The first quarter of the 17th century in Russia was marked by transformations directly related to the "Europeanization" of the country. The beginning of the Petrine era was accompanied by serious changes in customs and everyday life. They touched on the transformation of education and other areas of public life. All reforms took place at the first stage extremely hard, often forcibly. Let us further consider the main events of the Petrine era.
Prerequisites for reform
It must be said that the active penetration of Western European values was noted in the country throughout the 17th century. However, the direction of this influence was changed precisely by the Petrine era. Century XVIII was a period of implementation of new values and ideas. The key object of transformation was the life of the Russian nobility. The intensity of reforms was determined primarily by state goals. Peter the Great sought to transform in the administrative, military, industrial and financial spheres. To do this, he needed the experience and achievements of Europe. He linked the success of state reforms with the formation of a qualitatively new worldview of the elites, the restructuring of the life of the nobility.
First experience
The Petrine era was under the influence of the Western way of life. The sympathy of the ruler of Russia appeared to European values in his youth. In his early years, Peter often came to the German settlement, where he made his first friends. After his first visit abroad, he had the idea to transfer customs, institutions, forms of entertainment and communication from Europe to Russia. However, he did not take into account that all this would be perceived with certain difficulties, since no soil or organic background was created for this in the country. The Petrine era, in short, is associated with the forcible introduction of European values into Russian life. According to the records, the emperor actually demanded that his subjects step over themselves and abandon the age-old traditions of their ancestors.
First conversions
If we talk about what the Peter's era was, briefly, then the rapprochement with the West was expressed in the government’s concern that people in Russia even resemble Europeans outwardly. After arriving from abroad, Peter ordered the scissors to be brought and he himself cut the beards of the shocked boyars. The emperor did this operation more than once. For him, the beard has become a symbol of antiquity. He negatively perceived her presence on the face of the boyars. Although from time immemorial a beard acted as an inviolable ornament, a sign of honor and childbirth, an object of pride. A 1705 decree obligated all men, except priests and monks, to shave their mustache and beard. Thus, the society was divided into 2 unequal parts. One was the nobility and elite of the urban population, which was under the pressure of Europeanization, while the other retained its usual way.
Painting
Artists of the Petrine era in their own way reflected the laws of this historical period. I must say that painting as a whole went to a new level with a certain delay in comparison with other advanced countries. The art of the Petrine era becomes secular. Initially, new painting is approved in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Prior to this, the masters painted exclusively icons. The culture of the Petrine era required the image of solemn battles glorifying victories, portraits of the king and subjects. Russian engravers could illustrate only church books. At the new historical stage, views of St. Petersburg were needed, engravings to textbooks on artillery, architectural and naval affairs. The culture of the Petrine era was liberated from the power of the church, trying to catch up with European countries that went far ahead.
Reform Specifics
Features of the culture of the Petrine era manifested themselves in a sharp transformation of the usual way of life of people. First of all, Russia began to join the western trends in painting. The transformations were carried out not only in order to attract foreign artists and masters to the country. Enlightening the domestic public, introducing the best European traditions, was one of the key goals. The training time for Russian masters did not last long. In the second half of the 18th century artists who returned from Holland and Italy showed the world their talent, acquired skills, and began to create magnificent masterpieces. The new painting was characterized by increased interest in man. Much attention was paid to his inner world and body structure. Russian artists began to master the technical achievements of European masters. Now they use new materials in their work: marble, oil, canvas. A direct perspective appears in painting that can show the volume and depth of space. The first artists of the new era were Matveev and Nikitin.
Engraving
She took a separate place in art in the first half of the 18th century. Engraving was considered the most affordable type of painting. She quickly responded to events in life. The range of subjects was reduced to portraits of great people, types of cities, battles, and festive events. The Petrine era gave Russia and the world such masters as Rostovtsev, Alexei and Ivan Zubov.
Miniature portraits
They also began to appear at the beginning of the century. The first authors were Ovsov and Musikijsky. At first, miniature portraits of statesmen and their relatives were created. However, after a while, the demand for these works grew so much that a special class was created at the Academy of Arts in the last quarter of the 18th century.
Books
The literature of the Petrine era most vividly reflected the trends of modern times. In 1717, Reasoning ... was published, which described the causes of the war with Sweden. The publication was prepared by Vice Chancellor Shafirov on behalf of the sovereign. This "Reasoning" was the first domestic diplomatic treatise on Russia's foreign policy priorities. Economic transformations were reflected in the writings of Pososhkov. His most famous publication was The Book of Wealth and Poverty. A brilliant writer, speaker, church and public figure in the Petrine era was a supporter of the reform of the church Feofan Prokopovich. He developed the "Spiritual Regulation", "The truth of the will of the monarchs." Another prominent figure was Stefan Jaworski. He created such religious treatises as The Stone of Faith, The Sign of the Coming of the Antichrist. These works were directed against Protestantism and reformism.
Entertainment
During the reforms, attempts were made to create public theaters in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Comedy and historical plays (Amphitrion and Doctor Forced Moliere, for example) were staged on the stage. The first domestic dramatic works began to appear. Thus, the Petrine era was marked by the creation of the tragicomedy Prokopovich's "Vladimir", Zhukovsky's play "Glory to the Russian". Changes in customs were manifested in the emergence of new types of entertainment. By the end of 1718, the elites of St. Petersburg society notified of the introduction of assemblies. This idea was born at Peter after visiting the French drawing rooms. Large political and scientific figures, painters and other representatives of high society gathered and talked in them. Establishing assemblies in Russia, Peter sought to accustom noblemen to secular behavior, as well as to introduce women of the state to public life. In the process of organization, the reformer used both practical and theoretical achievements of Europe. The decree regulating the order of meetings in the houses provided a list of rules, described the routine of entertainment that those who were to follow.
