Peter the first tyrant or reformer. Peter I the Great - tyrant or reformer? (USE in history)

Peter the Great - one of the most majestic and controversial figures in the history of the Russian state - attracted the attention of many writers.

Alexei Tolstoy was no exception. He turned to the image of Peter repeatedly - in the story “Peter's Day”, written immediately after the revolution, in the play “On the Rack”. Delving into the era of Peter the Great, Tolstoy tried to better understand modernity. Time passed, and the views of the writer changed. If in The Day of Peter the thought of the futility of an individual, even the most outstanding personality, to influence the course of history is clearly heard, then in the play Peter is a tragic figure who is trying to carry out reforms in Russia alone.

The personality of Peter was so attractive to Tolstoy also because, in his political views, the writer was a supporter of strengthening the Russian statehood. The main thing for him was “the strengthening of Russian statehood, the restoration of economic life in ruined Russia and the assertion of the great power of Russia,” as he wrote on the eve of his return from emigration in his “Open Letter to N.V. Tchaikovsky.” Tolstoy did not share the communist ideology, but announced his readiness to cooperate with the communists, since he believed that the only political force capable of fulfilling the tasks of strengthening Russia was the Bolshevik government.

But after returning to his homeland, the writer found himself in a difficult position. Proletarian criticism was wary of him, considering him almost a counter-revolutionary, so the "process of artistic getting used to modernity" dragged on for many years. And only in 1930, when the first book of the novel about Peter the Great was published, did a turning point come in the fate of Alexei Tolstoy. The book turned out to be extremely relevant and timely, its pathos of transformation and reorganization of life met the topic of the day more than ever.

In Tolstoy's novel, Peter is presented both as a person and as a statesman. Describing in detail the childhood, adolescence, the period of maturation of the future king, the author depicts his character in development, noting not only the positive aspects of the personality, but also the negative ones. Tolstoy tries to be impartial, he describes many terrible, bloody scenes, such as the Streltsy rebellion, trying to convey the historical flavor of that era as accurately as possible, without getting carried away by his own assessments and without trying to judge the actions of the characters from the point of view of contemporary morality. Drawing a portrait of Peter, he avoids idealization and creates a full-fledged character of a major statesman, preoccupied with the idea of ​​strengthening and transforming the Russian state.

Tolstoy constantly compares Peter with two other characters - Prince Vasily Golitsin and the Swedish King Charles XII.

Prince Vasily Golitsyn is a man with a European education, a progressive thinker, who perfectly understands that Russia cannot develop without reforms. It is full of transformation projects, but the matter does not reach their implementation - Golitsyn lacks the will of the state. The failure of the Crimean campaign showed his lack of military talent as well.

Charles XII is a man of a different stock, a different character. All of Europe admires his courage, luck and military exploits. The will of Charles is able to overcome any obstacles, but the young king frankly lacks statesmanship; all his thoughts are about himself, about his own glory.

Peter the Great compares favorably with both of them. He is talented, has extraordinary willpower, is active and energetic, and his abilities are aimed at the glory of Russia, and not at the elevation of his own personality. Peter is stubborn in achieving his goal and does not lose his presence of mind during temporary defeats. He is one of those people who

learn from their own and others' mistakes. So, he learned a good lesson from the initial failures in the Northern War, and under his leadership the Russian army gradually became the strongest in Europe.

One of Peter's undoubted talents was the ability to notice and distinguish among other people extraordinary, businesslike, those whom he could rely on in his difficult work. When he was chosen, belonging to a noble family did not give any privileges. “Nobleness by suitability to count” - such a rule was introduced by the young king. He could elevate and bring closer to himself the son of a petty merchant and demote those who were not capable of anything. In this regard, the fate of the boyar Buynosov is indicative, who fully proved his inability to conduct state affairs and ends his career as a royal jester.

On the other hand, there is a whole group of characters who achieve success and prosperity, relying only on their own strengths. Such, for example, is the Brovkin family. Ivan became a merchant, Alyosha became a lieutenant colonel in the Russian army, Sanka conquered Paris. Of course, one cannot fail to mention Alexander Menshikov - the brightest among the "rising" characters. As a boy, he sold pies, and later became Peter's first assistant. Gradually, Menshikov grows up to a major statesman, commander and diplomat. This is the type of ideal performer, despite the fact that he is not without sin and is sometimes dishonest. Peter has to punish him severely, but nevertheless Menshikov remains the tsar's favorite.

There are a lot of talented people in the novel: this is the self-taught artist Andrei Golikov, the artisan Kuzma Zhemov, the blacksmith Kondrat Vorobyov. Tolstoy is convinced of the talent of the Russian people, and Tsar Peter, in his reforms, relied primarily on this trait of the national character.

But the author does not embellish the real life and character of the characters, striving for the most complete reflection of historical truth. The fact that Peter often responded with cruelty to cruelty, fought against barbarism with "barbaric means", is shown very convincingly in the novel.

Let's not forget that the construction of a new capital on the bones of thousands and thousands of people, mass executions and persecution of the Old Believers - all these are also the acts of Peter.

Thus, the figure of Peter is very contradictory, and it cannot be assessed unambiguously positively. Of course, he is a creator. But he is also a tyrant, because historical necessity cannot justify a crime, and the idea of ​​statehood cannot be placed above human life.

PETER I THE GREAT

(born in 1672 - died in 1725)

The first Russian emperor, known for his public administration reforms.

On January 27, 1725, the Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg was surrounded by reinforced guards. In terrible agony, the life of the first Russian emperor Peter I ended. For the last ten days, convulsions were replaced by delirium and deep fainting, and in those moments when the tsar came to himself, he screamed terribly from unbearable pain. During the last week, in brief moments of relief, Peter took communion three times. By his order, all arrested debtors were released from prisons and their debts were covered from royal sums. In all churches, including those of other faiths, prayers were served for him. Relief did not come, and on January 28, at the beginning of the sixth morning, the emperor died.

Peter was the son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. He was born on May 30, 1672. From his first marriage with Maria Ilinichnaya Miloslavskaya, the tsar had 13 children, but only two of the sons survived - Fedor and Ivan. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1676, Peter's upbringing took place under the supervision of his elder brother, Tsar Fyodor, who was his godfather. For the young prince, he chose Nikita Zotov as mentors, under whose influence he became addicted to books, especially historical writings. Nikita told the pupil a lot about the past of the Fatherland, about the glorious deeds of his ancestors. Tsar Ivan the Terrible became a true idol for Peter. Subsequently, Peter spoke of his reign: “This sovereign is my predecessor and model; I have always imagined him as the model of my government in civil and military affairs, but I did not go as far as he did. Fools only those who do not know the circumstances of his time, the properties of his people and the greatness of his merit, call him a tormentor.

After the death in 1682 of the 22-year-old Tsar Fedor, the struggle for the throne of two families, the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins, sharply escalated. The candidate for the throne from the Miloslavskys was Ivan, who was in poor health, from the Naryshkins, the healthy, but younger Peter. At the instigation of the Naryshkins, the patriarch proclaimed Peter the tsar. However, the Miloslavskys did not reconcile themselves and provoked a streltsy riot, during which many people close to the Naryshkins died. This made an indelible impression on Peter, influenced his mental health and outlook. For the rest of his life, he harbored a hatred for the archers and for the entire Miloslavsky family.

The result of the rebellion was a political compromise: both Ivan and Peter were elevated to the throne, and Princess Sophia, the smart and ambitious daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage, became their regent (ruler). Peter and his mother did not play any role in the life of the state. They ended up in a kind of exile in the village of Preobrazhensky. Peter happened to take part only in embassy ceremonies in the Kremlin. Here, in Preobrazhensky, the military "fun" of the young tsar began. Under the leadership of the Scot Menesius, from Peter's peers, mostly representatives of noble families, a children's regiment was recruited, from which in the early 90s. two guards regiments grew up - Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. The future Field Marshal M. M. Golitsyn, and the descendant of a noble family Buturlin, and the son of a groom, and in the future a friend and associate of Peter, A. D. Menshikov, served in them. The king himself served here, starting as a drummer. The officers in the regiments were mostly foreigners. In general, foreigners who lived near Preobrazhensky in the German Quarter (Kukui), who came to the country under Tsar Alexei, seekers of happiness and rank, craftsmen, military specialists, played a huge role in Peter's life. From them, he studied shipbuilding, military affairs, and in addition, drink strong drinks, smoke, wear foreign clothes. From them, one might say, he absorbed the disdain for everything Russian. The closest to Peter was the Swiss F. Lefort.

