A. N. Tolstoy created the novel “Peter the First” for about a decade and a half. Three books were written, a continuation of the epic was planned, but even the third book was not completed. Before writing, the author deeply studied historical sources, and as a result we have the opportunity to see a portrait of the creator of the empire.

“Peter the Great” is a novel about the morals and life of that era, which gives magnificent portraits of Peter the Great’s time. This is greatly facilitated by the language, which conveys the flavor of the 17th century.

The Tsar's childhood and youth

After the death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and then his son, the active and energetic Sofya Alekseevna sought to come to power, but the boyars prophesied the kingdom of Peter, Naryshkina’s healthy and lively son. “Peter the Great” is a novel that describes the tragic events in Rus', where antiquity and nobility rule, and not intelligence and business qualities, where life flows in the old fashioned way.

Incited by Sophia, the archers demand that they be shown two young princes Ivan and Peter, who are later installed as kings. But despite this, their sister Sophia really rules the state. She sends Vasily Golitsyn to Crimea to fight the Tatars, but the Russian army returns ingloriously. Meanwhile, Petrusha is growing up far from the Kremlin. “Peter the First” is a novel that introduces the reader to those persons who will later be Peter’s associates: Aleksashka Menshikov, the intelligent boyar Fyodor Sommer. In a German settlement, young Peter meets who later becomes an uncrowned queen. Meanwhile, the mother marries her son to Evdokia Lopukhina, who does not understand her husband’s aspirations and gradually becomes a burden to him. This is how the action in Tolstoy’s novel develops rapidly.

“Peter the Great” is a novel that, in the first part, shows under what conditions the unbending character of the autocrat is forged: conflicts with Sophia, the capture of Azov, the Grand Embassy, ​​work at the shipyards in Holland, the return and bloody suppression of the Streltsy revolt. One thing is clear - Byzantine Rus' will not exist under Peter.

The maturity of an autocrat

A. Tolstoy shows in the second volume how the tsar builds a new country. Peter the Great does not allow the boyars to sleep, elevates the active merchant Brovkin, and gives his daughter Sanka in marriage to their former master and master Volkov. The young king longs to lead the country to the seas in order to trade freely and duty-free and become rich from it. He organizes the construction of a fleet in Voronezh. Later, Peter sails to the shores of the Bosphorus. By this time, Franz Lefort, a faithful friend and assistant who understood the Tsar better than he understood himself, had died. But the thoughts laid down by Lefort, which Peter could not formulate, begin to be implemented. He is surrounded by active, energetic people, and all the mossy and ossified boyars, like Buinosov, have to be pulled out of their slumber by force. The merchant Brovkin is gaining great power in the state, and his daughter, the noble noblewoman Volkova, is mastering Russian and foreign languages ​​and dreams of Paris. Son Yakov is in the navy, Gavrila is studying in Holland, Artamosha, who received a good education, helps his father.

War with Sweden

Already laid out on the marshy and swampy St. Petersburg - the new capital of Russia.

Natalya, Peter's beloved sister, does not let the boyars sleep in Moscow. She stages performances and arranges a European court for Peter’s beloved, Catherine. Meanwhile, war with Sweden begins. A. Tolstoy talks about the years 1703-1704 in his third book. Peter the Great acts at the head of the army and, after a long siege, takes Narva, and the general - the commandant of the Gorna fortress, who doomed many people to senseless death, is taken to prison.

Personality of Peter

Peter is the central personality of the work. The novel includes many characters from the people, who see in him both a ruler replaced abroad and a reformer tsar who is hardworking and does not shy away from menial work: he himself chops with an ax when building ships. The king is inquisitive, easy to communicate, and courageous in battle. The novel “Peter the Great” presents the image of Peter in dynamics and development: from a young, poorly educated boy who, already in childhood, begins to plan the creation of a new type of army, to a purposeful builder of a huge empire.

On his way, he sweeps away everything that prevents Russia from becoming a full-fledged European state. The main thing for him at any age is to sweep away the old, the musty, everything that interferes with moving forward.

Memorable paintings were created by A. N. Tolstoy. The novel “Peter the Great” is easy to read and immediately captivates the reader. The language is rich, fresh, historically accurate. The writer’s artistic skill is based not only on talent, but also on a deep study of primary sources (the works of N. Ustryalov, S. Solovyov, I. Golikov, diaries and notes of Peter’s contemporaries, torture notes). Feature films have been made based on the novel.

Summary

The novel Peter the First covers the time after the death of Fyodor Alekseevich, the son of Alexei Mikhailovich, and almost before the capture of Narva by Russian troops. The novel is as close as possible to real historical events. Streletsky revolt, the treacherous princess Sophia, her lover, Prince Vasily Golitsyn, Lefort, Menshikov, Charles XII, Anna Mons - all these historical figures are present here. Peter the Great has a stubborn character and fights for his decisions, which are often not carried out by crafty and lazy military leaders.

With difficulty, Azov was captured with the help of the fleet, which brought Russia into conflict with the powerful Turkish Empire.

The meaning of the novel

Tolstoy wrote: “A historical novel cannot be written in the form of a chronicle, in the form of history. First of all, we need composition, the architectonics of the work. What is this, composition? This is first of all the establishment of a center, a center of vision. In my novel, the center is the figure of Peter I.” The boredom of the Preobrazhensky Palace leads Peter the Great to the settlement, to ordinary people.

The novel by Alexei Tolstoy shows the whole reality of that time. Ordinary people - Peter's contemporaries - are especially vividly depicted. They argue, agree, participate in historical events. On them, it is on them that Alexey Tolstoy shows the people’s opinion about the reforms of Peter the Great, about his policies and other actions.

The work of the people is depicted. Peter's first army was defeated in the war with the Swedes, but the future emperor did not give up - he began to create a new army and, having created it, defeated the Swedes and won the war.

The culmination and end of the novel - the result of the efforts and dream of the entire people who suffered through victory - was the capture of Narva. At the very end of the novel, on the last page, Peter the Great approaches the commandant of Narva, General Gorn, who was taken prisoner and says: “Take him to prison, on foot, through the whole city, so that he can see the sad work of his hands...”.

A. Tolstoy’s special narration style allows the reader to read this novel in one fell swoop, without much effort, delving into the meaning as he goes. This makes the novel itself more interesting and exciting.....

Characters

• Artamon Sergeevich Matveev - boyar
• Patriarch Joachim - patriarch
• Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina - queen
• Ivan Kirillovich Naryshkin - the queen's brother
• Dwarf - servant of Ivan Kirillovich
• Alexey Ivanovich Brovkin (Alyoshka) - son of Ivashka Brovkin, friend of Alexashka
• Ivan Artemich Brovkin (Ivashka Brovkin) - serf, later - rich merchant, Alyosha's father
• Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov - Tsar

Materials and documents that formed the basis for writing the novel

Torture records from the late 17th century collected by a professor

Alexey Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Novel "Peter the First"

Tolstoy Alexey Nikolaevich, Russian writer. An extremely versatile and prolific writer who wrote in all kinds and genres (two collections of poems, more than forty plays, scripts, adaptations of fairy tales, journalistic and other articles, etc.), primarily a prose writer, a master of captivating storytelling.

He grew up on the Sosnovka farm near Samara, on the estate of his stepfather, zemstvo employee A. A. Bostrom. A happy rural childhood determined Tolstoy's love of life, which always remained the only unshakable basis of his worldview. He studied at the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology and graduated without defending his diploma (1907). I tried painting. He published poetry from 1905 and prose from 1908. He became famous as the author of short stories and tales of the “Trans-Volga” cycle (1909-1911) and the adjacent short novels “Cranks” (originally “Two Lives”, 1911), “The Lame Master” (1912 ) - mainly about the landowners of his native Samara province, prone to various eccentricities, about all sorts of extraordinary, sometimes anecdotal incidents. Many characters are portrayed humorously, with slight mockery.

During the First World War, the writer was a war correspondent. The impressions from what he saw turned him against the decadence that had influenced him from a young age, which was reflected in the unfinished autobiographical novel “Yegor Abozov” (1915). The writer greeted the February Revolution with enthusiasm. “Citizen Count A.N. Tolstoy,” who was then living in Moscow, was appointed “Commissioner for Press Registration” on behalf of the Provisional Government. The diary, journalism and stories of the end of 1917-1918 reflect the anxiety and depression of the apolitical writer by the events that followed October. In July 1918, he and his family went on a literary tour to Ukraine, and in April 1919 he was evacuated from Odessa to Istanbul.

Two emigrant years were spent in Paris. In 1921, Tolstoy moved to Berlin, where more intensive connections were established with writers who remained in his homeland. But the writer was unable to settle down abroad and get along with the emigrants. During the NEP period he returned to Russia (1923). However, the years of living abroad turned out to be very fruitful. Then, among other works, such wonderful ones appeared as the autobiographical story “Nikita’s Childhood” (1920-1922) and the first edition of the novel “Walking Through Torment” (1921). The novel, covering the time from the pre-war months of 1914 to November 1917, included the events of two revolutions, but was dedicated to the fate of individual - good, although not outstanding - people in a catastrophic era; the main characters, sisters Katya and Dasha, were depicted with a convincingness rare among male authors, so that the title “Sisters” given in Soviet editions of the novel corresponds to the text. In a separate Berlin edition of “Walking Through Torment” (1922), the writer announced that it would be a trilogy. In essence, the anti-Bolshevik content of the novel was “corrected” by shortening the text. Tolstoy was always inclined to rework, sometimes repeatedly, his works, changing titles, names of characters, adding or removing entire plot lines, sometimes fluctuating between the poles in the author’s assessments. But in the USSR this quality of his too often began to be determined by the political situation. The writer always remembered the “sin” of his count-landowner origin and the “mistakes” of emigration; he sought justification for himself in the fact that he became popular with the widest reader, the like of which had not existed before the revolution.

In 1922-1923, the first Soviet science fiction novel, “Aelita,” was published in Moscow, in which the Red Army soldier Gusev organizes a revolution on Mars, albeit an unsuccessful one. In Tolstoy’s second science fiction novel, “Engineer Garin’s Hyperboloid” (1925-1926, later revised more than once) and the story “Union of Five” (1925), maniacal power-hungers try to conquer the whole world and exterminate most people using unprecedented technical means, but they are also unsuccessful. The social aspect is everywhere simplified and coarsened in the Soviet way, but Tolstoy predicted space flights, the capture of voices from space, the “parachute brake,” the laser, and the fission of the atomic nucleus.

Speaking as a politicized writer, Tolstoy, who was a spontaneous, organic artist, a master of depiction, and not of philosophizing and propaganda, showed himself much worse. With the plays “The Conspiracy of the Empress” and “Azef” (1925, 1926, together with the historian P.E. Shchegolev), he “legitimized” the openly tendentious, caricatured depiction of the last pre-revolutionary years and the family of Nicholas II. The novel “The Eighteenth Year” (1927-1928), the second book of “Walking Through Torment,” Tolstoy oversaturated with tendentiously selected and interpreted historical materials, brought together fictional characters with real-life persons and densely equipped the plot with adventurousness, including motives for cross-dressing and meetings “arranged” by the author (which could not but weaken the novel).

