There is hardly a more ambiguous and mysterious figure among the Russian emperors than Peter the Great. This ruler took the throne in 1682, reigned for 43 years, having established himself as a talented, energetic, and at the same time ruthless statesman. It is not surprising that almost every interesting fact about Peter 1 becomes the subject of heated debate among historians. What is known about this extraordinary person?
An interesting fact about Peter 1: growth and physique
If historical documents do not lie, the emperor had a growth that many modern basketball players could envy. An interesting fact about Peter 1 is that the ruler was above two meters. This is all the more surprising given his “modest” shoe size: 38th.
Strange, but the legendary ruler of the Russian Empire could not boast of a strong physique. As historians managed to find out, this man wore clothes of the 48th size. Descriptions of the autocrat’s appearance, left by his contemporaries, indicate that he was narrow-shouldered, had a disproportionately small head.
Marriage to a Peasant Woman
Another interesting fact about Peter 1 concerns his personal life. As you know, the king was married twice. His first wife was a girl of noble birth, while the second was a peasant daughter. Empress Catherine was actually called Martha, the mother and father of the empress were ordinary Livonian peasants, and she herself managed to work as a laundress.
This origin of the wife did not matter to the ruler, she was the only love of his life. It is curious that the autocrat even cared about the opinion of Catherine Martha about the events taking place in the state. He not only asked her opinion on important issues, but often followed the advice received.
The fight against alcoholism
The following interesting fact about Peter 1: the king was one of the fierce opponents of alcoholism. In 1714, Vladyka began to fight the drunkenness of his subjects with his usual humor. He came up with the "award" incorrigible alcoholics medals.
Perhaps world history did not know a heavier medal than that which was invented by the joker emperor. Cast iron was used to create it, even without a chain a similar product weighed about 7 kg or even a little more. The award was presented at the police station, where they brought alcoholics. She was hoisted around her neck using chains. And securely secured, excluding self-removal. The awarded drunkard was to be held in this form for a week.
Strange hobbies
Many interesting facts about Peter 1 are connected with his hobbies, among which there were some very unusual ones. For example, one of the passions of the autocrat who ruled Russia was medicine. In particular, he was very interested in the mysteries of dentistry, the process of pulling out teeth. It's funny, but people who had exceptionally healthy teeth were often forced to become “patients” of this royal dentist.
However, not all the crafts that Peter tried to master during his long life were obeyed. At one time, the emperor tried to learn how to weave bast shoes, but nothing came of it. Since then, he has respectfully respected the "sages" who managed to master the science that seemed so complex to him.
Anecdotal decrees
The behavior, appearance, habits of subjects - there was hardly a sphere of human life that Peter 1 did not touch upon his decrees. Interesting facts from the tsar’s life report that the order of the beards was the most disturbing of the boyars. The ruler, who wanted to establish European orders in Russia, peremptorily ordered to shave off facial hair. The protesters were forced to submit eventually, as otherwise a huge tax awaited them.
He published the most famous king and many other humorous decrees. For example, one of his orders was a ban on appointing people with red hair to government posts.
Peter I also managed to become famous as a fighter with national costumes. Interesting facts from the life of the sovereign confirm that among his decrees there is an order to wear European clothes. It was he who forced the fair floor to put on low-cut dresses instead of sundresses, and men - in camisoles and cropped trousers.
Rumors of illegitimate
There were people in the distant past who doubted whether Tsar Peter the Great had the right to the Russian throne. Interesting facts from the biography of the ruler claim that there were rumors about his illegal origin in the state. The ill-wishers insisted that Empress Natalya Naryshkina, who had the honor of becoming the mother of one of the most famous sovereigns of Russia, was cheating on her husband.
The evidence cited by proponents of this theory can hardly be called weighty. It turns out that almost all the children who appeared with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, his official father, were distinguished by fragile health. Peter the Great was the only exception, which gave rise to rumors.
What to tell children
Some details from the life of the sovereign may seem entertaining and to the younger generation. Many wonderful things would never have appeared in Russia, if not for Peter 1. Interesting facts for children are related to potatoes. The inhabitants of our country were not familiar with this vegetable until the king brought it from Holland. The first attempts to introduce potatoes as everyday food were a failure. The peasants tried to eat it raw, not guessing to bake or cook, and as a result refused this tasty and nutritious vegetable.
Tulips are beautiful flowers, the cultivation of which in the state also began at the request of Peter the Great. The bulbs of these plants were delivered by an autocrat to the country from Holland, where he spent a lot of time. The emperor even organized a "garden office", the main purpose of which was the introduction of overseas flowers.
Rumors of a substitution
The most interesting facts about Peter 1 are not connected at all with potatoes and tulips. They relate to the trip that he took at the age of 26 with the Great Embassy. Eyewitnesses claim that a young man of dense physique left his native land, with a mole located on his left cheek. He showed respect for everything related to Russian culture, practically knew the Bible by heart, demonstrated education and well-readness.
Why did the people decide that after this trip not a real tsar returned? Some contemporaries of the sovereign insist that after a two-year absence, he began to poorly understand the Russian language, to react negatively to everything that is connected with the original Russian customs. In addition, he had many new skills that he could not physically acquire during the trip. Finally, the mole on the cheek disappeared, outwardly he looked like a 40-year-old man.
The childhood of the king
Exciting details are known not only about the years of the reign of the famous emperor. Interesting facts from the childhood of Peter 1 are no less occupied by historians studying his personality. It turns out that during this period the emperor could not live without the noisy games to which he devoted most of his day. He could be so carried away that he refused to interrupt for food and drink.
It was in childhood that the king made friends with someone who throughout his life would be his faithful companion and confidant. We are talking about Alexander Menshikov, who participated in all the childish amusements of the future emperor. Interestingly, the ruler was absolutely not embarrassed by the lack of a good education among the statesman.
This is how the most fascinating facts from the life of a great ruler look like.