In the summer of 1689, the struggle with the Miloslavskys intensified. Princess Sophia, realizing that soon Peter would push back the sick Ivan and take the reins of government into his own hands, began to incite the archers, led by Shaklovity, to revolt. But this idea failed: the archers themselves handed over Shaklovity to Peter, and he, having named many of his associates under torture, was executed along with them. Sophia, Peter imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent. Thus began his sole rule. Ivan ruled only nominally, and after his death in 1696, Peter became autocrat.

In 1697, the tsar, as part of the Great Embassy of 50 people, under the guise of an officer of the Preobrazhensky regiment, Peter Mikhailov, went abroad. The purpose of the trip is an alliance against the Turks. In Holland and England, working as a carpenter in shipyards, the king mastered shipbuilding. On the way back, in Vienna, he was caught by the news of a new archery revolt. Peter hurried to Russia, but on the way he learned that the rebellion was suppressed, 57 instigators were executed, and 4 thousand archers were exiled. Upon his return, believing that Miloslavsky's "seed" had not been exterminated, the tsar ordered the investigation to be resumed. Already exiled archers were returned to Moscow. Peter personally participated in torture and executions. He himself chopped off the heads of archers and forced his confidants and courtiers to do it. Many archers were executed in a new way - they were wheeled. The king's revenge on the Miloslavsky family knew no bounds. He ordered to dig a coffin with the body of Miloslavsky, bring him on pigs to the place of execution and put him near the chopping block so that the blood of the executed would pour on the remains of Miloslavsky. In total, more than a thousand archers were executed. Their bodies were thrown into a pit where animal corpses were dumped. 195 archers were hanged at the gates of the Novodevichy Convent, and three - near the very windows of Sophia, and for five whole months the corpses were not removed from the place of execution. In this terrible deed, and in many others, Peter surpassed his idol Ivan the Terrible in cruelty.

At the same time, the tsar embarked on reforms with the aim of reshaping Russia along Western European lines, turning the country into an absolutist police state. He wanted everything at once. With his reforms, Peter I put Russia on its hind legs, but how many people at the same time went up on the rack, on the chopping block, on the gallows! How many were killed, tortured... It all started with cultural innovations. It became obligatory for everyone except the peasants and the clergy to wear foreign clothes, the army was dressed in uniforms according to the European model, and everyone, again except the peasants and the clergy, were obliged to shave their beards, and in Preobrazhensky Peter himself cut off the beards of the boyars. Since 1705, a tax on beards was introduced: from servicemen and clerks, merchants and townspeople, 60 rubles each. per person per year; hundreds of rich merchants from the living room - 100 rubles each; from people of lower rank, boyar people, coachmen - 30 rubles each; from the peasants - 2 money each time they entered the city or left it.

Other innovations were also introduced. Crafts were encouraged, numerous workshops were created, young men from noble families were sent to study abroad, city administration was reorganized, the calendar was reformed, the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was established, and the Navigation School was opened. To strengthen the centralization of government, boards and a senate were created instead of orders. All these transformations were carried out by violent methods. A special place was occupied by Peter's relations with the clergy. Day after day he led the attack on the independence of the church. After the death of his mother, Peter no longer participated in religious processions. The patriarch ceased to be an adviser to the tsar and was expelled from the tsar's Duma, and after his death in 1700, the management of church affairs passed to a specially created Synod. And all these and other transformations were superimposed by the unbridled temper of the king. In the words of the historian Valishevsky: “In everything that Peter did, he brought too much swiftness, too much personal rudeness, and in particular, too much passion. He hit right and left. And therefore, by correcting, he spoiled everything. The fury of the king, reaching to rage, his mockery of the people knew no restraint. He could attack Generalissimo Shane with wild abuse, and Romodanovsky and Zotov, who were trying to appease him, people close to him, inflict severe wounds: one had severed fingers, the other had wounds on his head; he could beat his friend Menshikov for not taking off his sword at the assembly during the dances; could kill a servant with a stick for taking off his hat too slowly; he could order that the 80-year-old boyar M. Golovin be forced to sit naked, in a jester's cap, for an hour on the Neva ice because he refused, dressed as a devil, to participate in the jester's procession. After that, Golovin fell ill and soon died. So the tsar behaved not only at home: in the Copenhagen Museum, Peter mutilated the mummy, because he was refused to sell it for the Kunstkamera. Many such examples could be cited.

The Petrine era is a time of constant wars. The Azov campaigns of 1695–1696, the Northern War of 1700–1721, the Prut campaign of 1711, the campaign against the Caspian in 1722. All this required a huge amount of both people and money. A huge army and navy were created. Recruits were often brought into the cities in chains. Many lands were depopulated. In general, during the reign of Peter I, Russia lost almost a third of its population. Throughout the state, it was forbidden to cut down large trees, and the death penalty was generally relied on for felling an oak. For the maintenance of the army, new requisitions were introduced: recruiting, dragoon, ship, household and official paper. New dues were introduced: for fishing, domestic baths, mills, inns. The sale of salt and tobacco passed into the hands of the treasury. Even oak coffins were transferred to the treasury and then sold for 4 times more. But money was still not enough.

The difficult nature of Peter was reflected in his family life. Even at the age of 16, his mother, in order to ward off the German settlement, married him to Evdokia Lopukhina, whom he never loved. Evdokia bore him two sons: Alexander, who died in infancy, and Alexei. After the death of Natalya Kirillovna, relations between the spouses deteriorated sharply. Peter even wanted to execute his wife, but limited himself to forcibly tonsure her as a nun in the Intercession Monastery in Suzdal. The 26-year-old queen was not given a penny for maintenance, and she was forced to ask her relatives for money. At the same time, Peter had two mistresses in the German settlement: the daughter of the silversmith Betticher and the daughter of the wine merchant Mons - Anna, who became the first titled favorite of the king. He gave her palaces, estates, but when her love affair with the Saxon envoy Keyserling was revealed, the vengeful Peter took away almost everything he gave, and even kept her in prison for some time. A vindictive but not inconsolable lover, he quickly found a replacement for her. Among his favorites were at one time Anisya Tolstaya, and Varvara Arsenyeva, and a number of other representatives of noble families. Quite often the choice of the tsar stopped and on simple servants. In 1703, another woman appeared who played a special role in the life of the monarch - Marta Skavronskaya, who later became Peter's wife under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna. After the Russian troops occupied Marienburg, she was a servant and mistress of Field Marshal B. Sheremetev, then A. Menshikov, who introduced her to the tsar. Martha converted to Orthodoxy, bore Peter three daughters and a son, Peter Petrovich, who died in 1719. But only in 1724 did Peter crown her. At the same time, a scandal broke out: the tsar became aware of the love affair between Catherine and Willem Mons, the brother of the former favorite. Monet was executed, and his head in a jar of alcohol, by order of the king, was in his wife's bedroom for several days.

Against the background of these events, the tragedy of Peter's son, Alexei, stands out clearly. His fear of his father reached the point that, on the advice of friends, he even wanted to renounce the inheritance. Peter saw this as a conspiracy and ordered his son to be sent to a monastery. Alexei fled and took refuge with his mistress, first in Vienna and then in Naples. But they were found and lured to Russia. The father promised his son forgiveness if he would name the accomplices. But instead of forgiveness, Peter sent him to the casemate of the Peter and Paul Fortress and ordered an investigation to begin. The prince was tortured five times in a week. The father was also present. To end the torment, Alexei slandered himself: they say, he wanted to get the throne with the help of the troops of the Austrian emperor. On June 24, 1718, a court of 127 people unanimously sentenced Alexei to death. The choice of execution was given to the discretion of the king. Little is known about how Alexei died: either from poison, or from suffocation, or he was cut off his head, or he died under torture. However, the participants in the investigation received awards, titles, and villages. The very next day, Peter celebrated the ninth anniversary of the Battle of Poltava with grandeur.

With the end of the Northern War in 1721, Russia was proclaimed an empire, and the Senate awarded Peter the titles of "Father of the Fatherland", "Emperor" and "Great".

