The era of Peter's reforms became perhaps the most fateful time in Russian history. The plans and deeds of the reformer Tsar Peter I Alekseevich (1672-1725), nicknamed the Great, the last Tsar of All Rus' and the first Emperor of All Russia - his grandiose political achievements and his human destiny unfold before the reader as a great intrigue: from children's military amusements to the transformation of Moscow kingdom into a powerful European power - the Russian Empire. With love or resistance, of their own free will or by coercion, out of fear or out of a desire to curry favor, but a huge number of people of various ranks carried out the furious will of Peter. Under his tireless leadership, they built a fleet and conquered Azov, fought against the Swedes on land and sea for twenty years, built St. Petersburg, defeated the best European army near Poltava, shaved off their own and other people’s beards and, in Russian, irrepressibly had fun “in the European style” newfangled assemblies. What came of all this? Oddly enough, the new Russia, so different from the former Muscovite kingdom, that no effort could return it “to the old days.” Peter left Russia “under-reformed” - in a sense, it remains so today. And perhaps the main thing in Peter’s legacy is this common desire to complete, finish, implement the most global project in the entire history of Russia. Decrees, orders, business and personal letters of Peter I, combined with materials about the life and works of his associates, introduce the reader to the multifaceted state, political, and military activities of the greatest Russian emperor. The volume is complemented by memoirs of participants and eyewitnesses of the events. The electronic publication includes the full text of the paper book and a selected part of illustrative documentary material. And for true connoisseurs of gift editions, we offer a classic book. Like all publications in the “Great Rulers” series, the book is equipped with detailed historical and biographical comments. The book contains an excellent selection of illustrative material: the text is accompanied by more than 250 ancient color and black and white illustrations, which allow you to see the Peter the Great era as its contemporaries saw it. Elegant design, beautiful printing, and the best offset paper make this series a wonderful gift and decoration for the library of the most discerning reader.