todayinhistory:May 27th 1703: St. Petersburg foundedOn this day in 1703, the Russian city of St. Pet
todayinhistory:May 27th 1703: St. Petersburg foundedOn this day in 1703, the Russian city of St. Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great. Peter became sole tsar of Rusia in 1696 - after a period of joint-rule - and spearheaded massive reforms. These reforms sought to ‘modernise’ Russia and emulate Western European states, influenced by The Enlightenment. His reign was also a period of great imperial expansion for Russia, as wars with Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Sweden secured territoral gains. The defeat of Sweden in the Great Northern War handed control of Sweden’s eastern possessions to Russia, giving Peter the direct access to the Baltic sea he so coveted. On May 27th 1703, Peter confirmed Russia’s expanded empire by laying the foundation stone for the Peter Paul fortress, thus establishing St. Petersburg. The foundation of the city demonstrated that Russia was now a major European power. Construction soon began on the new city in earnest, with Peter personally overseeing the gruelling project which ultimately caused the deaths of thousands of serf labourers. St. Petersburg was officially designated the new Russian capital - moving away from Moscow- in 1712. Peter the Great ruled until his death in 1725, by which point he was known as ‘emperor’ as opposed to ‘tsar’. Upon his death, the throne went to Peter’s widow Catherine, who ruled as empress for two years. -- source link
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