The turbulent life of the king "gave" him a bouquet of diseases by the age of 50, but most of all he suffered from uremia. Mineral water did not help either. For the last three months, Peter spent most of his time in bed, although on the days of relief he took part in the festivities. In mid-January, the attacks of the disease became more frequent. Kidney dysfunction led to blockage of the urinary tract. The performed operation did not give anything. Blood poisoning has begun. The question of succession to the throne arose sharply, since the sons of the king by this time were not alive. On January 27, Peter wanted to write an order for the succession to the throne. They gave him paper, but he could write only two words: “Give everything ...” In addition, he lost his speech. The next day he died in terrible agony. His body remained unburied for 40 days. It was exhibited on a velvet bed embroidered with gold in the palace hall, upholstered with carpets that Peter received as a gift from Louis XV during his stay in Paris. His wife Ekaterina Alekseevna was proclaimed empress.

Peter I We strongly condemn A.S. Ter-Oganyan for his lack of perseverance. After all, he was at first - the south began to fight, Azov, Taganrog. And the capital - at first I wanted to move it there! - So it was necessary to stand on this to the end! - says Oganyan. - And how much everything else would be

Bruce and Peter the Great Not everyone tells the truth about Bruce: there are those who lie a lot. Another empty talker will blow smoke, just to fool people ... And the true story about Bruce is one of the stories of history. Just think what a luxurious mind the man had! And he walked on science, and that's all

Pyotr Aleinikov He was a man who was licked (kissed, that means) by a wolf in the zoo! He was very loved by the people. No one else was as popular as he was—no one! The desire of people to see him at home at the table (if only at home!), Wide Russian treats

ALEINIKOV Petr ALEINIKOV Petr (film actor: “Oncoming” (1932), “Peasants” (1935; Petka), “Seven Courageous” (1936; the main role is the cook Petya Moliboga), “Komsomolsk” (1938; Komsomol member Peter Aleinikov), "Tractor Drivers" (Savka), "Noise, Town" (the main role is the inventor Vasya Zvyagin)

Chapter I. Peter the Great and Tula blacksmiths The Petrine era. - Titan-king and poor Rus'. – Mining in Rus' before Peter. - Founding of the first ironworks. - Peter's concerns about mining. – The role of “random” people in history. - Nikita and Akinfiy Demidov. – Childhood and

“Great Peter would be alive…” In the early sixties, a thick notebook was placed in the editorial office of fiction literature at Lenizdat, on the hard cover of which it was written: “Barn book”. Soon this prosaic inscription was slightly corrected. "Cupid Book"

Peter the Great Peter I the Great - the last Tsar of All Rus' and the first Emperor of All Russia, was born on May 30 (June 9), 1672, and died on January 28 (February 8), 1725. Peter ascended the throne in 1682, when he was only ten years old , and independent rule, without the help of a regent, Peter

Short description

Lesson consolidation on the studied period of history (the era of Peter the Great) and aimed at developing practical skills.

Description

PeterI: tyrant or reformer.
Lesson Objectives:
Educational: to consolidate the knowledge gained in the process of studying the Peter the Great era .
Educational: the formation of students' ability to analyze documents, draw conclusions, set goals, highlight the main thing from the lesson material.
Educational: the formation of students' perception of a sense of patriotism, respect for the past of their country. Inspire pride in your homeland.
Tasks:
1. Find out in the process of research who Peter I was - a tyrant or a reformer.
2. To consolidate students' knowledge of events in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century.
In the class, 2 groups are distinguished in advance, opposite in their attitude to the personality of Peter. They are given the task to draw up their relationship to Peter the Great in the form of a table.
1team - Accusers (they believe that Emperor Peter I is, first of all, a tyrant).
2team - Defenders (they consider Emperor Peter I a great reformer).
Throughout history, since the time of Peter the Great, historians have argued about the personality and deeds of the emperor. There is no unambiguous assessment of his personality, as well as his transformations. They said about him: “The Tsar is a carpenter, “Peter, who cut a window to Europe”, “Severe, but fair and democratic”. Others join these judgments, emphasizing that Peter "expressed the interests of the ruling class" and "teared three skins from the working peasantry."
Peter I
Oh, mighty lord of fate!
Are you not so above the abyss,
At the height of the iron bridle
Raised Russia on its hind legs?
"The Bronze Horseman" A.S. Pushkin
A.S. Pushkin, a century later, will say that some of their decrees of the tsar were written with a whip ...
Now an academician, then a hero,
Now a navigator, now a carpenter,
He is an all-encompassing soul
On the throne was an eternal worker.(Pushkin A.S. "Stans")
Who was Peter the Great? Tyrant or reformer? What he was right about and what he was wrong about - these are the main questions of our discussion. Pay attention to the blackboard, which lists the basic rules of the discussion.
DISCUSSION RULES (Discussion rules are posted either on the board or shown using ICT. Students must be familiar with the rules at the beginning of the lesson)
1. You can't criticize people, only their ideas.
2. Each participant must have the right and opportunity to speak.
3. Listen carefully to your opponent, then state your point of view.
4. All positions without exception are subject to discussion.
5. Do not forget that the best way to convince the enemy is clear argumentation and flawless logic.
6. Speak clearly, precisely, simply, distinctly and in your own words, and not according to a "piece of paper."
7. Have the courage to admit that your opponent is right if you are wrong.
8. Never give "labels" and do not allow derogatory statements, skirmishes, ridicule.
Before you are excerpts from documents, with the help of this material you must answer this question. Before you worksheets, you must, in the course of acquaintance with the document, highlight the evidence that or a tyrant
Peter I is a great reformer .

Policy. As a result of the administrative, state reform carried out by Peter I, Russia received a clearer structure of state administration. The cumbersome system of orders was replaced by colleges, which were subordinate to the Senate. January 24 1722., the "Table of Ranks" was introduced, which introduced a new classification of employees. The nobility of the family in itself, without service, does not mean anything, does not create any position for a person, thus, the aristocratic hierarchy of the breed, the genealogical book, was put in its place.

Economy. Under Peter there was a significant growth of large-scale manufacturing industry. By 1725 there were 220 manufactories in Russia (and in 1690. only 21). Iron smelting increased 5 times, which made it possible to start exporting abroad. Under Peter I, trade took a noticeable step forward (internal and external. Metalworking plants were built in the Urals, in Karelia, near Tula. If before the beginning of the 18th century, Russia imported iron from abroad, then by the end of the reign of Peter I, the country began to sell it. deposits of copper ore (Urals) New types of manufactory appeared: textile, chemical, shipbuilding.

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Peter I tyrant or reformer..doc

History lesson in 7th grade.

Teacher: Lysova O.N. GOOU "Constellation", Volgograd

Peter I: tyrant or reformer.

Lesson Objectives:

Educational : to consolidate the knowledge gained in the process of studying the Peter the Great era.

Educational : the formation of students' ability to analyze documents, draw conclusions, set goals, highlight the main thing from the lesson material.

Educational : the formation of students' perception of a sense of patriotism, respect for the past of their country. Inspire pride in your homeland.

Tasks:

1. Find out in the process of research who Peter I was - a tyrant or a reformer.

2. To consolidate students' knowledge of events in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century.

In the class, 2 groups are distinguished in advance, opposite in their attitude to the personality of Peter. They are given the task to draw up their relationship to Peter the Great in the form of a table.

team - Accusers (they believe that Emperor Peter I is, first of all, a tyrant).

team - Defenders (they consider Emperor Peter I a great reformer).

Throughout history, since the time of Peter the Great, historians have argued about the personality and deeds of the emperor. There is no unambiguous assessment of his personality, as well as his transformations. They said about him: “The Tsar is a carpenter, “Peter, who cut a window to Europe”, “Severe, but fair and democratic”. Others join these judgments, emphasizing that Peter "expressed the interests of the ruling class" and "teared three skins from the working peasantry."

Peter I

Oh, mighty lord of fate!
Are you not so above the abyss,
At the height of the iron bridle
Raised Russia on its hind legs?

“The Bronze Horseman” A.S. Pushkin

A.S. Pushkin, a century later, will say that some of their decrees of the tsar were written with a whip ...