In the 1930s On a direct order from the authorities, he wrote the first work about Stalin - the story “Bread (Defense of Tsaritsyn)” (published in 1937), entirely subordinated to Stalin’s myths about the Civil War. It was like an “addition” to “The Eighteenth Year,” where Tolstoy “overlooked” the outstanding role of Stalin and Voroshilov in the events of that time. Some characters from the story migrated to “Gloomy Morning” (finished in 1941), the last book of the trilogy, a work that is still more lively than “Bread,” but in its adventurousness it competes with the second book, and far surpasses it in opportunism. With Roshchin's pathetic speeches in an unsuccessful, as usual with Tolstoy, fabulously happy ending, he indirectly but definitely justified the repressions of 1937. However, the bright characters, fascinating plot, and Tolstoy's masterful language for a long time made the trilogy one of the most popular works of Soviet literature.

Among the best stories for children in world literature is “The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Pinocchio” (1935), a very thorough and successful adaptation of a fairy tale by an Italian writer of the 19th century. Collodi "Pinocchio".

After the October Revolution, Tolstoy became interested in historical topics. Based on the material of the 17th-18th centuries. written stories and tales “Obsession” (1918), “The Day of Peter” (1918), “Count Cagliostro” (1921), “The Tale of Troubled Times” (1922), etc. In addition to the story about Peter the Great, who builds St. Petersburg, showing monstrous cruelty to people and remaining in tragic loneliness, all these works are more or less full of adventures, although in the depiction of the turmoil of the early 17th century. one can feel the gaze of a man who has seen the turmoil of the 20th century. After the play “On the Rack,” written in 1928 largely based on “The Day of Peter” and under the influence of the concept of D. S. Merezhkovsky, in the novel “Antichrist (Peter and Alexei)” Tolstoy sharply changes his view of the reformer tsar, feeling that in the next decade the criterion of “classism” may be replaced by the criteria of “nationality” and historical progressiveness, and the figure of a statesman of this level will evoke positive associations.

In 1930 and 1934, two books of a large narrative about Peter the Great and his era were published. For the sake of contrasting the old and new worlds, Tolstoy exaggerated the backwardness, poverty and lack of culture of pre-Petrine Rus', paid tribute to the vulgar sociological concept of Peter’s reforms as “bourgeois” (hence the exaggeration of the role of merchants, entrepreneurs), and did not quite proportionately present different social circles (for example, almost no attention was paid to the church), but the objective-historical necessity of the then transformations, as if they were a precedent for socialist transformations, and the means of their implementation were generally shown correctly. Russia in the writer’s depiction is changing, and the heroes of the novel, especially Peter himself, “grow” with it. The first chapter is oversaturated with events, it covers events from 1682 to 1698, which are often given in the briefest summary. The second book ends with the initial period of construction of St. Petersburg, founded in 1703: serious transformations are underway that require closer attention. The action of the unfinished third book is measured in months. The writer's attention turns to people; long scenes with detailed conversations predominate.

A novel without novelistic intrigue, without a coherent fictional plot, without adventurism, at the same time it is extremely exciting and colorful. Descriptions of everyday life and customs, the behavior of a wide variety of characters (there are a lot of them, but they are not lost in the crowd, which is also depicted more than once), subtly stylized colloquial language constitute the very strong points of the novel, the best in Soviet historical prose.

The terminally ill Tolstoy wrote the third book of Peter the Great in 1943-1944. It ends with the episode of the capture of Narva, under which Peter’s troops suffered their first heavy defeat at the beginning of the Northern War. This gives the impression of completeness of an unfinished novel. Peter is already clearly idealized, even stands up for the common people; The entire tone of the book was influenced by the national-patriotic sentiments of the Great Patriotic War. But the main images of the novel have not faded, the interest of the events has not disappeared, although in general the third book is weaker than the first two. "Russian writers. Bibliographical Dictionary" Part 2. / Comp. B.F. Egorov, P.A. Nikolaev and others, - M.: Education, 1990.-p.136

The personality of Peter the Great and his era excited the imagination of writers, artists, and composers of many generations. From Lomonosov to the present day, the theme of Peter has not left the pages of fiction. A.S. Pushkin, N.A. Nekrasov, L.N. Tolstoy, A.A. Blok, D.S. Merezhkovsky and others addressed her. The assessment of Peter the Great and his transformations is ambiguous both in the assessment of historians and in fiction.

If Lomonosov and Pushkin perceived Peter’s deeds as a feat (although Pushkin also saw the shortcomings of the tsar-transformer), then L.N. Tolstoy reacted negatively to him. Having conceived a novel from the era of Peter, he gave up writing it because, by his own admission, he hated the personality of the king, “the most pious robber, murderer.” A similar assessment was given to Peter in D.S. Merezhkovsky’s novel “Peter and Alexei” (1905). Without exaggeration, we can say that almost throughout his entire life, starting from 1917, the era of Peter and A. was drawn to itself like a magnet. N. Tolstoy.

“I had my sights set on Peter for a long time,” wrote Tolstoy. “I saw all the spots on his camisole, but Peter still stuck out as a mystery in the historical fog.” Direct, albeit distant approaches to Peter’s theme were the stories “Obsession” (1917), “The Day of Peter” (1917), and the play “On the Rack” (1928), which became, as it were, an overture to the novel about Peter. They show that Tolstoy’s attitude towards Peter’s personality was changing.

The story “The Day of Peter” (1917) is deeply pessimistic. By showing the activities of Peter, aimed at transforming the state, the writer shows to all the moves of the narrative the futility of these activities of Peter. The tsar is shown in the story as a cruel, proud, lonely and terrible: “... sitting in the wastelands and swamps, with his one terrible will he strengthened the state, rebuilding the land.” In the tragedy “On the Rack,” in contrast to the story, a broader description of the time of Peter and his environment. But he is again alone in his huge country, for which he “did not spare his life,” and the people are against the transformer, and the elements. The doom of Peter’s cause can be heard in his own words: “I’ve been breaking through the wall for twenty years. For whom is this? I translated millions of people... I shed a lot of blood. If I die, they will rush at the state like vultures.” A. Tarkhov “Historical triptych by A.K. Tolstoy" - M.: Khudozh. lit., 1982.-p.110

Having completed the play, Tolstoy intended to write a story about Peter and, after serious preparation, began writing it in February 1929. The first book of “Peter” was completed on May 12, 1930, and the last, seventh chapter ends with the execution of the archers. The remaining points of the plan made up the contents of the second book, which Tolstoy wrote from December 1932 to April 22, 1934. The writer began working on the third book of the epic on December 31, 1934 and managed to bring it to the sixth chapter. But death prevented the writer from completing his monumental work.

When starting to work on the novel, Tolstoy identifies the main problems. Firstly, this is “first of all a book about the Russian character, its leading features.” Secondly, the image of a historical figure, his formation. Thirdly, the image of the people as the driving force of history. The composition of the work is also subject to the solution of these problems. The composition of the novel reflects the writer’s correct understanding of the course of Russian history at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Pautkin A.I. About the language of A.N. Tolstoy’s novel “Peter I”, 1987.-p.126

The three books of the novel recreate the three most important periods in the development of Petrine Russia.

The first book depicts lagging Muscovite Rus', Peter's youth, the struggle with Sophia for power, Peter's first reforms, the Streltsy revolt and the execution of the rebels. In the first chapters, which are the exposition of the novel, Peter is not yet there. The author, through the author's digressions, through depicting the life of all classes of pre-Petrine Russia, through showing class contradictions, helps to feel the historical need for transformation. “A man with a whipped ass was somehow picking up the hateful soil”; from the unbearable tributes and exactions, the townspeople “howled in the cold courtyard”; the small landed noble was going bankrupt, losing weight, the small merchants were groaning; Even the boyars and eminent merchants groaned. “What kind of Russia is this, a cursed country, when will you move?” The first book ends with Peter’s brutal suppression of the Streltsy rebellion: “All winter there were tortures and executions... The whole country was gripped by horror. The old stuff was hidden in dark corners. Byzantine Rus' was ending. In the March wind, the ghosts of merchant ships could be seen beyond the Baltic coasts.”

Tolstoy himself pointed out that the second book is more monumental. She talks about how Rus' “moved from its place.” There are fewer historical events here, but they are all very important, showing the construction of a new Russia: preparations for the Northern War, the “Narva embarrassment,” the construction of factories, the founding of St. Petersburg... in the second book the motive of social protest of the people sounds with even greater force.

The third book of the novel was created in the context of the heroic rise of the Great Patriotic War. The main thing in it is the depiction of the creative work of the Russian people, the great exploits of the Russian soldier. Pautkin A.I. About the language of A.N. Tolstoy’s novel “Peter I”, 1987.-p.102

“The third book,” wrote A. Tolstoy, “is the most important part of the novel about Peter...” This is a book about the brilliant victories of the Russians over the troops of Charles XII. It especially clearly shows the image of young Russia, which won a difficult struggle. The diversity of the composition, the contrast of the chapters, the changing author's tone, the abundance of characters, the geographical breadth of what is depicted - allowed the author to show Rus' in the turbulent flow of historical events. However, Tolstoy himself admitted: “In my novel, the center is the figure of Peter the Great.” He reveals himself in all his grandiose, contradictory nature - a generous and cruel, brave and merciless statesman towards his enemies, a brilliant reformer. The rest of the characters group around him. Varlamov.A.N. Alexey Tolstoy. - 2nd ed. - M.: Young Guard, 2008.-p.87

A.N. Tolstoy depicts the process of formation of Peter’s personality, the formation of his character under the influence of historical circumstances. Therefore, it is necessary to trace how Peter’s character developed, what circumstances influenced his formation, and what role the environment played in the development of Peter’s personality.

Tolstoy shows how events shape Peter the transformer. He actively intervenes in life, changes it, and changes himself. In the Preobrazhensky Palace reigns that antiquity that Peter hates all his life. Boredom, ignorance, monotony. The days are so similar to one another that it is difficult to remember whether the household members had lunch or had already had lunch. The slow pace of life is also indicated by the words Tolstoy successfully found, emphasizing the complete stagnation that prevailed in the palace: “The queen lazily got up and went to the bedchamber. There... on covered chests sat feisty old women, hangers-on... A dwarf with festering eyes crawled out from behind the bed... took a nap at the sovereign’s feet... “Dreams, or something, tell me, you foolish women,” said Natalya Kirillovna. - Has anyone seen the unicorn? The day was ending, the bell struck slowly..."

