Knowra Peter the Great Peter the Great Peter the Great ruled Russia from 1682 to 1725 as tsar and, from 1721, emperor. He expanded the state, built a navy, and imposed sweeping administrative and cultural reforms.
Russian Empire : A state ruled by Russian emperors from 1721 until the monarchy’s overthrow in 1917. Peter’s adoption of the imperial title in 1721 formally began this state.
Senate of Governing : A Russian governing body established by Peter in 1711 to supervise administration and act in the ruler’s absence. It coordinated government as Peter pursued campaigns far from the capital.
Grand Embassy : A Russian diplomatic mission to Western Europe from 1697 to 1698, traveled with Peter the Great incognito. Peter studied European shipbuilding and military practices during the mission.
Catherine I of Russia : Peter the Great’s second wife, who succeeded him as empress of Russia in 1725. She became ruler after Peter’s death, amid uncertainty over the succession.
Ivan the Terrible : The first Russian ruler crowned tsar, reigning from 1547 to 1584 and expanding centralized rule. Both rulers strengthened autocracy, but Peter recast Russia through military and administrative reforms.
Saint Petersburg : A Russian city founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and the empire’s capital from 1712 to 1918. Peter built it as a Baltic-facing capital and a symbol of his reforms.
Collegia : Central Russian administrative boards introduced under Peter the Great to manage major branches of government. These boards replaced older, overlapping offices with more specialized administration.
Sophia Alekseyevna : A daughter of Tsar Alexis of Russia who served as regent from 1682 to 1689. Her regency shaped Peter’s early years and ended after a struggle for power.
Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia : Peter the Great’s eldest surviving son, executed in 1718 after being accused of treason. His conflict with Peter exposed the personal cost of the ruler’s succession policies.
Westernization : The adoption of institutions, technologies, or cultural practices associated with Western Europe. Peter’s reforms made Western models a deliberate instrument of state-building.
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