For a Russian person, the name of Emperor Peter the Great is symbolic: obsessed with the idea of serving the Fatherland, the Tsar-Reformer moved forward, following the chosen principle “O Peter, know that life is not dear to him, as long as Russia lives in prosperity and glory.” Historians wrote about Peter I a lot and often. His life and deeds became the subject of scientific research, fiction, and poetic works; Peter’s appearance is repeatedly reflected in fine art. All this made the image of Peter the Great even more multifaceted. The author of this book, Alexander Polovtsov, a diplomat, ethnographer, specialist in the study of languages and cultures of the East, art historian, collector and collector, also turned to him. The author began to study the personality of Peter the Great in the 1930s, writing his research based on the then little-known diary of the chamber cadet Friedrich Wilhelm von Berchholtz. The work was not published during Polovtsov’s lifetime, but this work, undoubtedly, will find its reader today. On the eve of the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter I, this book will take its rightful place both in Peter’s historiography and in the vast collection of Russian literature abroad. PDF A4 format saved publishing layout.