History of Russia from the Earliest Times. Volumes 17, 18

40 hrs. 6 min.

Language Russian

Author Sergey Solovyov

Narrator Yury Zaborovsky

Volume 17. The Reign of Peter I Alekseyevich. 1722-1725.

Volume 17. Contents

Chapter 01. Continuation of the reign of Peter I Alekseyevich
The allies, the Danes and the Saxons, act in disagreement in the war against the Swedes. — The Kroesen resolutions. — The situation of the allies near Stralsund. — Relations with England and Holland. — Menshikov’s dispatch to Pomerania. — The difficult position of the Russian envoy Prince Dolgoruky in Denmark. — The loss of the 1712 campaign. — Peter’s grief. — The Danes and Saxons defeated by the Swedes at Gadebusch. — Mediation of England and Holland. — Peter’s terms. — Instructions to Menshikov. — Peter’s meeting with the Elector of Hanover and the King of Prussia. — Prussia’s designs. — Russian actions in Finland. — Menshikov’s actions in 1713. — The Holstein minister Görtz. — The matter of the sequestration of Pomeranian towns. — The surrender of Stettin to Menshikov. — Stettin given to Prussia. — Discontent in Denmark over this. — Hostility of England and Holland toward Russia. — Peter’s resoluteness restrains these powers. — Yaguzhinsky’s embassy to Denmark. — Holstein proposals to the tsar through Bassewitz. — The matter of an alliance with the Elector of Hanover. — Russian actions in Finland in 1714. — Prussia and Hanover join the Northern Alliance. — The siege of Stralsund. — The surrender of that city to the allies. — Prince Kurakin’s negotiations with English ministers concerning peace terms with Sweden. — Peter marries off his niece to the Duke of Mecklenburg. — The consequences of this marriage. — Peter’s clash with the allies over Wismar. — Preparations in Denmark for a landing in Sweden. — Peter postpones the landing. — Discord among the allies over this. — Peter’s meeting with the Prussian king in Havelberg. — His stay in Holland. — Relations with England. — Russia’s relations with France and Peter’s trip to Paris. — Russia’s treaty with France. — Prince Kurakin’s conferences on peace with Sweden. — Resolutions on a future congress in the Åland Islands. — Negotiations with Denmark. — Relations with Prussia. — Negotiations with England. Relations with the Austrian court.
Chapter 02. Continuation of the reign of Peter I Alekseyevich
The case of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. — Explanation of the tsarevich’s relations with his father from the conditions of the time. — The question of the heredity of family traits. — The character of Tsarevich Alexei. — His relation to the old and the new. — His upbringing and tutors. — His entourage. — Confessor Yakov Ignatyev. — The tsarevich grows accustomed to hostility toward his father and his works. — Relations with the nobles. — The tsarevich as ruler. — He continues his studies. — Trip abroad. — Study in Dresden. — The tsarevich’s marriage. — His separation from his wife. — The crown princess’s relations with the tsar. — Her arrival in Petersburg. — The father’s final cooling toward his son. — The tsarevich’s future. — The conflict of this future with the tsar’s future. — The tsarevich’s family life. — Alexei’s trip to Karlsbad for treatment. — The birth of his daughter. — The birth of his son and the death of the crown princess. — The tsar’s written explanation with his son. — The tsarevich renounces the inheritance. — Peter demands tonsure. — The tsarevich agrees to that as well. — Peter delays a decision and gives his son time to reconsider. — Peter’s demand from abroad that Alexei either take monastic vows or come to him. — The tsarevich apparently goes to his father in Denmark, but instead leaves for Vienna and asks Emperor Charles VI for refuge and protection. — He is hidden first in Ehrenberg Castle in Tyrol and then in Naples. — The tsar learns of his son’s whereabouts and demands his return. — The tsarevich returns. — Investigation in Moscow. — Investigation in Petersburg. — Court sentence. — The tsarevich’s death and various rumors about it.
Chapter 03. Continuation of the reign of Peter I Alekseyevich
The Åland Congress. — The death of Charles XII and the closing of the congress. — Military actions against Sweden. — Russia’s relations with foreign powers from 1718 to 1721. — Renewal of relations with Sweden. — The Nystad negotiations and peace. — The significance of the Northern War. — Peter the Emperor. — The attitude of foreign powers toward Russia after the Peace of Nystad. — Celebrations in Russia.
Appendices to volume 17

Volume 18. From the reign of Emperor Peter the Great to the reign of Empress Catherine I Alekseyevna. 1703-1727.

