Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia: Reign, Reforms and Key Dates
Peter the Great, tsar from 1682 and first Emperor of Russia from 1721: his joint reign with Ivan V, the Grand Embassy, the Great Northern War, the founding of Saint Petersburg, his reforms, and the succession he left unsettled.
Last updated September 2026
Contents10
- Peter the Great, emperor of Russia, at a glance
- A disputed start: joint tsars and a regent
- The Grand Embassy, 1697-1698
- The Great Northern War and the new capital
- Becoming emperor in 1721
- Peter's reforms
- Peter and his son Alexei
- Death and the unsettled succession
- How Peter the Great is remembered
- Verdict: Peter the Great, emperor of Russia
Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia, is the ruler most often credited with turning the old tsardom of Muscovy into a European great power. He became tsar as a boy in 1682. He ruled alone from 1696. In 1721, after a long war with Sweden, he took the new title of Emperor.
He founded Saint Petersburg and created a navy. He rebuilt Russia's army and government on Western lines. This page gives the key dates of his reign and his main reforms. It also covers the unsettled succession he left behind.
TL;DR: Peter I (1672-1725) was proclaimed tsar in 1682, jointly with his half-brother Ivan V. He ruled alone from 1696. He toured Western Europe in 1697-1698. He fought Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700-1721). He founded Saint Petersburg in 1703 and won at Poltava in 1709. He became Emperor of All Russia in 1721. He died in 1725 without naming an heir.
Peter the Great, emperor of Russia, at a glance
| Field | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 9 June 1672 (30 May, Old Style), Moscow | Reviewed |
| Parents | Tsar Alexis I and Natalia Naryshkina | Reviewed |
| Proclaimed tsar | 1682, jointly with Ivan V; Sophia regent to 1689 | Reviewed |
| Sole ruler | From 1696, after Ivan V's death | Reviewed |
| Founded Saint Petersburg | 27 May 1703 (16 May, Old Style) | Reviewed |
| Emperor of All Russia | From 2 November 1721 (22 October, Old Style) | Reviewed |
| Wives | Eudoxia Lopukhina; Catherine (later Catherine I) | Reviewed |
| Died | 8 February 1725 (28 January, Old Style), Saint Petersburg | Reviewed |
| Succeeded by | His widow, Catherine I | Reviewed |
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A disputed start: joint tsars and a regent
Peter was the son of Tsar Alexis I by his second wife. His half-brother Feodor III died in 1682. The court first chose the ten-year-old Peter. But the relatives of Alexis's first wife, the Miloslavskys, pushed back. The Moscow musketeers, or streltsy, backed them.
They forced a deal. Peter and his sickly half-brother Ivan V became joint tsars. Their elder half-sister Sophia ruled for them as regent. In 1689 Peter's supporters removed Sophia. After Ivan died in 1696, Peter ruled alone.
The Grand Embassy, 1697-1698
In 1697 Peter left Russia with a large group, the Grand Embassy, to visit Western Europe. He travelled partly in disguise. He worked in shipyards in the Dutch Republic and in England to learn shipbuilding.
He hired hundreds of foreign experts. He came home early to crush a revolt of the streltsy. He punished it with mass executions.
The Great Northern War and the new capital
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1700 | War with Sweden begins; Russia defeated at Narva |
| 1703 | Saint Petersburg founded on land taken from Sweden at the mouth of the Neva |
| 1709 | Decisive victory over Charles XII of Sweden at Poltava |
| 1711 | Defeat by the Ottomans on the river Pruth |
| 1714 | Naval victory at Hangö (Gangut) |
| 1721 | Treaty of Nystad gives Russia the Baltic provinces |
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The war gave Russia a coastline on the Baltic Sea and a "window on Europe". Peter moved the court and government to Saint Petersburg, which became the capital. Apart from a short return to Moscow under Peter II, it stayed the capital until 1918.
Becoming emperor in 1721
After the Treaty of Nystad, the Senate asked Peter to take new titles. They were Emperor of All Russia, Father of the Fatherland and "the Great". He accepted on 2 November 1721 (22 October, Old Style).