Now an academician, then a hero, Now a navigator, now a carpenter, He is an all-encompassing soul On the throne was an eternal worker. (Pushkin A.S. "Stans")

Who was Peter the Great? Tyrant or reformer? What he was right about and what he was wrong about - these are the main questions of our discussion. Pay attention to the blackboard, which lists the basic rules of the discussion.

DISCUSSION RULES (Discussion rules are posted either on the board or shown using ICT. Students must be familiar with the rules at the beginning of the lesson)

1. You can't criticize people, only their ideas.

2. Each participant must have the right and opportunity to speak.

3. Listen carefully to your opponent, then state your point of view.

4. All positions without exception are subject to discussion.

5. Do not forget that the best way to convince the enemy is clear reasoning and impeccable logic.

6. Speak clearly, precisely, simply, distinctly and in your own words, and not according to a "piece of paper."

7. Have the courage to admit that your opponent is right if you are wrong.

8. Never give "labels" and do not allow derogatory statements, skirmishes, ridicule.

Before you are excerpts from documents, with the help of this material you must answer this question. Before you worksheets, you must, in the course of acquaintance with the document, highlight the evidence that Peter I is a great reformer or a tyrant

Peter I is a great reformer.

Policy.As a result of the administrative, state reform carried out by Peter I, Russia received a clearer structure of state administration. The cumbersome system of orders was replaced by colleges, which were subordinate to the Senate. On January 24, 1722, the "Table of Ranks" was introduced, which introduced a new classification of employees. The nobility of the family in itself, without service, does not mean anything, does not create any position for a person, thus, the aristocratic hierarchy of the breed, the genealogical book, was put in its place.

Economy.Under Peter there was a significant growth of large-scale manufacturing industry. By 1725 there were 220 manufactories in Russia (and in 1690 only 21). Iron smelting increased 5 times, which made it possible to start exporting abroad. Under Peter I, trade took a noticeable step forward (internal and external. Metalworking plants were built in the Urals, in Karelia, near Tula. If before the beginning of the 18th century, Russia imported iron from abroad, then by the end of the reign of Peter I the country began to sell it. Deposits of copper ore were discovered. (Ural.) New types of manufactory appeared: textile, chemical, shipbuilding.

Army. Announced by decree of 1699 on the beginning of recruitment. In the period from 1699 to 1725, an army (318 thousand people, along with Cossack units) and a fleet were formed. The army was with a single principle of recruitment, uniform uniforms and weapons. Simultaneously with the creation of the army, the construction of the fleet continued. By the time of the Battle of Gangut (1714), the Baltic Fleet was created from 22 ships, 5 frigates and many small ships. Russia had both a navy and a merchant fleet.

Tsar Peter I founded the city on May 16 (27), 1703, laid a fortress on one of the islands in the Neva delta. In 1712, the capital of Russia was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The city officially remained the capital until 1918.

On the question of religion .

Education and science . Under Peter I, Russia became a powerful European power. He paid great attention to education and science. Peter ordered all children of the nobility to learn to read and write, not only sent many to study abroad, but also opened schools and colleges in Moscow and St. Petersburg: a naval, engineering school, an artillery school. By order of Peter, the publication of the first printed newspaper in Russia began. It was called "Vedomosti" and was published in St. Petersburg since 1702. To facilitate reading and writing in 1708, he reformed the Russian alphabet, greatly simplifying it. In 1719, Peter founded the country's first Kunstkamera museum. And, already at the end of his life, on January 28, 1724, Peter I issued a decree establishing the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Russia.

Don't you think that the Petrine manufactories, which use the labor of forced laborers, are not progressive capitalist enterprises? 2. Don't you think that as a result of the administrative reform, a cumbersome, bureaucratic system of governing the country has developed? What changes took place in the army, economy, politics during the reign of Peter the Great?

.

Policy . The administrative reforms carried out by Peter I led to an increase in various malfeasances, the number of officials and the cost of their maintenance increased. The burden of taxes fell on the shoulders of the people. The Northern War worsened the economic situation of the population, as they required huge material costs. Numerous taxes, direct and indirect, were introduced. All this worsened the position of the taxable population (peasants, townspeople, merchants, etc.).

Social side. The reforms of Peter I led to the strengthening of serfdom. The decree of Peter I in 1721 allowed manufacturers to buy villages with peasants for factories. The decree forbade the sale of factory peasants separately from the factory. Manufactories using forced labor were unproductive. The people responded to the deterioration of their situation with resistance. (Astrakhan uprising, the uprising of K. Bulavin, the uprising in Bashkiria).Peter used mass executions, torture, exile as a means of punishment. For example, The Streltsy rebellion of 1698 was a brutal massacre of the archers, which was committed by the sovereign. 799 archers were executed. Life was saved only for those who were from 14 to 20 years old, and even then they were beaten with whips.

Construction of St. Petersburg. In order to speed up the construction of stone houses, Peter even banned stone construction throughout Russia, except for St. Petersburg.

Church. Peter ordered to remove the bells from the churches, because. there was not enough metal for weapons for the army, up to 30 thousand pounds of bell copper was then brought to Moscow. Reform of the Synod of the Church: When Patriarch Adrian Peter died in 1700, he forbade choosing a successor. In 1721, the patriarchate was abolished, and the "Holy Governing Synod" was created to manage the church, which was subordinate to the Senate. The state tightened control over the income of the church from the monastic peasants, systematically withdrew a significant part of them for the construction of the fleet, the maintenance of the army, schools, etc. It was forbidden to create new monasteries, and the number of monks in existing ones was limited.

Old Believers. Tsar Peter allowed the Old Believers to live openly in cities and villages, but imposed a double tax on them. They took a tax from every man for wearing a beard, they took a fine from them and for the fact that the priests performed their spiritual duties. They did not enjoy any civil rights in the state. For disobedience, they were exiled to hard labor as enemies of the church and state.

Culture. The desire of Peter I to turn Russians overnight into Europeans was carried out by violent methods. Shaving beards, introducing European-style clothing. Dissenters were threatened with fines, exile, hard labor, and confiscation of property. Peter's "Europeanization" marked the beginning of the deepest gap between the way of life of the people and the privileged strata. Many years later, this turned into distrust of the peasantry towards any person from the "educated", since a nobleman dressed in European style, speaking a foreign language, seemed to the peasant a foreigner. Peter openly despised all folk customs. Peter, returning from Europe, ordered to forcefully shave his beards and wear foreign clothes. At the city outposts there were special spies who cut off the beards of passers-by and passers-by and cut off the floors of long national cut clothes. The beards of those who resisted were simply uprooted. On January 4, 1700, all residents of Moscow were ordered to put on wine-earth dresses. Two days were given to execute the order. It was forbidden to ride on Russian saddles. Merchants were graciously promised a whip, confiscation of property and hard labor for the sale of Russian dresses.

Don't you think there's more to cultural change than shaving beards? Do you think that the creation of new educational institutions, textbooks, museums, civil type are progressive phenomena in culture? Do you think it is possible for Russia to become a great empire without a strong army? Who should keep it?What actions could Peter take to achieve his goal, or what actions could he refrain from? Were alternative actions possible?

- So, you got acquainted with the documents and we need two masters who will record your evidence on this issue ( proofs are written by masters on the board, or shown using ICT) . So, you, as true historians, what conclusion did you come to when studying the documents. Was Peter I evil and treacherous, immoral and greedy, or was Peter the genius of the Russian land, a great reformer.

Yes, well, you painted a picture for us. Let's now listen to the defense team.

Summarize: we got two almost identical columns. What is the conclusion? Ask for your opinion (listen to students' answers)

What do you think, was there an alternative to the development of Russia, was it necessary to apply such radical measures?

Conclusion: History does not know the subjunctive mood. Peter the Great was and his deeds are great. I think and hope that our descendants will support me, that Tsar Peter I embodied so many different and sometimes contradictory qualities in himself that it is difficult to characterize him unambiguously. The merits of Peter I are so great that they began to call him the Great, and the state turned into an empire. Peter was naturally a reformer, but the methods he chose to carry out the reforms were radical. Yes, Peter appears before us violent and cruel, but such was the age. The new made its way. Just as fiercely and mercilessly as the obsolete old clung to life.