Volume 18. Contents

Chapter 01. Reign of Emperor Peter the Great
Eastern affairs. — Relations with China; the embassies of Izbrant and Izmailov. — Colonel Buchholz’s campaign to Erketi. — He is pushed back by the Kalmyks. — The founding of Omsk. — Prince Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky’s campaign to Khiva. — His death there. — The Khivan envoy dies in the Petersburg fortress. — Kalmyk affairs. — Feud among the Kalmyks. — Death of Khan Ayuka. — Activity of Astrakhan governor Volynsky in choosing his successor. — Relations with the Kuban Horde and Kabarda. — Russia’s clash here with Turkey. — Relations with Persia; Volynsky’s embassy there. — Persia’s distressing condition. — Volynsky’s insistence that action in Persia and the Caucasus should be taken by armed force. — Persian rebels seize Shamakhi and inflict great damage on Russian trade. — After the Northern War Peter decides on a campaign against Persia. — Volynsky describes the condition of the mountain princes. — Peter travels to Astrakhan by the Oka and Volga. — Voyage across the Caspian Sea. — Landing in Agrakhan Bay. — Occupation of Derbent. — Return from Derbent. — Founding of the fortress of the Holy Cross. — Negotiations with the Persian government. — Colonel Shipov occupies the town of Rasht; General Matyushkin occupies Baku. — Peace treaty with Persia. — Peter’s arrangements in the newly acquired region. — Relations with the Armenians. — Clashes with Turkey over Persian affairs. — Peaceful settlement of these clashes. — Relations with Georgia.
Chapter 02. Continuation of the reign of Emperor Peter the Great
Relations with Poland. — Arrival in Moscow of the Belarusian bishop Prince Chetvertinsky with complaints of oppression by Catholics and Uniates. — Peter demands that the king appoint a commission to examine the complaints of Russian people and appoints as his own members of the commission the translator Rudakovsky and the learned monk Rudinsky. — The Prussian king appeals to the Russian emperor with a request to intercede for the Evangelicals persecuted in Poland. — The Sejm of 1722. — The matter of the imperial title. — Activity of the Russian minister Prince Dolgoruky during the Sejm. — Activity of Commissioner Rudakovsky in favor of the Orthodox in Polish regions. — Rudakovsky’s troubles with Dolgoruky. — Prince Vasily Lukich Dolgoruky in Poland. — The king’s failure at the Sejm. — Relations with the Roman court on the Orthodox Russian matter. — Courland affairs. — Activity of Pyotr Bestuzhev in Courland. — Relations with Austria. — The Mecklenburg affair. — Relations with Prussia. — Relations with Denmark. — Demand for exemption of Russian ships from the Sound toll. — Negotiations and alliance with Sweden. — Relations with France. — Peter’s wish to marry his daughter Elizabeth to King Louis XV. — Other bridegrooms from among French princes. — Relations with the Stuart pretender. — Relations with Spain.
Chapter 03. End of the reign of Emperor Peter the Great
The government’s internal activity in the last years of Peter the Great’s reign. — Establishment of the offices of procurator general, heraldmaster, and requetmeister. — Table of Ranks; coats of arms. — The Shafirov case. — Decrees resulting from the Shafirov case. — Execution of chief fiscal Nesterov. — Menshikov’s abuses. — Elections. — The Senate office in Moscow; activity of its chairman Count Matveev. — Colleges. — Shortage of people. — Regional administration and courts. — Judicial commissioners. — Finances. — Army. — Trade. — Ladoga Canal. — Obstacles to the development of trade. — Industry; obstacles to its development. — Factory activity in the Ural regions; Genin and Tatishchev. — Tatishchev’s clashes with the Demidovs. — Sheep breeding. — Crafts. — Urban