Tolstoy's merit is that he was able to show the gradual formation of Peter as an outstanding historical figure, and did not immediately paint him as a fully established national figure and commander, as he appears in the third book of the novel. Peter's wise teacher was life itself. Even in Arkhangelsk, Peter realized that for the widespread development of trade, seas were needed, that the country could not exist without them. However, Peter is not yet able to decide on his own about the campaign against Azov, so he listens to what the boyars and people close to him in spirit say. His fear of the upcoming war with the Tatars was reminiscent of a memorable night

flight to Trinity. Peter’s behavior at the first meeting of the boyar duma clearly shows that the young king lacks firmness and determination: “... he was terrified and frightened from a young age. He waited, squinting his eyes.” He returned differently from the Azov campaigns. The fight for Azov is the first serious matter in the life and work of Peter. In the battles near Azov, he learns to fight for real, learns to assess the enemy’s strength, here his will is tempered, and his persistence in achieving his goals becomes stronger. Military failures at first “amazed” Peter, but did not force him to throw down his arms and retreat. On the contrary, he decides to take Azov at any cost, no matter what it costs him, the generals, and the soldiers. His persistence and inflexibility are manifested with great force for the first time here, near Azov. “Peter’s will seemed to be petrified. He became harsh and harsh. He lost so much weight that his green caftan hung on him like on a pole. I quit joking." He himself decides to wage a siege and develops its plan, forces all the people to work with great stress and spends all his days with the soldiers on earthworks, eating simple soldier’s food with them. Tolstoy shows how, in this difficult struggle, Peter is now coming to manhood not for himself (as in the fight with Sophia in his youth), but for his country, for the Sea of ​​Azov, and the soldiers are coming to manhood with him. If earlier, when bombs exploded, “the pale wars were only baptized,” then during the last siege of Azov, soldiers, not paying attention to the whistling of bullets, climbed the ladders to the walls of the fortress. Even the forced retreat of the Russian army, which completed the first Azov campaign without glory, did not shake Peter’s faith in the possibility of taking Azov, did not instill in him pessimism or disbelief in the strength of the Russian soldiers. He does not give up; on the contrary, “failure bridled him with a mad bit. Even those close to me didn’t recognize him - he was a different person: angry, stubborn, businesslike.” Even in Arkhangelsk, Peter felt that the enemy who was preventing Russia from parting with its poverty and squalor was “invisible, incomprehensible, the enemy is everywhere, the enemy is in himself.” This “enemy is in himself” - indifference to state affairs, to the fate of the country, carelessness, and finally, his ignorance. His stay in Arkhangelsk and his participation in the Azov campaign turned Peter’s face to the state and its needs. His inherent energy, willpower, organizational skills and, most importantly, perseverance in fulfilling his goal did their job: the Voronezh fleet was built at the cost of the lives of many hundreds of Russian workers.

Tolstoy shows Peter to be an autocratic sovereign, firmly convinced of the usefulness and necessity of the measures he is carrying out and now not taking into account the opinion of the boyars, at the second meeting of the boyar duma. Now Peter, in a “courageous voice” that does not tolerate objections, tells the boyars about the immediate improvement of the devastated Azov and the Taganrog fortress, about the creation of “kumpan enterprises” for the construction of ships, about the preparation of taxes for the construction of the Volga-Don canal. From the throne he no longer speaks, but “barks cruelly”; The boyars feel that Peter has now “everything decided ahead” and will soon do without even thinking about it. The tasks facing the state become even clearer for Peter: “We must build a fleet in two years, and turn from fools to smart people.”

Peter's love for his homeland first manifests itself in deep pain for his country. “The devil brought me to be born a king in such a country!” - he exclaims bitterly, seeing the poverty, squalor, darkness of his huge country. More than once Peter will think about the reasons for such impoverishment of Russia, such ignorance. “... why is this? We sit in the great open spaces and are beggars...” Peter sees a way out of this situation in the development of industry, trade, and in the conquest of the shores of the Baltic Sea. Peter's desire to eliminate the economic backwardness of the country is manifested, first of all, in the construction of factories, factories, and workshops. To strengthen the power of Russia, it needed its own, Russian cast iron, its own iron, so as not to buy at exorbitant prices abroad. He wants the Russians to take up the development of iron ores and the construction of sawmills, not foreigners. “Why can’t our own people?” - says Peter, addressing the merchants. And therefore, with joy, without hesitation, Peter gives money for the development of ore mining to the enterprising Tula blacksmith Demidov, who decided to “raise the Urals.” So, on the initiative and with the support of Peter, domestic factories are built and grown, providing cast iron and iron for the army. He welcomes the initiative of the Bazhenin brothers, Osip and Fedor, who built a water saw mill on their own, without the help of overseas craftsmen, their desire to build ships and yachts and use them to export boards and other Russian goods overseas. Seeing the “happiness of the country” in the success of maritime trade, Peter does his best to encourage its development. Peter gives full control of three ships to the first “navigator” Ivan Zhigulin, so that he can carry blubber, seal skins, salmon and pearls overseas. But Peter understands perfectly well that the widespread development of trade is possible only if the Russians have access to the Baltic Sea. But it’s not just the country’s economic backwardness that worries Peter. Love for the homeland forces us to fight the ignorance and darkness that reigned in the country, for the development of culture, science, and art. How to “push people apart, open their eyes,” introduce them to culture, instill a love of learning? “Theology has given us lice... Navigation, mathematical sciences. Ore mining, medicine. We need this...” says Peter in Preobrazhenskoe to generals Patkul and Karlovich.

At the foundry in Moscow, Peter established a school where two hundred and fifty boyars, townspeople, and even young men of “vile” rank (which is very important) studied casting, mathematics, fortification, and history. Russia needed educated people: engineers, architects, diplomats. Peter used the “club” to drive the noble ignoramuses into science. “Inhumanly,” in the words of Peter himself, he fights so that “noble bastards a fathom tall” learn to read and write. “Where do you have to start: az, beeches, lead...,” he says with indignation. But what joy Peter’s eyes sparkle with when he meets a literate, educated Russian person. When Artamon Brovkin, when asked by Peter about whether he knows how to read and write, answers in German, French, and Dutch, Peter is delighted: “Peter Alekseevich began to kiss him, clapped his palm and pulled him towards himself, shaking him. - Well, tell me! Oh, well done..."

It is no coincidence that Peter’s decision to “reward counts for intelligence.” It is not gender, but knowledge that Peter values ​​most of all. Mastery, skill in any matter, golden hands always arouse Peter’s delight and respect for this person. Peter looks with admiration and surprise at Andrei Golikov’s skillful drawing. Not the Dutch, but his own, Russian, icon painter from Palekh on a simple wall, not with paints, but with thin charcoal, drew the Russians boarding two Swedish ships. “Peter Alekseevich squatted down.

Well well! - he said... - So, I’ll probably send you to Holland to study.”

It is necessary to note Peter's foresight, his statesmanship, perseverance in achieving his goals, and finally, his simplicity, manifested both in his dealings with people and in his habits, manners, and tastes.

Peter's statesmanship is manifested in his ability to correctly assess the current political situation and choose the most appropriate strategic moments to start a war with the Swedes. If Karl sees war as a game, entertainment and listens “with rapture” to the sounds of battle, then Peter, as Tolstoy writes, considers war “a difficult and difficult matter, an everyday bloody suffering, a state need.” Peter himself emphasizes more than once that this war with the Swedes does not mean the seizure of foreign lands - this is a war for one’s former fatherland. “It’s impossible for us to give up our fatherland,” he tells the soldiers. The Azov campaigns taught him a lot. The time when Peter did not take into account the strength of the enemy and did not understand the reasons for the defeat of the Russians (there was not enough gunpowder, cannonballs, cannons, food), and did not take into account the mood of his soldiers, is long gone. Thus, near Narva, he immediately understands that the Russians, despite two years of preparation for war, have not yet learned to fight: “For a cannon to fire here, it must be loaded in Moscow.” Pautkin A.I. About the language of A.N. Tolstoy’s novel “Peter I”, 1987.-p.144

We almost never see Peter in royal attire: he is either in the Preobrazhensky caftan, or in “a canvas, stained shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows,” or in a sailor’s jacket and sou'wester.

In the third book of the novel, Tolstoy draws thirty-year-old Peter. It is in this book that his talent as a commander, the wisdom of a statesman and transformer are revealed. Over the years, Peter’s faith in the strength and abilities of the Russian people, in the courage, heroism and endurance of Russian soldiers, for whom “everything is passable,” has become increasingly stronger.

Peter changed himself, learned to restrain his outbursts of anger. In Peter one can feel a statesman, responsible for the fate of the country, he is absorbed in the affairs of the state, often immersed in thought, he is no longer attracted by the former “noise.” Peter in Tolstoy's novel is not only the son of his century, but also a man who embodied the best features of the Russian national character. However, noting the progressive nature of Peter's reforms and their historical pattern, Tolstoy shows their class limitations, for Peter's transformative activity rested on the strengthening of the serfdom system. Bazanova A.E., Ryzhkova N.V. Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries - M.: Yurist - 1997.-p.212

Already the first chapters of the novel make us feel that this is a story not only about Peter, but about the entire country, about the life and fate of the people in one of the turning points in Russian history. A whole gallery of people from the people is drawn by Tolstoy in the novel, among them are participants in the Razin uprising: the brave, determined, piebald Ivan and Ovdokim, “tortured, much tormented,” but who did not lose faith in the return of Razin’s time, “boney with anger” Fedka Wash yourself with Mud, talented self-taught inventor Kuzma Zhemov, Russian hero blacksmith Kondraty Vorobyov, Palekh painter Andrei Golikov, brave bombardier Ivan Kurochkin and others. And although each of these heroes participates in two or three episodes, we constantly feel the presence of the people on the pages of the novel. The squares and streets of old Moscow, a noisy tavern, a military camp near Narva - this is where the action of the crowd scenes unfolds. Each crowd scene is of great importance in the novel also because in it, through the mouth of the people, an assessment of this or that event, the situation in the country is given. “The people’s torment” is felt both in individual remarks of people from the crowd, and in the author’s speech expressing the voice of the people. The brutal exploitation of the peasants, countless taxes, poverty and hunger are not masked by Tolstoy: he shows the serfdom reality of Peter's time deeply and comprehensively. But Tolstoy could not limit himself to depicting people oppressed by serfdom, patiently enduring bondage - this would mean distorting reality. Historical documents and research showed Tolstoy that not all people bore the yoke meekly and obediently. Some expressed their protest by fleeing from the landowners to the Don, the Urals, and Siberia, while others were preparing for open struggle.

But it is not only the love of freedom of the Russian people that Tolstoy portrays. The Russian people are talented and hardworking. The writer reveals these qualities in the characters of Kuzma Zhemov, Andrei Golikov... Kuzma Zhemov, a talented inventor - self-taught, with a creative attitude to work, a “daring mind”, self-esteem, perseverance in achieving goals. The fate of Kuzma Zhemov is typical for a Russian talented inventor from the people in the conditions of tsarist serfdom in Russia. In the image of the skilled blacksmith Zhemov, Tolstoy affirms the extraordinary talent of the ordinary Russian man, his spiritual wealth. Zhemov is a good blacksmith, his work is known outside of Moscow, as he himself says: “Blacksmith Zhemov! I haven’t yet found a thief who could open my locks... My sickles went all the way to Ryazan. The armor of my work was not pierced by a bullet...” Kuzma is firmly convinced that even here, in these hard labor conditions created for Russian workers, his masterful work will be noted. “They will recognize Kuzma Zhemov...” he says. Pautkin A.I. About the language of A.N. Tolstoy’s novel “Peter I”, 1987.-p.97

Another interesting image of a man from the people - the image of the Palekh icon painter Andrei Golikov - attracts us with his talent, love of art, beauty, ability to understand and feel nature, and the desire to escape from the darkness of life. “It would seem,” the author writes, “that the animal could not bear what Andryushka endured in his short life - they destroyed, beat, tortured, executed him by starvation and cold death,” and yet he retained the deep belief that somewhere... that is, “the bright land where he will eventually come will make his way through life.”

The people in the novel, especially in the third book, are shown as the creators of history, and although they did not realize their historical role, they realized their power.