I would like to end our discussion with a statement by the historian M.P. Pogodin, who lived in Pushkin's times. In the book “Peter the Great” M.P. Pogodin wrote: “We are waking up. What day is it? January 1, 1841 - Peter the Great ordered to count the months from January. It's time to get dressed - our dress is sewn according to the style given by Peter the Great ... the essence is woven at the factory that he started, the wool is sheared from the sheep he bred. A book catches your eye - Peter the Great introduced this font into use and cut out these letters himself.

At dinner, from salted herring and potatoes, which he ordered to sow, to grape wine diluted by him, all dishes will tell you about Peter the Great. A place in the system of European states, administration, legal proceedings ... Factories, factories, canals, roads ... Military schools, academies are monuments to his tireless activity and his genius.

The era of Peter the Great is in many ways instructive for us today, when, as Peter the Great happened to do in his time, we have to create and defend a new Russia on the old obsolete basis, reform the army and navy, cultivate industriousness, active patriotism, devotion to state interests and love for the military. case. Love your Fatherland and be proud of Russia.

Bibliography:

A.A. Danilov, L.G. Kosulin "History of Russia: the end of the 16th - 18th centuries". M., "Enlightenment", 2010

Buganov V.I., Zyryanov P.N. History of Russia at the end of the 17th - 19th centuries. Moscow: Thought, 1995
Pavlenko N.I. Peter the Great and his time, Moscow: Enlightenment, 1989

Pavlenko N.I. Peter the Great. M., Thought, 1990

Pogodin MP Peter the Great. - In the book: Historical and critical passages, vol. 1.M., 1846

Pushkin A.S. “The Bronze Horseman” Poems. Moscow., Bustard-Plus., 2010

Pushkin A.S. "Stans" Works in three volumes. St. Petersburg: Golden Age, Diamant, 1997.

documents on the topic Peter the tyrant or the reformer.doc

Peter I is a great reformer. Student card(s) ______________________

Policy.As a result of the administrative, state reform carried out by Peter I, Russia received a clearer structure of state administration. The cumbersome system of orders was replaced by colleges, which were subordinate to the Senate. Instead of the Boyar Duma, which did not play a significant role by the beginning of the 18th century, the Governing Senate was created, which has legislative, administrative and judicial power. The Boyar Duma was numerous, practically never convened, and is considered by historians to be an ineffective institution. The "Table of Ranks" was introduced. The list of ranks on January 24, 1722, the Table of Ranks, introduced a new classification of employees. This founding act of the reformed Russian bureaucracy put the bureaucratic hierarchy, merit and service, in place of the aristocratic hierarchy of the breed, the genealogical book. In one of the articles attached to the table, it is explained with emphasis that the nobility of the family in itself, without service, does not mean anything, does not create any position for a person: no position is given to people of a noble breed until they do not serve the sovereign and the fatherland. they will show "and for these character ("honor and rank", according to the then wording) they will not receive"

Economy.The most remarkable phenomenon in the economy of the late 17th and early 18th centuries was the significant growth of large-scale manufacturing industry. By 1725, there were 220 manufactories in Russia (and in 1690 only 21), that is, in 30 years the country's industry grew 11 times. Iron smelting increased 5 times, which made it possible to start exporting abroad. Under Peter I, trade (internal and external) made a noticeable step forward. Peter I based economic activity on a policy of mercantilism (stimulating exports and restricting imports). In 1726, exports amounted to 4.3 million rubles, and imports - 2.1 million rubles. In 1724, the Customs tariff came out (low export duties were introduced and high import duties - 75% of the cost). Metalworking factories were built in the Urals, in Karelia, near Tula. If before the beginning of the XVIII century, Russia imported iron from abroad, then by the end of the reign of Peter I the country began to sell it. Deposits of copper ore were discovered. (Ural.) There were manufactories associated with the production of linen, ropes, cloth. Moreover, the textile industry was actually created anew. A new branch of industry was shipbuilding (Voronezh, St. Petersburg.)

Army. The construction of a standing army was announced by decree of 1699. In the period from 1699 to 1725, 53 recruiting was carried out, which gave the army and navy 280 thousand people. The system of recruitment took shape over the course of five years, and by the end of the reign of Peter I, the total number of the army was 318 thousand people (together with the Cossack units). This is how a regular army was formed with a single principle of recruitment, uniform uniforms and weapons. Simultaneously with the creation of the army, the construction of the fleet continued. Until 1702, 28 ships, 23 galleys and many small vessels were built in Voronezh. Since 1702, ships have already been built in the Baltic, on the Syas River. By the time of the Battle of Gangut (1714), the Baltic Fleet was created from 22 ships, 5 frigates and many small ships.

Construction of St. Petersburg

Tsar Peter I founded the city on May 16 (27), 1703 by laying a fortress on one of the islands in the Neva delta. The city was named after St. Peter the Apostle. In 1712 the capital of Russia was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The city officially remained the capital until 1918.

On the question of religion . Tsar Peter I proclaimed the principle of religious tolerance in the state. It was widely used in Russia by various religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Mohammedan, Jewish.

Education and science . Peter I paid great attention to education and science. He not only obliged all children of the nobility to learn to read and write, not only sent many to study abroad, but also opened schools and colleges in Moscow and St. Petersburg: a naval, engineering school, and an artillery school. By order of Peter, the publication of the first printed newspaper in Russia began. It was called "Vedomosti" and was published in St. Petersburg since 1702. To facilitate reading and writing in 1708, he reformed the Russian alphabet, greatly simplifying it. In 1719, Peter founded the country's first Kunstkamera museum. And, already at the end of his life, on January 28, 1724, Peter I issued a decree establishing the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Russia.

Personality of Peter. Peter himself always took a direct part in all events. The launching of a new ship was a celebration for the king. Peter the worker, Peter with callused hands - this is the personification of the entire Russian people in the so-called era of transformation. Memoirs of the Danish envoy Julius Yust: “I went to the Admiralty shipyard to be present at the lifting of the stems (the main beams in the hull of the ship). The king, as the chief ship master, disposed of everything, he chopped with an ax, which he wielded more skillfully than carpenters. Having made an order, the tsar took off his hat in front of the admiral-general who was standing there, asked him: “Should I wear it?”, and upon receiving an affirmative answer, put it on. The king expresses such respect to all senior persons in the service. Under Peter I, Russia became a powerful European power.

"Peter I is not a great reformer". Student card(s) ______________________

Policy . The administrative reforms carried out by Peter I led to an increase in various malfeasance, in connection with which in 1722 special authorities (fiscals, prosecutors) were created and the position of prosecutor general was introduced, which led to another increase in the number of officials and the cost of their maintenance. The burden of taxes fell on the shoulders of the people. All transformations in the country, incl. The Northern War worsened the economic situation of the population, as they required huge material costs. Numerous taxes were introduced, direct and indirect (changes in the tax system, the state introduced a monopoly on the sale of certain goods). All this worsened the situation of the tax-paying population (peasants, townspeople, merchants, etc.).

Social side. The reforms of Peter I led to the strengthening of serfdom. The decree of Peter I in 1721 allowed manufacturers to buy villages with peasants for factories. The decree forbade the sale of factory peasants separately from the factory. Manufactories using forced labor were unproductive. The tax reform enslaved "walking" people and serfs. The people responded to the deterioration of their situation with resistance. (Astrakhan uprising, the uprising of K. Bulavin, the uprising in Bashkiria)

Streltsy uprising 1698 - uprising of Moscowarchery regiments , caused not the hardships of service in the border cities, exhausting campaigns, harassment by the colonels. The Streltsy rebellion of 1698 was a brutal massacre of the archers, which was committed by the sovereign. Pyotr Alekseevich said: “And they deserve death for their innocence, that they rebelled.” After all, the investigation had not yet been completed, but the execution had already begun. Peter the First himself participated in them and even expressed dissatisfaction when the boyars, without due skill, chopped off the heads of the rebels. Alexander Menshikov boasted: "I personally cut off the head of 20 archers." 799 archers were executed. Life was saved only for those who were between 14 and 20 years old, and then they were beaten with whips.In the next six months, 1182 archers were executed, beaten with a whip, branded and 601 people were exiled. The investigation and executions continued for almost ten more years, the total number of executed reached 2,000 people.

Construction of St. Petersburg. In order to speed up the construction of stone houses, Peter even banned stone construction throughout Russia, except for St. Petersburg. Stonemasons were forced to go to work in St. Petersburg. In addition, a “stone tax” was taken from each cart that entered the city: you had to bring a certain amount of stone with you or pay a special fee. Peasants from all the surrounding regions came to the new lands to work on construction.Serfs were widely used for work in the project. It is believed that about 30,000 died during construction.