Summer reckoning
"Utility" was the basic idea that pervaded the entire Petrine era. The reign of the great reformer was marked by the introduction of a new reckoning. Now the countdown was not from the creation of the world, but from the Nativity of Christ. The new year began on January 1, and not on September 1. Holidays were also instituted. So, Peter introduced the New Year. His celebration was to be held from January 1 to 7. At the same time, the gates of the yards should be decorated with spruce, pine and juniper trees or branches. On large streets in the evenings it was ordered to burn bonfires, and the people who met should congratulate each other. On New Year's Eve, fireworks were held in the capital. Peter thus became the founder of many public holidays. Victory celebrations began to be arranged following the example of the triumphs of Rome. In 1769, in the festivities regarding the victory near Azov, the key elements of future events appeared. They clearly visible Roman signs. By order of the sovereign, triumphal gates were built.
The introduction of women to social life
Carrying out his reforms, Peter did not take into account that the population was not quite ready for them. So, for example, it was extremely difficult for women to move away from the Domostroevsky way at one moment. However, the reformer took care of them. He told women how to behave, dress, and talk. At first, in the assemblies, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, Russian ladies, tightly pulled in corsets, could not only dance gracefully and easily, but also did not know how they needed to sit down or become. For the most part they were awkward, clumsy.
The significance of the Petrine era
Transformations of the sovereign allowed the country to reach a qualitatively new level. First of all, the lag of the cultural and economic spheres from the advanced countries of Europe has significantly reduced. In addition, Russia began to turn into a great and powerful power. Due to the introduction of European values, the country began to be perceived in the international arena. Thanks to the reforms of Peter the Great, now not a single important event was decided without the participation of Russia. The changes that took place in the life of the state in the first quarter of the 18th century were very progressive. However, they further widened the gap between the nobility and the lower classes. The boyars turned into a noble elite estate. The use of cultural achievements and benefits has become only their privilege. All this was accompanied by the spread of contempt for the Russian language and ancient culture among the nobles. Many historians note that Europeanization intensified the negative cultural manifestations of pre-Petrine Russia. The innovations introduced were hard on the nobility. Often, transformations provoked actions that were completely opposite to what was expected. Courtesy and courtesy by order could not become an internal need, they gave rise to rudeness and obscenity. Change affected only the top of society. For a very long time after the end of the Petrine era, the Russian peasant did not go to the theater, did not read newspapers, did not know about the existence of assemblies. Thus, the reforms changed the social position of the privileged class towards the West, and the life of the lower classes - in the opposite direction, towards the East. On the one hand, transformations in the sphere of life and culture formed the conditions for the development of education, science, and literature. However, many European values and stereotypes were transferred by force and mechanically. This created significant obstacles for the full development of the native Russian culture, based on ancient national traditions. Representatives of the nobility, accepting European values, quite sharply departed from the people. The keeper of Russian culture - the Russian peasant - was attached to national traditions. And his connection only intensified in the course of state modernization. As a result, a deep socio-cultural split in society began. All these phenomena in many respects predetermined sharp contradictions and the power of social upheavals that arose at the beginning of the 20th century.
Conclusion
Peter's transformations in the cultural, social sphere of state life were distinguished by a pronounced political character. Reforms were often carried out by violent means. People were forced to accept alien values, sciences. All this was done in the interests of the state, formed by strict orders of the monarch. The fundamental difference between the Russian Empire, created over a quarter of a century, should have been emphasized by the external attributes of the Petrine era. The reformer tried to give grandeur to the state, to introduce it into international relations on the rights of a European country. That is why Western values were so actively introduced into life . Reforms affected absolutely all spheres of life of nobles. At the first stages of innovation, they caused stiff resistance. However, disobedience to the monarch was not allowed. Elite classes had to obey and learn to live by the new rules. Introducing the reforms, Peter strove to ensure that the nobility received practical European experience. Therefore, he often traveled abroad himself, sent his subjects abroad, and invited foreigners to Russia. He sought to bring the country out of political isolation. In the era of Peter appeared a huge number of works of art. Russian masters, adopting the experience and skills of Europeans, created masterpieces that later became known throughout the world. Significant changes were noted in architecture. Despite the rather tough introduction of innovations, Russia was able to get closer to Europe. However, as was said above, reforms affected only the upper classes. The peasantry continued to remain uneducated. The lower classes were the guardians of ancient traditions and sacredly honored them. The personality of Peter is considered by many historians to be controversial. Ambiguously perceived by researchers and his reforms. His transformations affected not only customs and everyday life, art and architecture. The military sphere and the administrative apparatus have undergone significant changes. Many innovations are firmly rooted in the country. Subsequent generations improved the system created by Peter. The monarch has become a symbol of decisive transformations, fruitfulness and effectiveness of the use of Western European achievements.
Peter carried out tremendous work in the country. Despite the fact that he did not take into account many circumstances and peculiarities of the
Russian mentality, historians recognize that the state took a huge step forward during his reign. Society has become progressive, secular, educated, educated. The
descendants of Peter the Great, one might say, are almost the only ruler who retained the title of Great, granted to him during his lifetime.