Tolstoy novel creative people

Retelling plan

1. The life of the peasant Ivan Artemich Brovkin.
2. Death of Fyodor Alekseevich. Young Peter is proclaimed king.
3. Alyoshka Brovkin meets Aleksashka Menshikov.
4. Thoughts of Princess Sophia about love and power.
5. The people are rioting, fearing that the heir has been killed. Streltsy riot.
6. Aleksashka Menshikov meets the boy Peter.
7. The activities of the young king. The appearance of an amusing army.
8. The inglorious Crimean campaign of the Russian army.
9. Young Peter is engaged in science. Falling in love with Anna Mons.
10. Construction of ships for the Russian fleet.
11. Peter marries and leaves for Lake Pereyaslavl to build ships.
12. Another Crimean campaign.
13. A conspiracy is being hatched against Peter.
14. Peter runs to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. His supporters join him.
15. Peter deals with the rebels.
16. In Lefort’s house, Peter and Anna Mons talk about love.
17. Evdokia, Peter’s wife, gives birth.
18. Peter conducts a funny war. The people are horrified.
19. In Arkhangelsk, Peter is engaged in the construction of sea ships.
20. Peter returns to Moscow. His mother dies. He quarrels with his wife and meets Ankhen.

21. Unsuccessful campaign against Azov.
22. Capture of Azov two years later.
23. The Tsar sends Moscow nobles abroad and travels himself under the name of Peter Mikhailov.
24. Peter in Germany, Holland, England.
25. Rumors about the disappearance of Peter. Streltsy riot.
26. Return of Peter. He finds out the reasons for the riot. Execution of the archers.
27. Boyar Buinosov is dissatisfied with the tsar’s policies. In his house everything goes the old fashioned way.
28. Death of Lefort.
29. House for Anna Mons, where the king comes.
30. Peter teaches the merchants to live in a new way.
31. Construction of the ship “Fortress”.
32. Russian fleet in the Sea of ​​Azov. There is commotion in Constantinople.
33. Creation of a regular army.
34. New Year celebrations are moved from September 1 to January 1.
35. Launching ships.
36. The mistress of the Swedish king collects information about Russia. Karl decides to start a war.
37. Peter gives money to Demidov for the construction of factories in the Urals.
38. Conclusion of peace with the Turks.
39. Russian troops are moving towards the border. Karl goes to Riga.
40. Defeat. Peter prepares his army for a new battle.
41. Victories of Russian soldiers. Capture of the Swedish fortresses of Marienburg and Noteburg (Oreshka).
42. The triumphant return of the victorious king.
43. Start of construction of St. Petersburg.
44. Princess Natalya meets Katerina, the Tsar’s new love.
45. Peter decides to march with his army to Narva.
46. ​​Actions of King Charles, King Augustus and Peter I.
47. Capture of Yuryev.
48. Assault and capture of Narva.

Retelling

Book I

Chapter 1

The “sour” hut of Ivan Artemich - Ivashka, nicknamed Brovkin. On the stove under a sheepskin coat are his children: Sanka, Yashka, Gavrilka and Artamoshka, all barefoot, in shirts up to the navel. The housewife with a tear-stained, wrinkled face is making dough. Brovkin's yard is considered strong: a horse, a cow, four chickens. The owner in a homespun caftan, in bast shoes, harnesses a horse to go to the estate of the noble son Volkov.

2
"Narrow dung" streets of Moscow. Ivan Artemich, lying in a sleigh, thinks about the life of a man from whom three skins are being torn off. On the way, he meets the Volkovo peasant Gypsy, who has been on the run for about fifteen years. The gypsy tells Ivashka that the tsar is dying, there will now be turmoil, that except for the little boy Pyotr Alekseevich there is no one to be the tsar, and “he barely gave up his tits.”

3
Boyarsky courtyard of Vasily Volkov. Ivashka learns from the watchman that military men have been ordered to be taken to Moscow, but for now they are ordered to spend the night in the janitor's hut. Here Ivan Artemich sees his son Alyosha, who was given into bondage to the boyar for arrears. The father asks his son to go instead.

4
Vasily Volkov’s small estate son Mikhailo Tyrtov also stayed overnight. He complains about his hard, hopeless life: he is tortured by tributes, quitrents, and duties. The treasury does not pay the archers' salaries. Only in Moscow on Kukui Sloboda do the Germans have a good life, but the foreigners do. Along the roads, robbers rob merchants. Tyrtov asks Volkov if he will inform on him, to which Volkov, after a long silence, replied that he will not inform.

5
Alyoshka comes with a convoy to Moscow, where the warriors and horses were examined. The horses were taken away from Gypsy and Alyoshka. Volkov threatened to flog Alyoshka. Mikhailo Tyrtov sends him to the Tver Gate, to Danila Menshikov for help. Alyoshka ran away and never came back.

6
Low arches of the royal chambers. Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich dies. At the other end of the room, sisters, aunts, uncles, and fellow boyars are whispering who should be named king - Peter, the son of Naryshkina, or Ivan, the son of Miloslavskaya. Peter is “ardent in mind, strong in body, Ivan is weak-minded, sick...” They decide: Peter will be king.

Sister Sophia came in, screamed and howled. The boyars say goodbye to the deceased king. The Patriarch goes out onto the porch and in front of a crowd of thousands proclaims Peter king.

Alyoshka appeared in Danilin’s yard. Entering the house, I froze when I saw how Danila Menshikov was flogging his son, saying that he got away from his hands and stole.

Three people came through the door. Ovsey Rzhov said that the king had died, the Naryshkins and Peter’s Dolgorukys shouted. “Here’s a disaster we didn’t expect... Let’s all go into bondage to the boyars and Nikonians...”

8
Alyoshka Brovkin meets Aleksashka Menshikov, and they decide to run away together.

9
Tsarev tavern. Dirt, screaming, noise, swearing. Some drink to the last penny.

10
The archers brought a half-dead man, beaten at Kukuya in the German Settlement, to the Tsar's tavern. The Streltsy are unhappy that the Germans have taken possession of everything; Ovsey Rzhov says that the salary has not come for the second year. The merchants were also dissatisfied: foreigners took over all trade. The archers dragged the beaten man to Red Square to show him.

11
Aleksashka and Alyoshka see along the walls of the Kremlin on the bank of the ditch a gallows with hanged thieves. The boys walk across the square. Aleksashka pretends to be poor and begs for alms.

Two horsemen appear on the square: Prince Ivan Andreevich Khovansky (nicknamed Tararui), a governor who hated the Naryshkins. The second is Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn. Khovansky turns the archers against the Naryshkins. He calls the archers across the river to the regiments to “talk.”

12
Alyoshka and Aleksashka escort the beaten townsman to his home. It turned out to be the merchant Fedka Zayats, who was selling pies from a stall. The next day, thanks to Alexashka’s dexterity, the boys went to sell pies instead of the Hare. With Alexashka's jokes and jokes, the pies sold out quickly.

13
Mikhaila Tyrtov has no job, no money, he pawned his saber and belt in a tavern. The money will soon run out. In Moscow he is looking for Styopka Odoevsky, a friend. He asks for help to get out of poverty. Styopka advises you to inform on someone and take away his property. After Mishka’s refusal, having humiliated him, Styopka orders Mishka to obey him in everything.

14, 15
Princess Sophia in the little room dreams of her beloved Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn. Golitsyn enters and tells Sophia that Ivan Mikhailovich Miloslavsky and Ivan Andreevich Khovansky are waiting below with great news. Having learned from them that Matveev is already in Moscow, he disgraces the Miloslavskys and Golitsyn. Sophia is planning to raise the archers against Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, Peter’s mother, to exterminate all the Naryshkins, and to sit on the kingdom herself.

16, 17
Aleksashka and Alyoshka leave the Hare: he stopped trusting the boys and beat them. On the streets they see a lot of different people, archers, hear cries of discontent, calls for rebellion. Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy, Miloslavsky’s nephew, crashes into the crowd on a horse. He shouts that Matveev and the Naryshkins strangled Tsarevich Ivan and Peter will be strangled if they don’t go to the Kremlin. The crowd roars towards the bridge. Alyoshka and Aleksashka see a crowd of thousands shouting “Come on Matveev, come on the Naryshkins!” rushed to the Kremlin.

18, 19
Patriarch Joachim enters Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna. Matveev is here. Sophia, Golitsyn and Khovansky quickly enter. Sophia demands that the queen come out to the people, they shout that the children were killed. The Patriarch demands that the princes be taken to the Red Porch. The Tsarina and Matveev show Ivan and Peter to the people. Khovansky and Golitsyn persuade people to disperse, but the voices sound increasingly angrier... Prince Mikhail Dolgoruky tries to drive away the archers, but he is thrown from the bell tower into the trampling, tearing crowd. They immediately attacked Matveev, and his body fell onto the exposed spears. Aleksashka and Alyoshka, together with the crowd, burst into the palace.

Chapter 2

1
After the riot and the extermination of many boyars, the archers, having received their salaries, dispersed, and everything went as before. “Over Moscow, over the cities, over hundreds of districts... the centuries-old twilight soured - poverty, servility, lack of contentment.”

There were two kings in Moscow - Ivan and Peter, and above them - the ruler Sophia. The archers, incited by the schismatics, again tried to rebel. Sophia with the kings and boyars left the Kremlin, and a cavalry detachment with Styopka Odoevsky was set against the archers. In Pushkin, the archers, carelessly sleeping, were chopped down. Khovansky’s head was also cut off. Having learned about the execution, the archers rushed to the Kremlin and prepared for a siege. Sophia went to Trinity-Sergievo. The Sagittarius got scared and sent a petition to Trinity. In Moscow there is silence and hopelessness again.

2
Aleksashka and Alyoshka spent the summer hanging around Moscow. They caught birds, fish, sold them, stole berries and vegetables. One day, while fishing, Aleksashka saw a boy on the other side. It was Peter. With his courage, jokes and cunning, Aleksashka interested the tsar and received a ruble from him.

In winter, Aleksashka begged. Suddenly he ran into his father, who rushed after the boy with a knife. Aleksashka jumped on the back of the carriage, which drove into Kukui. There Lefort liked him, who took him into his service.

3
Peter and the queen settled in Preobrazhenskoye. He studies with uncle Nikita Zotov, but is more interested in the amusing army. For military fun, he requires a hundred good young men, muskets, and cannons. One day the boy disappears. There is commotion in the palace. Peter is found among the Germans on Kukui, Lefort shows him a lot of interesting and curious things. Lefort is very attracted to Peter: he is smart, handsome, cheerful, good-natured. It is difficult to bring Peter home: he is so interested. On Kukui, Peter sees for the first time a beautiful girl, the daughter of Johann Mons.

4-6
Polish king Jan Sobieski signs eternal peace with Moscow and the return of Kyiv with its cities. The Poles need Russian troops to guard the Ukrainian steppes from the Turkish Sultan.

Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn is having a conversation with a foreigner from Warsaw, Neville, about the necessary transformations in Russia. Sophia arrives secretly. Sophia convinces Golitsyn to “fight Crimea.” Smart Golitsyn believes that it is impossible to fight: “there are no good troops, no money.” We need two or three years without war. But “talking, persuading, resisting was still useless.”

7
Peter already has about three hundred funny soldiers. General Avtonom Golovin was assigned to the army. Peter began to seriously study military science in the first Preobrazhensky battalion. Franz Lefort gives Peter useful advice. A foreign captain teaches firearms and grenade combat. It's no longer fun. In the fields, many cattle were killed and people were maimed.