Church. All reforms were made for the people and in the name of the people... But what is the price of this? What did people pay for it? The Tsar encroached on the brightest thing that is in Rus' - on the Church of God! The Church has always helped the people, gave hope and faith. Peter ordered to remove the bells from the churches, because. there was not enough metal for weapons for the army, up to 30 thousand pounds of bell copper was then brought to Moscow. Every fifth temple was left without a language.

Church synod reform: When Patriarch Adrian Peter died in 1700, he forbade him to choose a successor. The management of the church was entrusted to one of the metropolitans, who served as the "locum tenens of the patriarchal throne." In 1721, the patriarchate was abolished, and the Holy Governing Synod, or the Spiritual College, was created to manage the church, which was also subordinate to the Senate. In parallel with this, the state increased control over the income of the church from the monastery peasants, systematically withdrew a significant part of them for the construction of the fleet, the maintenance of the army, schools, etc. It was forbidden to create new monasteries, the number of monks in existing ones was limited

Old Believers. The Old Believers did not have freedom in their native land. In the reign of Peter they were no longer burned in masses, but individual cases of burning and other executions were not rare. Tsar Peter allowed the Old Believers to live openly in cities and villages, but imposed a double tax on them. They took a tax from every man for wearing a beard, they took a fine from them and for the fact that the priests performed their spiritual duties. In a word, the Old Believers were a source of income for both the government and the clergy. However, they did not enjoy any civil rights in the state. The Old Believers were divided into the so-called "recorded" and "non-recorded". Noteworthy were those who were on a special account and paid a double tax; the unrecorded lived in secret, they were caught and exiled to hard labor as enemies of the church and state, despite the fact that they were the most faithful sons of their fatherland.

Culture. The desire of Peter I to turn Russians overnight into Europeans was carried out by violent means. Shaving beards, introducing European-style clothing. Dissenters were threatened with fines, exile, hard labor, and confiscation of property. Peter's "Europeanization" marked the beginning of the deepest gap between the way of life of the people and the privileged strata. Many years later, this turned into distrust of the peasantry towards any person from the "educated", since a nobleman dressed in European style, speaking a foreign language, seemed to the peasant a foreigner. Peter openly despised all folk customs. He threw off his brocade royal clothes and dressed up in foreign camisoles. He imprisoned the legitimate queen in a monastery .... According to the Russian concept, barbering was a sin. Christ Himself wore a beard, the apostles wore beards, and all Orthodox must wear a beard.

Lesson topic: Peter 1: a tyrant or a great reformer.

Goals:

1. to consolidate the knowledge gained in the process of studying the Petrine era, to understand different points of view on the role of Peter1 in Russian history and the reforms he carried out.

2. To develop the skills of working with additional literature, oral public speaking, to form a culture of speech.

3. Encourage students to acquire new knowledge by participating in intellectual activities; cultivate respect for the past of the country.

Lesson type: role (game) project.

Lesson Genre: court lesson.

Teaching methods: partial search, research method, method of problem presentation.

Form of study: group.

Applied pedagogical technologies: technology of problem-based learning, technology of learning in cooperation, technology of project activity.

Lesson equipment: art gallery of Peter's portraits1.

Advance task:

Compose a speech (2 - 3 min.) on behalf of a real historical person or conditional characters opposite in their attitude to the personality of Peter1.

Plan

1. Introductory speech of the teacher.

Throughout history, since the time of Peter the Great, there have been disputes about the personality and deeds of the emperor. Some historians saw in him a strong personality who carried out progressive reforms, others believed that by breaking traditions and forcibly changing the way of life of the Russian people, he imposed an alien and destructive path of development on Russia. There is no unambiguous assessment of his personality, as well as his transformations.

Moreover, it was so from the very beginning, and Peter's contemporaries were already arguing among themselves. Peter's associates praised him, considered his deeds great (it was not for nothing that even during Peter's lifetime the Senate presented him with the official title "Great"). And the opponents of the reforms called the king the Antichrist, who came to earth to destroy the Christian world.

The contradictory assessments of the personality of Peter1 and his deeds have survived to this day. The question arises: What was Peter1 like? What was he right about and what was he wrong about? In order to answer these questions, we will hold a lesson-court of modernity today on Peter 1 and try to answer the main question:

Who was Peter1 - a tyrant or a great reformer?

2. Interactive part of the lesson.

The teacher announces the characters:

Judge

prosecutor

Advocate

court clerk

jurors

Witnesses for the prosecution

Witnesses for the defense

The course of the trial.

Judge: The case is being heard about Peter, the Russian Tsar from 1682 to 1725.

Prosecution is filed by the public prosecutor

The defense is carried out by a lawyer

court clerk -

The case is heard with the participation of jurors.

President of the Court -

The secretary reads out a certificate about the accused.

(options are possible, for example: Peter Alekseevich Romanov, born May 30, 1672, date of death - January 28, 1727. Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty (since 1682), sovereign ruler since 1696, Russian emperor since 1721 and etc.

Judge: We are starting a trial. The word is given to the prosecutor.

Prosecutor: Before Peter I, Russia developed naturally. We accuse Pyotr Alekseevich of destroying the peculiar, independent Russian world, which has its own traditions, its own culture, and its own spiritual values. He is guilty of renewing Russia with too cruel methods, instilling Western European customs in the country, changing the face of the Russian people. All his transformations are reactionary and borrowed from the West. He is also guilty of destroying the religious traditions of Russia, which tragically affected the entire subsequent Russian history.

Judge:(addressing the lawyer) What is your position on the charge?

Advocate: At the entrance of the judicial investigation, we are ready to refute the position of the prosecution and prove that our client is not guilty of the charge brought against him.

Judge: We proceed to the interrogation of witnesses. I ask the secretary to call a witness for the prosecution.

Secretary call the witnesses one by one.

(various types of witnesses are possible)

First Witness on the part of the prosecution - the peasant Vanka Kosoy.

I, Vanka Kosoy, was sent from the Arkhangelsk province to build a new whim of the tsar - the city of Petersburg. Together with me, a bunch of other men from our village were sent. They ordered to put carpentry tools in a knapsack, and some food for the road and go on foot to distant lands, where, by order of the king, they began to build a city. Good people, after all, how did cities usually arise in the old days? Many people liked the place at once, so that the river, but the bank is high, dry; they gather of good will and desire and build houses, take up various crafts. And here it’s all swamps, a quagmire, a midge that eats alive - no one will voluntarily settle in such a place. They put us in barracks like cattle, 200-300 men each, food like slop, and work from dawn to dusk. After all, the king is our father, he must think about his people. And here, at the whim of the tsar, the people drove the darkness, and ruined without counting, that city grew on our bones. This is not a king, but an antichrist, a murderer. It was not in vain that the peasants explained that the tsar was not real, that they replaced him when he was abroad, and that the Antichrist returned to Russia under the name of Peter in order to destroy the Christian world.

Second Witness on the part of the prosecution - the boyar Matvey Miloslavsky.

Our ancient clan, from the Rurikovich leads its own account. We always honored the traditions of our ancestors and lived according to the Law of God. What now? Shame and disgrace. The king destroyed centuries-old traditions. He ordered to shave his beards, to wear a German dress: a short caftan, narrow ports, clownish triangular hats, to hide his natural hair under strangers, overheads. Where is it seen that a child from his father's house was sent to a foreign land? And what is the use of this study? We, the Miloslavskys, should not work. And the tsar ordered adults to appear at the Assemblies with his wife and daughters, and they were dressed in shameful dresses like girls walking around. And Peter himself laid the foundation for all the atrocities: he took down the bells from the holy churches, and poured them onto the cannons; he married a foreigner without a family, he smokes tobacco himself. Waiting for him for all this is the punishment of God and the curse of man.

third witness on the part of the prosecution - the widow of the archer Martha.

