Answer: Peter the Great was the Czar of Russia from 1682-1725. Born in 1672, he was the son of Czar Alexis I and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. Peter was a complex figure, both revered and reviled in his time and even now, over three centuries after his death.
At the age of ten, Peter was appointed co-ruler of Russia by his half-sister Sophia, who acted as regent for the child czar. Despite this appointment, the real power in Russia lay with the boyars, a powerful and wealthy noble class.
Peter, who was fascinated with the West, was determined to bring Russia into the modern world. He took several Grand Embassy tours throughout Europe, studying western technology, military tactics and governance. In 1697, he founded the city of St. Petersburg, which was to become the new capital of Russia and the window through which the country could look to the West.
Throughout his reign, Peter engaged in a series of wars with neighboring states, including the Ottoman Empire and Sweden, in an effort to expand Russia's borders and strengthen its position as a major European power. He also made significant reforms within Russia, modernizing the military, creating a standing army, and establishing a Western-style legal system.
Peter the Great also made a lasting impact on Russian culture. He encouraged the spread of Western education, art and science. He also famously introduced the concept of the "table of ranks," which gave people of all social classes the opportunity to advance based on merit, rather than birth.
Despite his numerous reforms and military successes, Peter was not a popular ruler. He was often brutal in his methods and had a tendency to be autocratic. His reign saw the suppression of a number of popular uprisings and the strengthening of the czarist autocracy, which would endure for another two centuries.
Peter the Great died in 1725, leaving behind a legacy as one of Russia's most important and transformative rulers. He is remembered for his vision and determination, but also for his cruelty and lack of concern for the suffering of his people.
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