8-10
In Kukui people often talk about the young Tsar Peter. Johann Mons told how Peter once visited him and was interested in the structure of the music box. In the Palace Prikaz, in the vaulted chambers, they write down in a book what goods were taken for Peter from Lefort. Peter, dressed in a German dress and wig, goes to Lefort for his name day. He came up with a funny joke: he came to Kukui in a carriage drawn by pigs. Lefort and the guests liked the funny joke. Peter sees Alexashka dancing.

11
At Lefort's feast, Peter tastes the intoxicating drink for the first time. He learns to dance, dances with Ankhen. Captivated by her closeness, he runs after her. When Ankhen sends Peter to bed, Aleksashka accompanies him home. In the bedchamber, the king said to Alexashka: “I will be your bed-keeper...”

Chapter 3

1
Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn, despite strong resistance from the nobles and bad omens, is trying to gather a militia for a campaign against the Crimea. Unpleasant news is coming from Moscow, as if the Kremlin has begun to listen to Peter.

Golitsyn finally marched south with a hundred thousand army. We moved forward with difficulty, slowly. The carriage men are dying of thirst. The Tatars set fire to the steppe, it is impossible to go further: no water, no food. The Crimean campaign ended without glory. The people are reduced to poverty.

2
Mazepa, the captain, and the clerk Kochubey, secretly coming to Golitsyn, said that Hetman Samoilovich was setting fire to the steppe. The hetman was jailed for treason. Mazepa becomes the new hetman. For this, Golitsyn received a barrel of gold from Mazepa.

3
In Preobrazhenskoye, according to the plan of General Franz Lefort and Simon Sommer, the fortress is being strengthened; In two battalions, Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, serious training of soldiers is underway. Peter studies mathematics and fortification. The boyars are outraged that Peter is not behaving like a king, “shaking the foundation.” The new fortress was named the capital city of Preshpurg.

4
Peter fell in love with Aleksashka Menshikov for his dexterity, cheerfulness, and agility. And Lefort praised him: “The boy will go far, loyal as a dog, smart as a demon.” Aleksashka brings Alyoshka Brovkin to Peter, whom the Tsar appoints as a company drummer. Peter is not indifferent to Anna Mons. He complains to Alexashka about Sophia, brother Vanechka, the boyars, and says that he is burdened by the observance of royal duties.

5
In Preobrazhenskoye, in the ship workshop, ships are built according to Amsterdam drawings. Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna hears rumors that in Moscow the people have become impoverished from the Crimean extortions and are running to the schismatics who are persuading people to be burned alive. The Don is also uneasy. The queen is concerned about her son's behavior; she wants to marry him to Evdokia Lopukhina. Natalya Kirillovna happily meets Vasily Golitsyn's cousin, Prince Boris Alekseevich Golitsyn, a rich, intelligent man who loved fun and cheerful company. Peter fell in love with Boris Alekseevich.

Sophia, having learned that “the most drunken” gatherings were gathering on Kukui, in anger sent boyar Romodanovsky there, who, upon his return, reported: “There are a lot of pranks and fun there, but there is also a lot to do... They don’t sleep in Preobrazhenskoye...”

6
Vasily Golitsyn asks Sophia, in the presence of the boyars, for five hundred thousand in silver and gold to pay the troops for three months. He proposes to allow French merchants to export goods to the east through Russian land: roads will appear in Siberia, ore mining will develop. Boyars are against. Knowing that Golitsyn will not leave without money, they propose to increase taxes and taxes, even on bast shoes. The Duma did not decide anything.

7,8
Johann Mons dies. Ankhen and two little brothers were left orphans. Mother tells Peter that she wants to marry him. “Well, you have to, then get married... I have no time for that,” said Peter.

Chapter 4

1,2
Ivashka Brovkin brought Mr. Vasily Volkov to Preobrazhenskoye a table rent collected from the impoverished village. He did not immediately recognize his son Alyosha. The son gave his father a handful of silver.

Dissatisfied with the goods brought by Ivashka, Volkov grabbed Ivashka by the hair, saying that he was free to beat the slaves and that the tsar did not order him. To avoid being reported for these words, he gives a bribe to Aleksashka Menshikov and a piece of cloth to Alyosha.

On the eve of Peter's wedding, Aleksashka finds the king, they secretly go to the settlement. Peter's wedding takes place according to ancient custom.

3
At the end of February, the Russian army again moved to the Crimea. In May, one hundred and twenty thousand troops reached the Green Valley. Through the “language” they found out where the horde and the khan were. The battle took place in heavy rain. The Tatars retreated.

4, 5
Evdokia, exhausted, writes a letter to Pyotr Alekseevich, who left a month after the wedding for Lake Pereyaslavl. Peter has no time to read letters from his wife and mother. He lives in a newly built hut at the shipyard. The third ship is being built. People fell from fatigue. Peter couldn't wait to go to sea.

6
Using Aleshka’s money, Ivashka raised his farm and got on his feet. The sons-helpers grew up.

The army began to return from the war, from Crimea. The Gypsy has returned. From Brovkin he learned that there was nothing left of his farm, everything was destroyed. He asks Ivashka not to say that he came and disappears.

7
Near the tavern, the archers, who were on guard in the palace, informed Ovsey Rzhov that Fyodor Shaklovity, on behalf of Princess Sophia, was inciting the archers against Natalya Kirillovna and Peter. The archers decide to act quietly, set fire to Preobrazhenskoe and take it with knives in the fire.

8,9
The wounded, crippled, and fugitives are still wandering to Moscow after the war. There are robberies on the roads, on bridges, in dark alleys. “The huge city roared with anger, idly, and hunger.” The rich boyar Mikhail Tyrtov and Stepka Odoevsky blame Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna and Lev Kirillovich for all Moscow's troubles. They don’t listen to Tyrtov. Hungry, exhausted people don’t care anymore - either Princess Sophia or Peter. “Everyone is tired - someone would rather eat someone else. Sophia Peter, Peter or Sophia... If only something would be established..." Shaklovity proposes to incite the archers to go to Preobrazhenskoye to ask for bread in order to remove the people from Moscow.

10
Uncle Lev Kirillovich comes to Peter on the shore of Lake Pereyaslavl. He informs his nephew about the conspiracy and asks him to urgently go to Moscow.

11
Mass in the Assumption Cathedral. In the royal place is Sophia, on the right hand is Ivan, on the left is Peter. Unlike Sophia, he does not look like a king. The boyars grin: “He’s an awkward young man, he can’t stand, he tramples like a goose, he has a clubfoot, he can’t hold his neck up.” During the religious procession, Ivan refused to carry the image of the Kazan Lady. The Metropolitan, going around Peter, brought the image to Sophia. Peter loudly demanded that the icon be given back. Sophia did not pay attention to him. Ivan advises Peter to make peace with her.

12
Shaklovity tells Vasily Golitsyn about the conspiracy. The murder of Peter is being plotted. Vasily Vasilyevich is in thought. He goes underground to the sorcerer.

13
The princess’s people are spreading rumors that the robberies on the streets committed by Odoevsky, Tyrtov and other close people of the princess were allegedly the work of Lev Kirillovich. They said that in Preobrazhenskoye they planted grenades where Peter should go, but they did not explode. The wandering people, shouting in the bazaars, were about to go to Preobrazhenskoye for pogroms, but ran into soldiers.

14
Vasily Volkov, as “Tsar Peter’s steward with the royal decree,” came to Moscow to find out what was happening in the city. He was captured and dragged to the Kremlin for interrogation by Sophia. Volkov was silent. Sophia orders his head to be cut off. Someone stopped the executioner. The old guard told Volkov how to escape. Two archers, dissatisfied, go to inform Peter that murder is being planned against him.

16
Peter can't sleep. He remembers how Sophia ordered a grenade to be planted, how she sent him with a knife, how poison was poured into a keg of kvass. At night, Peter learns from the archers who came running about the conspiracy and, in his underwear, runs to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In the morning at dawn he was already there.

17
Sophia failed to ring the alarm and gather the archers. Everyone left Preobrazhensky for Trinity. Some former supporters of Sophia went over to Peter, including Ivan Tsykler and Patriarch Joachim. Everyone forgot about Sophia. She decides to go to Preobrazhenskoye herself.

18, 19
There is a whole invasion in the monastery, there is not enough space, bread, food for the horses. Everyone understands: a great matter is being decided, power is changing. Peter has changed a lot. He is ashamed of running away in his shirt. Lefort understands this and calms his friend down. He advises Peter to be careful in the fight against Sophia, teaches him politics. The mother cannot be happier with her son. The boyars crowd around her, dissatisfied that Boris Golitsyn is handling all the affairs.

The archer who galloped up to the monastery reports that Sophia is ten miles from Preobrazhensky. Sophia is ordered to wait for an ambassador from Peter. The arriving boyar Troyekurov handed over Peter's decree to return Sophia to Moscow and await his sovereign will. Sophia is angry.

20
Boris Golitsyn, in a letter to his cousin Vasily Vasilyevich, convinces him to go over to the side of Tsar Peter. He hesitates. Sophia tries in vain to win the people over to her side. The people demand that Shaklovity be handed over, and although Sophia protests, he is captured.

A sorcerer is brought to Golitsyn. He goes with him to an estate near Moscow. The son informs Vasily Vasilyevich that they have already arrived from the Lavra demanding that they hurry to Trinity. He decides to go, but before leaving he sets fire to the dressing room where the sorcerer Vaska Silin was sitting, saying: “You know a lot, get lost!”

21, 22
Many people are interrogated in the dungeon, Fyodor Shaklovity is tortured. Peter is present at the interrogations. Vasily Golitsyn is saved from whipping and torture by his brother Boris Alekseevich Golitsyn.

23
Sophia's supporters were dealt with, and Sophia was quietly transported from the Kremlin to the Novodevichy Convent.

Peter's supporters were rewarded with land and money. There were no special changes. In October, Peter and his amusing regiments went to Moscow. Crowds of people greeted the Tsar with icons, banners, and loaves. Everything was ready for the execution of the elected archers, but the young king did not chop off their heads.

Chapter 5

1
Lefort was promoted to general for the Trinity Campaign and became an important person. He understood the king’s wishes instantly and became necessary for him. Peter spares no expense in building a house for Lefort. He rushes into pleasures, feasts and dances without looking back. At the same time, work is underway in the fortress; Peter’s regiments are dressed in new dresses of different colors.

2, 3
Ballroom in the Lefort Palace. Foreign guests conduct business conversations and talk disapprovingly about the inability of the Russian boyars to conduct business with such natural resources. Foreigners are sticking to their guns. They need Russian wood, leather, tar, flax, canvas. They call Russian people thieves, and Russia a damned country. Peter enters in the Preobrazhensky caftan. Amid the fun, Peter listens to foreigners' discussions about the state, about trade, about bad laws in Russia, about the lack of rights of Russian women.

4
Peter and Alexashka go to the Pokrovsky Gate, where a woman is executed. She is buried in the ground, only her head sticks out. The woman refuses to answer the king why she killed her husband. Peter orders her to be shot.

5
Back at Lefort's house. Peter dances with Anna Mons for a long time. They declare their love.

6
Peter comes to his mother for money. Here the patriarch reads about the disasters happening everywhere. Joachim considers the reason for this to be the influence of infidels and calls for the expulsion of foreigners from Russia and the burning of the German settlement. The Patriarch asks Peter for a decree to burn the heretic Kulman alive. Peter courageously answered that his plans were great, but he could not do without foreigners in military affairs. However, in the matter of dealing with the heretic, he is inferior to the bearded men.