From then on the Russian state was formally an empire, and its rulers were emperors. But "tsar" stayed in everyday use. The empire is described on the Russian Empire page.
Peter's reforms
| Area | Reform |
|---|---|
| Army and navy | A standing army raised by conscription; a new navy built from nothing |
| Government | The Senate (1711) and specialised administrative colleges (from 1717-1718) |
| Church | The patriarchate replaced by the Holy Synod, a state body (1721) |
| Nobility | The Table of Ranks (1722), tying rank to state service |
| Culture | Western dress at court; a tax on beards; the first Russian newspaper |
| Calendar | From 1700, years counted from the birth of Christ, with the year starting on 1 January |
| Succession | A 1722 law letting the ruler choose his own heir |
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Many reforms were forced through and paid for with heavy taxes on the peasants. A new poll tax, brought in from 1718 to 1724, fell on every male peasant. Peter's rule is a classic case of an absolute monarch reforming from above. The absolute rulers page explains more.
Peter and his son Alexei
Peter's eldest son, Alexei Petrovich, opposed his father's reforms. He fled abroad in 1716. He was lured back and tried for treason.
After torture, he died in custody in 1718. His death left Peter without an adult son. This Alexei is not the later tsarevich covered on the Alexei Romanov page.
Death and the unsettled succession
Did Peter name an heir
Peter I's successor, 1725.
Status: Disputed No written choice survives. The story of his last words is doubtful.
Note: Peter's own law of 1722 let the ruler name an heir. But he died on 8 February 1725 without doing so in writing. A later story says he began to write "Give everything to..." and could not finish. Britannica notes that he failed to name a successor. The guards regiments and his minister Menshikov then put his widow on the throne as Catherine I.
Sources: Britannica, "Peter I"; History.com, "Peter the Great dies".
With no fixed rule for the succession, palace coups followed for most of the 1700s. For the rulers who came next, see the Romanov dynasty hub.
How Peter the Great is remembered
In Russia, Peter is remembered as the founder of the modern state and of Saint Petersburg. There the Bronze Horseman statue honours him. It was unveiled in 1782 under Catherine II.
He is also remembered for his cruelty and the cost of his wars. And he is remembered for the suffering of those who built his capital. Historians debate how far his reforms changed Russian society beyond the elite and the state.
Robert K. Massie's Peter the Great: His Life and World won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. It is our pick for the first emperor in our guide to the best books about the Romanovs.
Verdict: Peter the Great, emperor of Russia
Peter the Great reigned as tsar from 1682 and ruled alone from 1696 until 1725. From 1721 he was emperor. He won the Baltic coast from Sweden and founded Saint Petersburg.
He built a navy and reshaped the Russian state. His reign's key dates are secure. What remains disputed is the story of his final wishes, since he died without naming an heir. For the other tsars, see the Russian czars page.
Sources checked for this page
- Britannica, "Peter I"
- Britannica, "Russian Empire: The reign of Peter the Great"
- World History Encyclopedia, "Peter the Great"
- Library of Congress, "Peter the Great" research guide
- History.com, "Peter the Great dies"
Questions people also ask
When did Peter the Great become emperor of Russia?
On 2 November 1721 (22 October, Old Style), when the Senate granted him the titles Emperor of All Russia, Father of the Fatherland and 'the Great' after the Treaty of Nystad ended the Great Northern War.
Why is Peter I called 'the Great'?
The Senate formally gave him the title in 1721. It reflects his victory over Sweden, the founding of Saint Petersburg and the sweeping reforms that turned Russia into a European great power.
Who succeeded Peter the Great?
His second wife, who reigned as Catherine I from 1725 to 1727, with the support of the guards regiments and his leading minister, Alexander Menshikov.
How tall was Peter the Great?
He is usually described as about 2 metres (6 feet 7 inches) tall, based on contemporary accounts and his surviving clothes.
What did Peter the Great build?
He founded Saint Petersburg in 1703 and made it Russia's capital, built the first Russian navy, and founded institutions such as the Kunstkamera museum and the Academy of Sciences, which he created by decree in 1724.