Russia in the Age of Peter the Great

648 Pages·1998·30.292 MB·English

by  Lindsey Hughes

RUSSIA IN THE AGE OF PETER THE GREAT

RUSSIA IN THE AGE OF
PETER THE GREAT
LINDSEY HUGHES
YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS
NEW HAVEN AND LONDON
Copyright © 1998 by Lindsey Hughes
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form (beyond
that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by
reviewers for die public press) without written permission from the publishers.
Set in Garamond by Fakenham Photosetting, Norfolk
Printed in Great Britain by St Edmundsbury Press
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hughes, Lindsey, 1949-
Russia in the age of Peter the Great/Lindsey Hughes.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-300-07539-1
I. Russia—History—Peter 1, 1689-1725. 2. Peter I, Emperor of Russia, 1672-1725.
I. Title.
DK131, H84 1998
947'. 05—dc2i
98-18667
CIP
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
10 987654321
To the memory o f my mother,
Audrey Ethel Hughes, née Bond (1926—6$)

Contents
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi
PREFACE xii
NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION, ABBREVIATIONS, WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES xvi
ROMANOV FAMILY TREE xxi
REIGN OF PETER I: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS xxii
THE PETRINE YEAR xxix
MAP xxx
1 Beginnings i
I. RUSSIA IN 1672 i
II. SOPHIA: THE 1680s 8
III. THE MAKING OF A SOVEREIGN: THE 1690s 11
2 Russia and the World: 1696—172$ 21
I. FROM AZOV TO THE GRAND EMBASSY: 1696-1698 22
II. THE GREAT NORTHERN WAR: FROM NARVA
TO POLTAVA, 1700-1709 26
III. POLTAVA: 27 JUNE 1709 38
IV. BATTLE FOR THE BALTIC: 1709-1710 41
V. WAR WITH TURKEY. THE PRUTH CAMPAIGN AND THE
TREATY OF ADRIANOPLE: 1711-1713 45
VI. FROM PRUTH TO NYSTAD: 1711-1721 50
VII. THE PERSIAN CAMPAIGN: 1722-1723 57
VIII. SUMMARY: RUSSIA AND THE WORLD IN 1725 59
3 The Russian M ilitary Machine 63
I. WAR AND REFORM 63
Vll
CONTENTS
II. RECRUITMENT . 65
III. SUPPLYING THE TROOPS 71
IV. TRAINING, WELFARE AND ETHOS 74
V. CENTRAL COMMAND 79
VI. THE NAVY 80
VII. CONCLUSION 89
4 Government 92
I. MONARCH AND MOCK SOVEREIGNS 92
II. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT: FROM BOYAR COUNCIL TO
SENATE 100
III. FROM PRIKAZYTO KOLLEGII 105
IV. PETER’S CABINET 112
V. PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT 113
VI. LAW AND ORDER 121
VII. CONCLUSION 132
$ The Economy 135
I. TAXATION AND THE STATE BUDGET 135
II. FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION AND COINAGE 142
III. WAGES AND PRICES 144
IV. TRADE 145
V. INDUSTRY AND MINING 150
VI. RUSSIAN CAPITALISM AND MERCANTILISM 154
6 Peters People 159
I. ORDERS OF SOCIETY 159
II. PEASANTS AND WORKERS 160
III. NOBLES 172
IV. THE TABLE OF RANKS 180
V. WOMEN: FROM BOIARYNI TO DAMY 186
7 St Petersburg and the Arts 203
I. FROM MOSCOW TO ST PETERSBURG 203
II. PETER’S PARADISE 210
III. ARCHITECTURE 224
IV. THE FIGURATIVE ARTS 228
V. THEATRE AND MUSIC 240
viii
CONTENTS
The Petrine Court 248
INTRODUCTION 248
THE ALL-DRUNKEN ASSEMBLY AND THE MOCK COURT
249
DWARFS AND GIANTS 257
WEDDINGS, CORONATIONS AND FUNERALS x6o
DRINKING, ASSEMBLIES AND POPULAR
ENTERTAINMENTS 264
THE COURT CALENDAR 270
DRESS AND HAIR CODES 280
MANNERS AND BEHAVIOUR 288
Education and Learning
2 9 8
RUSSIA AND THE WEST 298
SCHOOLS 299
SCIENCE AND LEARNING 309
BOOKS AND READERS 316
LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE 326
CONCLUSION 330
Religion
332
THE RELIGIOUS INHERITANCE 332
THE 1690s: PRELUDE TO REFORM
335
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION, 1700-1725
337
THE SERVICE CLERGY
343
RELIGIOUS LIFE AND CULTURE 348
RELIGION AND EMPIRE
351
DISSIDENCE
354
CONCLUSION
355
,
Peter: M an M ind and Methods
357
A MAN OF SIMPLE TASTES
357
DISGUISES AND PSEUDONYMS 363
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS 366
CRUELTY AND COMPASSION 371
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
375
RULING RUSSIA: THE COMMON GOOD 378
CONTENTS

12 Family Factors 390
I. MOTHER AND SISTERS 390
II. PETER’S TWO WIVES: EVDOKIA AND CATHERINE 393
III. SONS AND DAUGHTERS 399
IV. ALEXIS 402
V. THE YOUNGER GENERATION MARRIES 4u

13 Friends and Helpers 416
I. ‘HIS OWN UNAIDED RULE’ 416
II. OLD NETWORKS 417
III. ‘NEW MEN’ 425
IV. MENSHIKOV 432
V. POWER NETWORKS AND PECKING ORDERS 441

14 Responses 445
I. DEATH 445
II. OPPOSITION 447
III. THE LEGACY 462
NOTES 471
BIBLIOGRAPHY 564
INDEX 586