7
In the bedroom, the young queen Evdokia learns from the midwife about Anna Mons, because of whom her husband, when he arrived from the monastery, changed. In the evening Peter arrived and there was a quarrel between him and his wife. Evdokia went into labor.

8,9
Gypsy has been working as a laborer for the archer Ovsey Rzhov for seven months. Ovsey is rude and cruel to him. When asked to pay for the work, he almost killed Gypsy. The gypsy leaves, making ominous threats. The gypsy met with the same homeless people - Judas and Ovdokim. He asks them to take him into their artel. During the execution of the German Kuhlman, Ovdokim fearlessly indignant that people are being burned for their faith. Calls to run into the forests.

10
In the tavern, Ovdokim tells a parable about the reprisal of the poor against the rich. A man approaches the table. This is the blacksmith Zhemov. He talks about how he tried to make wings to fly, but the flight was unsuccessful, and for the boyar money spent on the wings, the owner of Troekurov ordered him to be flogged and took away all his property. Zhemov accosted Ovdokim’s gang, and the four of them began to beg. They decide to go “free” after obtaining weapons.

11
Peter conducts a “funny war” between the regiments. This requires a lot of money. The archers, torn off the ground during sowing, their clothes worn to holes, were unhappy.

12
Many poor people fled to the north or south from the hard life. But they got there too. In order not to surrender to the “Antichrist,” people were burned in huts or in churches.

13
Ivan Brovkin and his daughter Sanka are watching the amusing royal caravan... Peter himself is walking in a bombardier's caftan, beating a drum. The people “wondered, gasped, and were horrified.”

14
Peter never tires of having fun, of putting to shame the old boyars and princely houses. They come up with strange jokes on them. In the spring, Peter, in the company of foreigners, goes to Arkhangelsk. He also takes business people with him.

15
In Arkhangelsk. On the western bank of the Dvina there is a foreign courtyard: strong barns, cleanliness. There are a dozen or two ocean ships, twice as many river ships. On the right, eastern bank there is the same Rus' with bell towers, huts, heaps of manure. Peter is hurt and ashamed. He immediately decides to establish a shipyard in Arkhangelsk and buy two ships in Holland. “I will do the carpentry myself, I will force my boyars to drive nails...”

16
Peter is a carpenter and blacksmith. He eagerly learns everything he needs from foreigners. At lunchtime, the clerk reads him the Moscow mail: petitions, complaints against the governor, letters: “The ancient serving Rus' was lying, stealing, raping, groaning, eaten by lice and cockroaches, a huge mass.” The Vologda merchant Zhigulin personally brought the petition to Peter. Peter liked his proposal to sell goods not to foreigners, but to transport them on Russian ships. The Tsar sends Zhigulin to trade in Amsterdam.

17
Return of Peter to Moscow. Mother's illness. Meeting in Preobrazhenskoye with his wife and son Alexei. Death of Natalya Kirillovna. Discord with my wife. Meeting with Lefort and Ankhen.

18
In dense forests, on Tula roads, Ovdokim’s gang robs the rich. They tried to exterminate the gang, but to no avail. Ovdokim sends Gypsy, Zhemov and Juda to the Tula market. Only the beaten Judas returned, but Ovdokim’s gang was no longer there.

19
The North Sea was ruled by the Swedes, and the Mediterranean by the Turks, supported by the French. In the Moscow state, “obliged by treaty to fight the Tatars and Turks,” they only unsubscribed. The Crimean Khan persuaded to conclude an eternal peace with Crimea. Ambassador Johann Kurtsy arrived in Moscow from Vienna, “locking the boyars under the old treaty.” It became clear that war could not be avoided.

20
There is more and more talk about war in Moscow. A letter comes from Jerusalem from the patriarch that the Turks have given Orthodox shrines to the French. They asked not to leave the holy church. Peter's closest circle - the large boyar duma, the Moscow merchants - are talking about convening a militia.

21
Kuzma Zhemov and Gypsy ended up at Lev Kirillovich’s arms factory. The German plant manager, Kleist, greets them rudely and with threats. The watchman warns them that working here is like hard labor.

22
Ivan Artemich Brovkin receives a letter for the supply of oats and hay to the army. Accompanied by Lefort, Menshikov and Alyosha, Peter himself comes to Brovkin to woo Sanka to Vaska Volkov, Brovkin’s former master. Peter demands to hurry up with the wedding: the groom will soon go to war. Sanka orders him to teach politeness and dancing, and promises to take her to the court after the campaign.

Chapter 6

Sheremetyev with 120 thousand troops went to the lower reaches of the Dnieper. We managed to take three towns. The regiments secretly headed for Tsaritsyn. Peter went under the name of bombardier Peter Alekseev.

It was decided to leave Moscow to the faithful Fyodor Yuryevich Romodanovsky. Troubles began in Tsaritsyn due to theft of suppliers. Peter orders all contracts to be transferred to Brovkin.

It was decided to take Azov by raid and assault. The fortress resisted desperately and was not taken; there were heavy losses. Peter has matured and darkened over these days. Again preparations for the capture of Azov. Peter is with the soldiers at the earthworks, digging and eating with them. The assault, scheduled for August 5, was repulsed. The siege of the fortress began. Lefort offers to lift the siege, Peter is adamant. With incredible effort they made a tunnel and laid down 803 pounds of gunpowder. After the explosion, the walls of the fortress remained intact, many Russians died. On the troops;! horror struck.

Peter writes an order - in a month there will be a general attack from water and land. He travels around the camps every day and brutally deals with those who are dissatisfied. The Russians fought fiercely for two days. The attack was repulsed, and again there was a retreat. They retreated along the banks of the Don in sight of the Tatars, fighting them off. Nevertheless, one regiment, lost at night, died entirely under the Tatar sabers. The cold weather set in and the ground became icy. They walked barefoot and hungry. Those who fell did not rise. A third of the army remained. The first Azov campaign ended ingloriously.

Chapter 7

1
Two years have passed. The Tsar became unrecognizable: angry, stubborn, businesslike. “Failure bridled him like crazy.” Shipyards, barns, barracks, and ships were built. Hundreds of people died, those who fled were caught and forged into iron. By spring the fleet was built.

In May, Azov was taken. The troops returned through Moscow to Preobrazhenskoye, where Peter gathered the boyars “to sit.” The Tsar ordered the devastated and scorched Azov, as well as the founded fortress of Taganrog, to be populated with troops and improved. It was ordered to build a caravan of forty ships. A special tax was introduced for the construction of the Volga-Don canal. The Tsar often got by without thinking. A royal decree was issued: fifty of the best young Moscow nobles should be sent to study abroad. “The young people were gathered, blessed, and said goodbye as if they were dying.” Among them was a former participant in the Streltsy rebellion, Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy.

2
Under the guise of Pyotr Mikhailov, a sergeant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Pyotr, as part of the embassy, ​​goes abroad to study shipbuilding. Before leaving, having learned about a conspiracy among the Don Cossacks, he brutally dealt with the conspirators. Tsykler is quartered over the coffin of Ivan Miloslavsky.

3
The state was left to the boyars led by Lev Kirillovich, Moscow to Romodanovsky. Peter writes letters in sympathetic ink to Vinnius about his stay abroad.

4, 5
Peter, Aleksashka, Alyosha Brovkin and Volkov sail to Konigsberg to visit Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg. The “ambassadors” marvel at the neatness, politeness, and open doors. The king warns that no one should covet even a small thing. In the palace of the Elector, who greeted Peter very cordially, Peter spoke of his desire to learn artillery shooting from the German masters.

6
Russian ambassadors - Lefort, Golovin, Voznitsyn - arrived in Koenigsberg, concluded a secret alliance, stayed in Poland, where the election of a new king began. Augustus and the Frenchman Conti laid claim to the throne. Peter played a political game in favor of Augustus. After being elected king, Augustus swore that he would be at one with Peter.

7
Driving through Germany, Peter was amazed by the prosperous structure of life, the cleanliness, and friendliness of the people. He dreams of starting such a life in Russia. “If I remember Moscow, I would burn it down...” A gentleman enters the tavern and invites Peter to dinner with Elector Sophia. A carriage was waiting outside.

8
At a reception in a medieval castle. From a conversation with Sophia and her daughter Sophia-Charlotte, Peter learned a lot about art, literature, and philosophy, which he had no idea about before. Peter delighted the women, despite his rude manners. Aleksashka and Lefort arrived, the fun began, like on Kukui. “They poured sweat on the German women.”

9
Peter heads to Holland. This country seemed like a waking dream. Every piece of land was honored and cherished here. And again a comparison with Russia: “We sit in the great open spaces and are beggars...” Peter arrived in the village of Saardam, where the best ships were built, and stayed in a small house with the blacksmith Garrit Kist, who was surprised to recognize the king. Peter is also recognized by the good-natured carpenter Rensen, whom Peter asks not to let slip that he is a king.

10
Correspondence between Peter and Romodanovsky, pages from the diaries of Vasily Volkov and the Dutchman Jacob Nomen. Volkov writes down what miracles he saw abroad and how he settled in Amsterdam. The Dutchman wrote down that Peter did not manage to remain unrecognized for long, that the Tsar surprised everyone: he behaved like a simple carpenter, communicated with the most “unhewn” people, joked with them, was inquisitive, aroused curiosity in everyone.

11
In England, Peter is studying the intricacies of naval art, recruiting good specialists for service in Russia. He sends convoys with weapons, sailing material, and various goods to Moscow. There is discontent in Moscow. Rumors appear about the disappearance of the king. The Sagittarius, incited by Sophia, appear in Moscow, where someone was waiting for them. Sophia gives the order to take Moscow in battle. At the Moscow line, a mutiny began in the Streltsy regiments.

12, 13
Peter and the ambassadors begin to understand European politics and its ambiguities. News comes from Moscow about a riot, rumors that Sophia is on the throne. Ivan Brovkin brings terrible news to Romodanovsky: four regiments of archers are marching on Moscow.

14
The archers lingered under the walls of the Resurrection Monastery, called New Jerusalem. The scouts said that they were waiting for the archers in the settlements, they would beat the guards and let the regiments in. Generalissimo Shein with three thousand troops is ready to fight the regiments, but fears that the people will support the archers. There are disputes among the archers. Ovsey Rzhov shouts that we must fight quickly in order to have Sophia installed as queen; Gordon convinces to hand over the “breeders”; Sagittarius Tuma reads a letter against Lefort. After the prayer, the battle began, the archers were pushed back. Shein began a search. Nobody gave up Sophia. Tuma, Proskuryakov and 56 of the most evil archers were hanged on the Moscow road.

15
Peter is in Vienna negotiating with Chancellor Leopold, once again seeing “what a European politician is.” A message comes from Moscow about a Streltsy riot. Peter decides to return.

16, 17
The news of Peter's return struck the boyars with thunder. Everyone was alarmed. We spent a year and a half in prison. They take German dresses and wigs out of the chests. On September 4, upon his return, Peter immediately goes to Romodanovsky. Arriving in the Kremlin, Peter met his sister Natalya, kissed his son and, without seeing his wife, left for Preobrazhenskoye.

18
Peter receives the boyars, generals, and all the nobility. With him are two dwarfs with sheep shears. They cut the boyars' beards. Peter frightens the boyars with his appearance, alien clothes, and incomprehensible behavior. “He smiled so hard that it made our hearts feel cold...”