My husband, archer Vasily Naydenov, faithfully served, participated in many campaigns, was wounded during the capture of Azov, but did not receive any honors, awards, or ranks. Our family is large, seven children have not seen their father for months. That the archers went to rebellion, so you can understand them: monetary allowance was not paid, the service was difficult. So the king did not begin to understand, but planned to punish them severely. In Preobrazhensky, torture chambers were set up. My Vasily and other archers were subjected to terrible tortures. And then, with other women, we learned that our husbands would be driven to Moscow for execution. I rushed to Preobrazhenskoye to see my husband at least with an eye, to say goodbye to him in a human way. I saw a terrible thing: when they were leading the archers past the windows of the sovereign's palace, Peter jumped out into the street and ordered to chop off heads right on the road, he himself chopped off several, with difficulty he was calmed down. I followed the column with other women, Vasily wanted to see everything. So they did not say goodbye in a Christian way. He was executed in Moscow at the Execution Ground. She herself saw how the tsar personally cut off heads, and even from the crowd he offered those who wished to work hard for the executioner. He is a terrible man, I curse him.

prosecutor

Your Honor! I ask you to attach additional materials to the case, from which the scale of the execution is visible: more than 1 thousand people were executed, about 600 were sent to Siberia after torture. The tsar did not even spare his own sister, who, after being tortured, sent to the Novodevichy Convent, where she was forcibly tonsured a nun. And his own son, Tsarevich Alexei, suspecting of treason, ordered to be imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he died after painful torture.

After witness testimony for the prosecution, the clerk calls witnesses for the defence, one by one.

First Witness on the defense side - the architect Domenico Trezzini.

I, Domenico Trezzini, was born in Switzerland in 1670 and studied architecture in Italy. To feed his family, he looked for work in different countries. He worked as a bricklayer in Denmark, and there the Russian ambassador recruited various specialists to serve the Russian Tsar Peter. I was lucky, because they needed specialists in fortifications. I signed a contract as a master for the construction of stone fortresses with a salary of 1000 rubles a year (at that time - a lot of money) I planned to work in Russia for one year, but I lived in St. Petersburg for 31 years and Russia became my native country. I consider Peter the great emperor. I was amazed at his plans and dreams about the city, which he began to build on the Neva among swamps and water. They call me the first architect of St. Petersburg, and the real first architect of the city was Peter himself. And Peter was very easy to deal with people. How could I imagine that the king would become the godfather of my son? And I also designed the Palace in the Summer Garden for Peter. So the main condition on the part of the king was simplicity. Unlike the chic Menshikov Palace, the Summer Palace of Peter 1 looks like a small, two-story, modest building, because Peter never aspired to personal luxury, but thought about the state. He is a great emperor and will forever remain in history.

Second Witness on the defense side - Prince Menshikov.

I, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, born in 1672, testify that Peter the Great is a great reformer, who put his life into making Russia a powerful state. Let's remember his deeds: he created a new army, built a military and merchant fleet, contributed to the rapid growth of manufactories and factories, Russia began to sell metal to Europe, St. Petersburg was built, which became the capital of a renewed Russia; by order of Peter, the publication of the first printed newspaper in Russia began; The country's first museum, the Kunstkamera, was founded; the Academy of Sciences was established, schools and colleges were opened. Under Peter, Russia became a powerful European country.

I am Alexander Danilovich Menshikov - the Russian Generalissimo, His Grace Prince, and my father was a simple groom, I myself sold pies in my childhood, lived in poverty. Peter gave way to many ignoble people, putting in the first place not "breed", but abilities. They say about people like me “from rags to riches”, and there are many like me. Having adopted the "Table of Ranks", Peter established the order of public service, when merit and length of service were placed above the pedigree, and reaching the seventh grade automatically gave the status of hereditary nobility.

And as for the cruelty of the king, so the time was cruel, Everything new always makes its way with difficulty. You have to judge by the results.

third witness on the part of the defense - the daughter of the boyar Morozov.

I, Anastasia, daughter of a boyar, can speak in public in court. And it's all thanks to Peter. Until recently, we girls were not allowed to appear unnecessarily in front of strangers, we had to live as recluses, sit in our little room, do needlework and wait for the priest to choose the right groom. It could happen that I would only see my chosen one at the wedding, and no one would ask if he was my love or not.

Now, thanks to Tsar Peter, other times have begun. The tsar ordered the boyars to bring their wives and adult daughters to the Assembly, and that everyone should be dressed in German fashion and be able to talk with gentlemen, and know how to dance foreign dances. So, in order not to be disgraced before the tsar, our father had to hire dance teachers for me and my sisters and order outfits from Europe.

The king also issued a decree, according to which it is now forbidden to forcefully marry, without the consent of the groom or bride. It is prescribed that the betrothal must first go through so that the bride and groom get to know each other better. Between the betrothal and the wedding, the period must be at least six weeks, and if she does not fall in love, then the bride has the right to terminate the betrothal. Now I can marry the person I love, and not the one whom the father chooses.

Judge announces the transition to the debate of the parties. The word is given to the accuser.

prosecutor

Peter 1 devoted his life to the transformation of the state, but he was cruel and did not put a person's life in a penny. Under him, taxes per capita increased by 3 times, and the cost of reforms, expressed in human lives, is equal to a seventh of the population. I believe that all the charges brought against him in the trial were proved and I ask the jury to pass a guilty verdict on Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov and recognize him as a tyrant, because no goals, even the right ones, can be justified by the sacrifices made by the country and people to achieve them.

Judge

The final word is given to the lawyer.

Advocate

The transformations carried out by Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov accelerated the development of Russia and elevated it to the rank of a European power. In Russia, neither before Peter nor after Peter, not a single statesman carried out reforms that would cover all spheres of society and the state. His work deserves praise and good memory of descendants. As for the scale of the victims, I ask the jury to take into account what the international situation was like in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, what was the Russian reality of that time and the limited time frame allotted to Peter for transformations.

Judge

I consider the arguments of the parties to be completed. I ask the jury to reach a verdict.

Chief of Jury

Your Honor! The jurors could not reach a unanimous opinion on the case under consideration, and therefore the jury cannot pass a verdict on the guilt or innocence of Petr Alekseevich Romanov.

Judge

Due to the absence of a jury verdict, the hearing of the case is postponed with an open deadline for a new hearing.

Final word of the teacher

Summing up our lesson, we can conclude that the verdict of the court is symbolic. There is a famous expression of Socrates that "The most just court is history: sooner or later it puts everything in its place." Peter I, both as a person and as a politician, was not unambiguously treated by his contemporaries. Some idolized him, others saw evil in him. But what Peter I did for Russia in his short life, and he lived for 53 years, causes only respect. Russia turned into a great European power, and in 1721 the Senate awarded Peter the titles of Emperor, Great and Father of the Fatherland for especially outstanding services. By the way, in the USSR, the streets in many cities were called "Peter the Great". And a few years ago, for the publication of the encyclopedia “One Hundred People Who Changed the Course of History,” a survey was conducted in different countries. They called the names of Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Confucius, Copernicus, Roosevelt and thousands more names of politicians, scientists, industrialists, military leaders, but among all these names they entered the name of Peter I, the Russian Emperor. You and I live in a city that is the living embodiment of the plan of Peter I. Each of you will probably name something related to the name of Peter I. But in the 21st century, he also makes us think: “All the projects should be in perfect working order, so as not to cause damage to the Fatherland. Whoever starts projecting anyhow, I will deprive him of that rank and order him to fight with a whip. To whom can these words be addressed? And A.M. was right. Gorky, when he wrote: “The past is not perfect, but it is pointless to reproach it, but it is necessary to study it!”

3. Conclusion.

Grading.

Homework: The portraits of Peter I presented before you were written by different authors and at different times. Through their works, the artists also expressed their vision of the personality of Peter. Write a mini-essay on the topic “Peter1 through the eyes of an artist……” (one of the presented works of your choice).

The problem of "genius" and "villainy" belongs to the number of eternal in philosophy, and in the classical artistic heritage, and in historical literature. It can be formulated, in particular, as follows: how compatible in one person (contradictory, fickle, complex, fluid like mercury) are good impulses for progress, merciless, profound reforms, a radical transformation of society - and sadistic obsession, the desire to doom yourself, personally to the death of millions of people. Say, in the name of “state necessity”, because “it is necessary”, and “future generations will appreciate” and forgive the inevitable cruelty of the deed.