organization. — Peasants. — Police. — Morals and customs. — Enlightenment. — Young Kantemir. — Tatishchev. — Russian history. — Schools. — Academy project. — Translation of books. — Patriarchal library. — Art. — Sending teachers to the Serbs. — Church. — Position of the Synod. — The issue of salaries for Synod members. — Appointment of an ober-procurator to the Synod. — Institutions subordinate to the Synod. — Joint sessions of the Senate and the Synod. — Synodal court. — Organization of the black clergy. — Foundling homes in monasteries. — White clergy. — Old Believers. — Relations with Protestants and Catholics. — Measures against superstitions. — Holy fools. — Peter’s efforts for the religious and moral enlightenment of the people. — Little Russia. — Establishment of the Little Russian College. — Death of Hetman Skoropadsky. — Senate order in connection with this event. — Election of a new hetman is postponed. — Efforts of the Little Russian officers regarding this election. — Their clashes with the Little Russian College. — Great Russian colonels in Little Russia; instructions to them. — Colonels Apostol and Polubotok seek the hetmancy. — Discord between officials and common people in Little Russia. — The officer Polubotok and his companions are summoned to Petersburg for arbitrary actions. — Ban on bothering the sovereign with petitions about electing a hetman. — Petitioners against Polubotok and his comrades arrive in Petersburg. — Rumiantsev is sent to Little Russia to investigate. — Intrigues of Polubotok and his comrades in Petersburg and Little Russia. — They are taken into custody and interrogated. — Peter’s correspondence with Rumiantsev. — The case of the officers in the High Court. — Death of Polubotok in the fortress. — Affairs on the southeastern borderlands. — Statute on succession to the throne. — Resistance to this statute. — Talk about the heir. — Peter’s correspondence with the Duke of Holstein. — Declaration of the duke as bridegroom of Grand Duchess Anna. — Activity of Empress Catherine. — The question of her title. — Her coronation. — The Mons affair. — Illness and death of Peter the Great. — Assessment of his activity and character.
Chapter 04. Reign of Empress Catherine I Alekseyevna
The significance of the period from the death of Peter the Great to the accession of Catherine II. — The position of the old and new nobility at Peter the Great’s death. — The Guard. — Council on succession to the throne. — Catherine’s accession to the throne. — Manifesto about this. — Calm in Petersburg. — Dispatch of General Dmitriev-Mamonov to Moscow to preserve order. — Events in the ancient capital during the oath. — Popular talk about Peter and Catherine. — Funeral of Peter the Great. — Yaguzhinsky’s escapade. — Menshikov’s ambitions. — Tolstoy, Apraksin, Yaguzhinsky; the latter’s quarrel with Menshikov. — The Duke of Holstein. — Character of the empress. — The peasant question. — Establishment of the Supreme Privy Council. — Composition of the Council. — Its relations with the Senate. — Renewal of the peasant question in connection with the financial one. — Their resolution. — Count Matveev’s revision in Moscow province. — Maintenance of the fleet. — Correction of monetary affairs. — Concerns about legislation. — Measures to strengthen trade. — Mining. — Ladoga Canal and Münnich. — Army. — Departure from Peter the Great’s program. — Enlightenment. — Morals and customs. — Church. — The case of Archbishop Feodosy. — Report of Archbishop Georgy Dashkov. — The Synod and the Supreme Privy Council. — Changes in the Synod. — Schism. — Relations with Western confessions. — Affairs on the borderlands.
Appendices to volume 18
Supplements to volume 18
Commentaries on volumes 17 and 18