19
Peter goes to Franz Lefort, tells him that the rebellion was not simple, terrible things were being prepared, the entire state was affected by gangrene. “Rotting members must be burned with iron.” Peter orders all archers from prisons and monasteries to be taken to Preobrazhenskoye.

20
At dinner, Peter almost killed Generalissimo Shein with a sword, calling him a thief. Menshikov managed to calm the tsar. Ladies appeared, among whom Alexandra Ivanovna Volkova stood out. Peter goes to Anna Mons.

21
Streltsy are tortured in fourteen dungeons. Many are silent. Ovsey Rzhov, unable to bear the torture, spoke about Sophia’s letter. The participation of several others was revealed. The secretary of the Tsar's embassy wrote in his diary that the officials of the Danish envoy were amazed at the terrible pictures of torture in which they saw the Tsar himself. It is also written there that Lefort had lavish entertainments, where Anna Mons, who replaced the Tsar’s wife, shone.

Execution of the archers. Foreign ambassadors are invited to carry out the execution. One of the archers, passing by Peter, said loudly: “Step aside, sir, I’ll lie down here...” The Tsar forced the boyars to chop off the heads of the archers themselves in order to bind everyone with mutual responsibility. He suspected everyone of sympathizing with the rebels. On October 27, three hundred and thirty people were executed. The king looked at this terrible massacre.

There were tortures and executions all winter. The riots that broke out in different places were brutally suppressed. “The whole country was gripped by horror. The old stuff was hidden in dark corners. Byzantine Rus' was ending. In the March wind, the ghosts of merchant ships could be seen beyond the Baltic coasts.”

Book II

Chapter 1

1
Lenten bells ring over the reluctantly awakening Moscow. The holy fool runs with a piece of raw meat - wait for news. The people on the porch said: “There will be war and pestilence...” The carts are not going to Moscow, as they used to; The shops are boarded up, the churches are empty: the people do not want to be baptized with a pinch. Moscow is hungry. Convoys with gunpowder, cast iron cannonballs, hemp, and iron are on their way to the Voronezh road. They said: “The Germans are again inciting our people to go to war.” A gilded carriage rushed by, in which everyone recognized “the bitch, the Kukui queen Anna Monsova.” Queen Evdokia was taken to Suzdal, to a monastery, forever.

2
A decree was issued: to remove the archers from the walls and take eight thousand out of the city. Carts again from the peasants: “The third skin is being torn from the peasant. Pay dues, pay for bonded labor, give fodder to the boyar, pay for wages to the treasury, pay for those who went to the market…” Ivan and Ovdokim meet in a tavern. They remember Ovsey Rzhov. They say that there are people who are ready to raise the Don and have more fun than under Stepan Razin.

3
In the house of Prince Roman Borisovich Buinosov. The boyar cannot come to terms with the new order: drinking coffee in the morning, brushing his teeth, wearing a wig, dressing in German dress, he also feels sorry for his shorn beard. Everything is gone: peace and honor. Buynosov thought: ruin is coming for the noble families. The boyar is dissatisfied with the tsar's policies. Buinosov walks around the farm, where everything is going as usual, urging the workers on. Boyar Volkova, whose name was Sanka seven years ago, came to visit the Buinosovs in a gilded carriage. She talked about her father, brothers, read a letter from her husband, in which he writes about the Tsar, that Peter was at work all his days, he drove everyone, but they built a fleet... Sanka is eager to go to Paris. All boyars are ordered to serve, and Roman Borisovich reluctantly goes to serve.

4
Roman Borisovich in the Kremlin. They read the royal decree, which prohibited princes and boyars from submitting petitions to the king for dishonor. The boyars in the State Duma say that the tsar in Voronezh found advisers from ordinary people and foreign merchants, they say, there is now a sovereign Duma there. An officer, Lieutenant Alexei Brovkin, arrived and reported that Franz Lefort was dying.

5
Lefort died. “Out of joy in Moscow they didn’t know what to do.” They were not buried until the arrival of the king. On the eighth day Peter came to say goodbye. “There won’t be another friend like him,” he said. “Joy together and worries together...” The boyars entered and beat him with their brows. He didn’t even nod to anyone, he saw that they were happy.

6,7
A house was built for Anna Mons in the German settlement, and the tsar began to come here openly. The house was called the Tsaritsyn's Palace. Anna was never refused anything. Anna Ivanovna was afraid of Peter’s arrival, she remembered his terrible appearance after the Streltsy executions, his words: “They laid down on the scaffold - everyone crossed themselves with two fingers... For the old days, for beggary... It was not from Azov that we should have started, but from Moscow!” Ankhen complained to her mother that she did not love Peter. On this visit, Peter grieved for Franz Lefort: “He was a bad admiral, but he was worth a whole fleet.” Lefort's magnificent funeral. In Moscow that day they said: “They buried Chertushka, but the other one remained - apparently he hasn’t transferred many people yet.”

8
Peter creates the Burmisters' Chamber in the Preobrazhensky Palace to save merchants from the voivode's ruin and ordered untruths. To choose the best and most truthful people as mayors for fair trial, punishment and collection of taxes. The chamber has a building in the Kremlin with basements for storing the treasury. However, merchants such as Vaska Revyakin knew how to deceive both the governor and the clerks. Peter convinces the merchants that they need to live in a new way, learn to trade in “companies,” start factories, and reproaches the merchants for deception and theft. The Tsar grants fa-mota to the Bazhenin brothers, who built a water mill without overseas craftsmen in order to cut the forest and send it overseas. Peter tells them to build ships and yachts. Tula blacksmith Nikita Demidov pours cast iron and looks for ore. Peter asks the merchants to help Demidov.

9
Palekh icon painter Andrei Golikov comes to the merchant Vasily Revyakin from Elder Avraamiy, saying that the Elder sent him “to perform his feat” for three years with Elder Nektarios. Revyakin led Andryushka to the basement, where about thirty people “served according to priestless rank.” The crooked old man told how on Vol-ozero the old man Nektary tortured his body, saving his soul. Andrei Golikov asks the elder to let him see Nektarios.

10
At the Voronezh shipyard, the forty-gun ship “Fortress” is being completed day and night. The sailors, straining themselves, load it, urged on by Captain Pamburg. The workers live in tarred huts and plank sheds; in the log huts - Admiral Golovin and other authorities. In the royal hut they ate and drank around the clock. People came in without undressing, without wiping their feet, and sat down on the benches. These were officers, sailors, craftsmen, tired, covered in tar and dirt.

Peter instructed Fedosei Sklyaev, the best in ship craftsmanship, to supervise the work. Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was granted the title of major general and governor of Pskov after Lefort’s death. After Lefort’s funeral, Peter said: “I had two hands, but only one remained, albeit a thievish one, but a faithful one.” Issues of European politics are discussed. The Turks do not agree to make peace, demanding that Azov be given to them and tribute paid in the old way. They don't believe in the Russian fleet.

Peter and Kuzma Zhemov are welding an anchor arm in the forge. Zhemov, in a temper, shouts at Pyotr in a wild voice, and later: “What happens, Pyotr Alekseevich.” Peter dreams of ships on the Baltic Sea.

11
A huge armada of Russian ships: ships, brigantines, galleys, plows with Cossacks - are sailing along the Don. On one of them, “Apostle Peter,” the Tsar himself holds the rank of commander. Due to the shallow water, it is impossible to get into the mouth of the Don. The storm also caused a lot of trouble, but the water rose and they went out into the Sea of ​​Azov. The ships were repaired after the storm throughout July. Peter spent days caulking, securing the yardarm, and descending into the hold.

When in August the Russian fleet crossed the strait and stood in sight of Kerch, the Turks were alarmed. Pasha Murtaza watched how “such impudent people” made formations according to all maritime rules, walked around the bay, and shot, but he delayed the negotiations. Admiral Kreis and Hassan Pasha are negotiating on a Turkish admiralty ship. At this time, Pyotr and Aleksashka, under the guise of rowing sailors, joking with the Turkish sailors, carefully inspect everything on the Admiralty ship.

12
Peter returned to Taganrog. The ship "Fortress", accompanied by four Turkish ships, sailed along the south of Crimea. The Turks did not want to let the Russians into the open sea. Without listening to them, the ship set off straight for Constantinople. On September 2, the ship “Fortress” broke into the Bosphorus. Russian people marveled at the luxury and wealth of the Turkish region.

In Constantinople, the Russians were given a meeting “with all honor”; thousands of people come to see the ship “Fortress” and are surprised. Captain Pamburg called his fellow European navigators onto the ship. Getting excited, he told his guests that Russia would build a thousand ships, both in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Baltic. The "Fortress" fired two salvoes from forty-six heavy cannons. A commotion began in Constantinople, as if the sky had fallen on them. The Sultan became angry.

Chapter 2

1
Andryushka Golikov, among others, pulls a barge north from Yaroslavl. The owner of the barge, Andrei Denisov, is bringing bread, crackers, and wheat to the workers. It was difficult to lead the barge, many fell behind, only three remained: Andryushka Golikov, Ilyushka Dektyarev and Fedka, nicknamed Wash Yourself with Mud. The barge is attacked by robber monks.

Alexey Brovkin is recruiting soldiers. To the north he brings the royal letter, which stated that all “parasites and parasites who feed in monasteries... should be taken as soldiers.”

2
In Kukui they were amazed at Anna Mons's prudence and mastery. She herself managed her business well and economically: instead of clothes, she asked Peter for permission to buy good cows in Reval. Ankhen's happiness was darkened by Peter's anticipation. He did not warn when or with whom he would arrive. Anchen was informed of the arrival of the Saxon envoy Koenigsek. He offers to be Ankhen's true friend. Her heart began to beat alarmingly. Approaching the window, I saw the king. With Peter came Johann Patkul from Riga and General Karlovich from Warsaw. The conversation is secret, about politics. Livonia is ruined, there is no peace from the Swedes. Patkul says that this is the most opportune moment for Russia to establish itself in the Baltic Sea and return Ingria and Karelia. King Augustus promises to help, but for this he must give Riga and Revel. Karlovich talks about what he saw while secretly in Sweden; tells what kind of drunken revelry he found with King Charles. “The whole city is groaning from royal madness.”

3
Brovkin family. Daughter Alexandra visits her father every Sunday with her husband. Alyosha recruits soldier regiments by order of the Tsar. Yakov serves in the navy. Gavrila studies in Holland. Artamon is like a secretary with his father. He learned a lot from his home teachers. Brovkin's house is run in a foreign way. Alexandra is watching this. Arriving this time, she tells her father that she will go to Paris - the Tsar himself ordered. He also proposes to marry Artamoshu to Natalya Buinosova. Brovkin meets Roman Borisovich. With him are Shorin and Svetnikov, who suggested that Brovkin jointly run a cloth business. Alexander Danilovich arrived and told Brovkin not to do business with Svetnikov and Shorin. Orders to talk to translator Shatrov.

4
Peter greets the Swedish ambassadors, who present him with their credentials. The ambassadors leave without agreeing on anything with Peter. The Polish general Karlovich and the Livonian knight Patkul bring a secret treatise, which says that the Polish king Augustus will start a war with the Swedes, the Russian tsar must open military operations in Ingria and Karelia no later than April 1700.