Future generations still do not remain indifferent to one of the brightest and most terrible executioners (and at the same time - reformers) on the throne, the founder of a powerful granite, ceremonial, pompous, pretentious and blood-fed empire, unique in its own way in the history of Europe (but not Asia) - to Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov, officially, during his lifetime, by decree of the obedient and intimidated Senate recognized as the "Father of the Fatherland" and "Peter the Great". The attitude towards Peter I in Russia is very interesting. At the moments of even the most timid attempts at new reforms, there is a desire to approach the legacy of the Great Transformer quite critically, to pay attention to the incredibly terrible price that his victories were paid for (among modern historians, in this sense, it is necessary to note the approach of Evgeny Anisimov). When a deafening imperial “drumbeat” is heard from above, the image of Peter again rises to an unattainable height; before us is the “ideal monarch”, whose portrait adorns the offices of officials of the highest rank, almost the “state-forming symbol” of the modern Russian Federation (“Peter the Great” is the name of one of the country’s powerful aircraft carrier cruisers). Let us briefly consider what this man and this monarch was like.

Our people have very good reasons to remember that "Great Peter" poured blood on the autonomous Hetman Ukraine; hanging, crucifying, chopping the heads of real and imaginary opponents, he drowned in blood the remnants of state independence on our land. But - that's why! - fully sharing Shevchenko's hatred for this outstanding "crowned executioner", one can and should carefully analyze, "take apart the bones" the activities of "that First One who kicked our Ukraine", try to understand him. Who knows, maybe it will come in handy? After all, Peter embodies the typologically significant features of many despots (for all the originality of this personality), which was also confirmed in times close to us.

In 1749, the Prussian king Frederick II, talking with Voltaire (playing the role of an "enlightened monarch", Friedrich patronized the great philosopher), said of Peter: "This person seems almost ugly because of the strength of his contrasts." And the famous German thinker, mathematician and physicist Georg Leibniz, who for many years literally fawned over Peter and wrote flattering letters to him, once compared him in one of his messages ... with the great semi-savage rulers of China and Abyssinia: the king and his country, like those rulers , also has an unexpectedly great future (a dubious compliment!). But both the irreconcilable critics of the first emperor of Russia and his apologists agreed on one thing: having a versatile mind and extreme susceptibility, suppressing his natural inclinations with the power of reason, he saw that it was not enough to speak to a lazy, ignorant, inept people (he sincerely saw him that way!) : do this and that, move, learn. An example is needed. Personal example of the king.

Perhaps that is why Peter personally masters the craft of a ship's carpenter, turner, toothpicker, surgeon (the latter is rather bad), not shunning any physical work, disappears for hours and days at shipyards, in workshops (whether in Holland or in Russia), near your favorite lathe.

But that is precisely why the tsar is personally (!) present at the wheeling, torture, executions, sees with his own eyes how the whip, rack, fire “act” (including when his own son and heir Alexei was the “object of influence”); this is by no means a painful, pathological curiosity, no - Tsar Peter, again personally, by his presence, participation and example, shows his subjects what the slightest disobedience, even the slightest disrespectful word said about the Sovereign can turn into! And all these subjects were powerless, because even one of the closest associates of the monarch, Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev, signed his letters to Peter like this: “Your humble and humble servant” ...

Peter introduced a system of denunciations, investigations and espionage in the widest possible way: it was enough for any person, even a commoner, to declare: “I know the word and deed of the Sovereign”, as an investigation immediately began on charges of high treason of the one pointed out by the declarant, moreover, if If the “traitor” was rich, then the scammer had a very good chance of taking possession of his property. All the more mercilessly Peter stopped any attempts of armed resistance to his power. With infinite cruelty, he suppressed the uprising of the archers (1698). He was not satisfied with a few blows of the whip and a few hanged - but turned the matter widely, in his own way. The investigation, superficially, according to the king, carried out and completed by his close associates Shein and Romodanovsky, was started again. Fourteen dungeons were arranged in the village of Preobrazhensky near Moscow and worked day and night. In them one could find all the ordinary instruments of torture, including the braziers on which the tortured were roasted. One of them was tortured seven times and received 99 lashes, while 15 were enough to kill a man. The Streltsy commander Korpakov, who was involved in the case, tried to cut his own throat in order to put an end to the torment; he only hurt himself and the torture continued. Women - wives, daughters and relatives of archers, servants or close associates of Princess Sophia accused of treason - were interrogated in the same way. One of them was relieved of the burden during torture. It is amazing that such brutal cruelties were committed by the same Peter who founded the Academy of Sciences, at whose insistence the women of Muscovy were first admitted to general evenings, “assemblies” on an equal footing with men ...

The tsar’s statement is known, dating back to about 1697, when young Peter (under the name of Peter Mikhailov; however, this “incognito” was no secret to anyone) went to Holland and England to study shipbuilding: “I am in the rank of a student and need teachers me". But this is by no means proof of the “democratism” of the monarch, who sincerely believed all his life (and wrote this down in all possible charters, decrees, other “highest” documents) that “His Majesty is an autocratic master who answers no one in the world about his deeds he should not give, but he has his own states and lands, like a Christian sovereign, to rule according to his will and goodwill ”(from the“ Military Charter ”). Or in another place, where this thought is expressed even more briefly: “The power of monarchs is autocratic, which God himself commands to obey!”. Without taking this into account, it is impossible to understand the contradictions in the thoughts and actions of Peter, who, obviously, quite sincerely called himself "the first servant of the state." This is beautifully expressed in the order for the troops on the eve of the Battle of Poltava, June 26, 1709: “Warriors! Do not imagine that you are fighting for Peter - but for the state handed over to Peter ... And know about Peter that life is not dear to him - if only Russia and Russian piety, glory and prosperity would live. But after all, this State was and remained essentially Asian, tyrannical, it was actually the property of a single person - Tsar (later Emperor) Peter, and moreover, to such an extent that the famous phrase of King Louis XIV "The State is I!" may seem like a manifesto of a convinced democrat.

Peter was characterized by a combination of obsession, quite rare in history (to make “his” state great, suppressing any resistance) and thoughtful rationality (in the depths of his soul, he always preferred those of his servants who had no one and nothing to rely on except him! ). Obviously, it is rulers of this kind who most often achieve success. Interestingly, many of his contemporaries, both in Russia and abroad, actively thought about the reasons for the success of Peter's "bone-breaking" reforms. The Danish diplomat and ambassador Just Juhl wondered, speaking of the king: "How could it take so long?" And he answered: “They carried him out because he corresponded to the mores of the country.” Truly so!

And these morals were characterized by two Russian proverbs of that era: “A whip is not an angel, but it will teach you to tell the truth” and “Before the tsar - as before death.” Peter, the recognized "Europeanizer" of his country, the man who gave her a new calendar, a new civil script, new customs, to some extent even a new language (for he himself edited the language of the first fully "secular" books of that era) - in at the same time (tragic paradox!) inspired and fully supported the terrorist regime in his state. Here are some facts. The peasant Trifon Petrov was tortured and sentenced to eternal hard labor for having bowed to the tsar in a special way in a drunken state. Another peasant had to share his fate for not knowing about the adoption of the imperial title by the king. Some priest spoke of the king's illness and did not seem to rule out the possibility of his death; the priest was exiled to Siberia. A woman found in her cellar on a barrel of beer anonymous letters written in an unfamiliar language; during interrogation, she could not explain their meaning and died under the blows of a whip. Another woman interrupted the church service with a wild cry; she was blind and probably subject to epileptic seizures; she was suspected of deliberate outrage and "put in for questioning." A drunk schoolboy spoke obscene words - he was given 30 blows with a whip and his nostrils were pulled out, then he was sentenced to eternal hard labor. These are all official documents, protocols of Peter's secret office...

Lack of scrupulousness, disregard for generally accepted rules and a poorly hidden contempt for them were combined in this man with a deep sense of duty and respect for law and discipline. Peter wanted to transform the life of a people whose morality and religion consisted largely of prejudice and superstition. He rightly considered them to be a fundamental obstacle to progress and the "common good" (as he understood it) and fought against them at every opportunity. Peter considered himself called to remove from the national consciousness the slag left on it by centuries of wild ignorance. But he introduced into the work undertaken an infinite amount of cruelty, malice, personal harshness and passion. He beat at random. By fixing, he messed up. The great educator was at the same time one of the greatest corrupters of the human race. And it can be argued that modern Russia owes him not only its power and strength, but also most of its vices.