of troops or their own officers for the army and navy. Simultaneously with the organization of various specialized schools (engineering, mining, artillery, medical, etc.), children of nobles were sent abroad, and scientists and engineers were invited from Europe, who were obliged to teach the most capable people in production. Mandatory receipt primary education met resistance - in 1714, simultaneously with the creation of digital schools, Peter I was forced to issue a decree prohibiting young nobles who had not received an education from marrying.

Medicine needed state support, and the state needed field surgeons - so the founding of the Moscow Hospital in 1706 solved two problems at once. To provide public and private pharmacies (which were granted a monopoly on pharmacy activities) with the necessary medicinal herbs in 1714 a vegetable garden was founded on Aptekarsky Island.

In 1724, Peter I signed a decree establishing the Academy of Sciences and Arts, which laid the foundation for all future Russian science. Foreign specialists were invited to work in the new institution, and until 1746, most of the academicians were foreigners.

Cultural reforms

The culture of the Russian people can be quite clearly divided into the time before Peter I and after him - so strong was his desire to instill European values ​​and change the established traditions of the Russian kingdom. The main reason and source of inspiration for the tsar’s cultural transformations was his Great Embassy - a trip to Europe in 1697-1698.

The key innovations were:

• Permission to sell and use tobacco
• New rules in clothing and appearance
• New chronology and calendar
• Opening of the Kunstkamera (Museum of Curiosities)
• Attempts to organize a public theater (comedy temple)

Estate reforms

The class transformations of Peter I corresponded to his desire to add responsibilities to all subordinates (without distinction of origin), even to the nobility. In general, the period of his reign is characterized by the tightening of serfdom, the weakening of the influence of the church and the provision of new rights and privileges to the nobles. Separately, it is worth highlighting the emergence of such a social elevator as the opportunity to receive nobility for achieving certain ranks of civil and military service, according to Tables of ranks

Church reform

The main essence of the church reforms undertaken by Peter I was elimination of autonomy and integration of the institution of the church into the state apparatus, with all the accompanying characteristics - reporting, limited number of personnel, etc. The ban on the election of a patriarch in 1700 and the establishment of a replacement in 1721 of the Holy Synod marked another stage in the development of absolutism as a form of government of the state - before, the Patriarch was perceived as practically equal to the king and had great influence on ordinary people.

Results and results of reforms

• Modernization of the administrative apparatus and building a rigid vertical of power in accordance with the concept of an absolutist monarchy.
• Introduction of a new principle of administrative-territorial division (province-province-district) and changes in the principle of the basic tax (capitation instead of household tax).
• Creation of a regular army and navy, infrastructure for providing military units with provisions, weapons and quarters.
• Introduction of European traditions into the culture of Russian society.
• The introduction of general primary education, the opening of specialized schools for the training of various military and civilian specialists, the establishment of the Academy of Sciences.
• The enslavement of the peasantry, the weakening of the church, the definition of additional responsibilities for all classes and the provision of the opportunity to receive the nobility for merit in the service of the sovereign.
• Development various types industry - mining, processing, textile, etc.