5
Bedroom of the Swedish King Charles the Twelfth. Noon. He's still in bed. Next to him, the frivolous Atalia, Countess of Desmont, known for her numerous adventures. She charmed many noble kings, peers, and dukes. Now Karl wants her to go to Warsaw, “get into bed with King Augustus,” and write to him with every mail.

6
Tsar Peter comes to Brovkin to woo his youngest son. He asked Artamoshka if he understood how to read and write, and was shocked to learn that he spoke French, German, Dutch, and began to kiss him, “clapping, clapping.” He said: “Soon I will be rewarded as a count for my intelligence.” They played a wedding. Soon Sanka and her husband left for Paris. On the way, Sanka had a fight with her husband, demanding to drive without stops, without companions, although there were robbers in the forests from Vyazma to Smolensk. Vasily did not want to go to Paris. They were actually attacked and the coachman was killed. Only Sanka's pistol shot and good horses helped him escape the chase.

7
A regular army was recruited to Moscow: some went voluntarily, others were taken tied up. It was necessary to arrange three divisions of nine regiments each. The soldiers found it difficult to study. The training was often carried out by half-drunk non-Russian officers. The memory was driven with a cane.

8
Alexey Brovkin collected five hundred souls in the North. I found myself a fishing guide, Yakim Krivopaly, a golden man, but a drunkard. He knew these places well, but could not find out where Nectarius was. He said that the elder once already burned two and a half thousand schismatics in one monastery, and one and a half thousand in another, among them many women and boys. Alexey said: “Yakim, we need to get this old man Nektarios...” At night, two people went out on skis to the winter hut where Alexey and the soldiers were sleeping. These were Nektarios' people. They wanted to kill the soldiers, but Yakim scared them off and raised the alarm.

Andryushka Golikov rang for mass, standing barefoot in the snow as punishment for drinking kvass on a Lenten day. The brethren were gathering for prayer. They crossed themselves with two fingers and knelt: men to the right, women to the left. The two on skis told Elder Nektarios that the officer and the soldiers were about five miles from here... They told everything in detail. The elder beat them terribly. “Then you yourself will understand why,” he said.

Andrei Golikov suffered from hunger and cold on the stove. One night he saw how the elder ate honey and prosphora, and starved Andryushka and Porfiry for forty days. And when Andrei said that he had seen, the elder beat him - “they don’t beat a horse like that.” Andryushka’s soul was “cracked with great doubt.”

Alexey Brovkin approached the monastery. They didn't open it. Yakim learned that Nectarius and about two hundred people were here, but the elder could burn them. Alexey decided to break down the gate. In the prayer room, the exhausted people heard a knock: the elder began to block the doors with boards so that no one could come out of the fire. The elder did not go to talk with Alexei. They opened the door, and a burning man jumped out. The soldiers backed away from the heat. It was impossible to save anyone. Nectary was about to escape through the underground, but a man who was sitting on his chain and pretending to be possessed grabbed him. The same man also saved Alyoshka.

9
1700 By decree of the Tsar, it is customary to count the New Year not from September 1, but from January 1. Decorate houses with pine and spruce branches, “fix shooting,” launch rockets, light fires.” Moscow was buzzing all week before the baptism. We haven’t heard such a ringing for a long time, haven’t seen such a feast. The king and his neighbors toured noble houses. “They walked around Moscow with joy from end to end, congratulating them on the advent of the new year and the centennial century.” Not everyone understood why such fury.

Peter was given a letter from the yard man Aleshka Kurbatov, who came up with the idea of ​​“enriching the treasury” - selling stamp paper for petitioners from a penny to ten rubles. Peter orders to find this man immediately.

Chapter 3

1
A decree was issued: all merchants, noble people with their families should go to Voronezh for the launching of a ship, “so great that few such have been seen abroad.” It was necessary to intimidate the Turks with such a ship so that Azov and the Dnieper towns would not demand back.

The ten-year-old sovereign-heir Alexei was brought to the royal hut. His sister Petra Natalya Alekseevna is with him. Buinosov boasted among the guests at the royal entrance courtyard, describing military preparations. His chatter was stopped by Koenigsek and Princess Natalya. Roman Borisovich had no idea what the consequences would be for him. (Peter’s friend Atalia Kniperkron, the daughter of a Swedish resident, listened attentively to him.) The ship was built according to the drawings of Sklyaev and Aladushkin. Near the ship there are tables with food and drink, with important guests at the tables.

Tsar Peter respectfully took off his hat to Admiral Golovin and said that the ship was ready for launch. “Order the arrows to be knocked out?” Duke von Krun looked in amazement at the king, who behaved “like a simple carpenter, like a man of a vile breed,” and he himself picked up the hammer...

We feasted with Menshikov for two days. Five more ships and fourteen galleys were launched, and the remaining ships were being completed. One could hope for successful peace negotiations. Vasily Volkov appeared and brought a letter from King Augustus about the beginning of the war with the Swedes and about the death of General Karlovich. Excited Atalia said that everyone was talking about the war and talked about Buinosov. Peter reassured Atalia, and Buinosov “proclaimed the generalissimo of the entire Shutei army” and mocked him.

2
The Volkovs did not reach Riga. Pan Malakhovsky arrives in the large village where they are staying and invites the Volkovs to his castle. They feasted there for the second week. The master's wife came up with various amusements and jokes. Sanka rushed into this fun. Vasily noticed that his wife was still with Mr. Vladislav Tykvinsky. He wanted to intervene, but the “eaters and opalists” assigned to him, famous throughout Poland, did not allow Volkov to come to his senses.

One evening he saw Vladislav and Malakhovsky fighting with sabers over Sanka. She was right around the corner. She rushed to her husband. Vasily calmed down only after driving fifty miles away from Pan Malakhovsky. The Polish gentlemen lived a cheerful, carefree life. No matter how important the house, the intoxicated gentry bawler. On the Livonian border, at an inn, Volkov learned from Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy that there was a war in Livonia, started by King Augustus. He realized that things were going badly for the king, and ordered to go to Mitava, where King Augustus was.

King Augustus scolded Johann Patkul for the fact that no one supported him, although Patkul promised that there would be help from the knights, the Danish army and Tsar Peter. Augustus gives Patkul his royal word that Peter will not get either Narva, Revel, or Riga. Augusta's boredom in Mitau was brightened up by Atalia Desmont. She started balls and hunts and squandered money. One day she brought to the king the “Moscow Venus” - Alexandra Ivanovna, dressed in Atalia’s dresses. For Sanka, the desired hour came when King Augustus, bending down, kissed her fingertips. The king asks Volkov, leaving Sanka under Atalia’s roof, to take “a letter to his brother Peter, saying that his affairs are bad, to prove the need for an immediate action by the Russian army.” Atalia teaches Alexandra "rafina" and encourages her to "accept August's love - he suffers." Sanka can't. Atalia does not insist; in the end, all conversations are reduced to Moscow affairs. This worries Sanka.

Atalia reports everything that she managed to find out in a letter to the Swedish King Charles, which he received while hunting. In words, the officer who delivered the letter learned extremely important information: Danish troops had crossed the Holstein border. Karl ordered the officer to report to Stockholm: “We are having more fun than ever.” We hunted bears and cubs. Karl was having fun like a boy. After the hunt, he began to confer with his generals. It turned out that the Senate was afraid and did not want war, the royal treasury was empty, and that the Senate would not give a farthing for the war. Karl decides to enter the war, to attack first. The generals “had to be surprised at this boy.” Nobody wanted war. Sweden had a small army and an erratic king. Swedish ships entered the Sound. Charles “set out on a long journey to conquer Europe.” Together with the Anglo-Dutch fleet, they headed for Copenhagen.

4
Peter read petitions in the German settlement. Some are for execution, others are in a pile of papers. “The cry was heard throughout the whole earth... one commander will be removed, another is worse than mischievous... thief against thief.” The right people were missing. Nikita Demidov complains that eleven of the best blacksmiths were recruited as soldiers. Having learned from Demidov that in the Urals wealth lies in vain, but in order to approach it and raise factories, a lot of money is needed. Peter orders Demidov to take the entire Urals. “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you money for this!..” Peter demands that everything be returned in cast iron and iron in three years, and not in rubles, as the Swedes are paid, but in three kopecks. Demidov said - fifty kopecks each, and he will return them earlier.

Peter had a free evening. I thought about politics. “You can’t get involved in a war while the Crimean Khan is on your tail. Wait for your time." Outside the window, under the linden tree, the orderly was whispering with the girl. And it's all about love. Peter suddenly decided to go to Anna Mons. They played cards peacefully there. Koenigsek looked tenderly at Anna (all of Moscow was talking about their connection, only the Tsar did not know). Peter appeared unexpectedly. Anna was clearly embarrassed. He left immediately. From Anna, Peter went to Menshikov, but did not enter: music and drunken screams were heard there. We stopped at a simple courtyard. A tall, round-faced woman opened the door. Peter stayed there until the morning.

From Moscow we left for the field where soldiers were being trained. “The left foot is hay, the right foot is straw.” Peter got out of the monocar, felt the cloth on the soldier - “Shit!” Having learned that Menshikov supplied the cloth, he forced the soldier to undress, grabbed his caftan and rushed to Aleksashka. Menshikov drank brine when he was hungover. Peter poked his soldier's caftan under his nose, grabbed him by the chest, began to beat him, and broke his cane on Alexashka. Shafirov, who shared a share with Menshikov and Brovkin, ordered to sell the cloth to King Augustus and, together with Vanka Brovkin, supply good cloth.

Chapter 4

1
Twenty-two conferences took place, but peace with the Turks did not work out. Peter sent an order to hastily make peace, ceding everything to the Turks except Azov, and not even mentioning the Holy Sepulcher. The great ambassador of the Ukrainians and clerk Cheredeev were exhausted from the heat and dreamed of home. The Grand Vizier's clerk said that even though the Vizier would sign peace tomorrow, someone had to be given baksheesh. They agreed: to demolish the Dnieper towns, and Azov and the land will be Russian for ten days on horseback. The next day peace was signed.

2
In Moscow, under the ringing of Ivan the Great, a prayer was held for the granting of victory to Russian weapons. In the Assumption Cathedral, Patriarch Andrian wept, and the boyars wept. They spared neither candles nor incense. They approached the cross. The church elder was given ducats, rings, and strings of pearls on a tray.

3
The troops moved with difficulty: forty-five thousand foot and horsemen and ten thousand carts. They left Moscow dressed up and approached the Swedish border barefoot, up to their necks in mud, without formation. You can’t light a fire: rain from above, swamp from below. “There was a lot of work and hardship, but little order.”

Alexey Brovkin strictly ran the company, he did not offend the soldiers in vain, the soldiers were well-fed, he ate with them from the same pot. But he didn’t forgive mistakes. While checking the patrols, Alexey came across Andryushka Golikov (Elder Nektary “the devil knows how” left along the way). Standing on patrol, Andryushka whined, not understanding why they were sent here, he was afraid of the dark.

Peter arrived with Menshikov, asked where the carts were, examined the thin faces of the soldiers, rags, and supports on their legs. I asked who had complaints. Nobody came out. Peter called on the soldiers to defeat the enemy in order to return “our former fatherland.” He praised company captain Alexei Brovkin for order.

At the end of September, the army began a difficult crossing across the muddy and fast river. Along the entire line opposite Narva, a ditch was dug and redoubts were erected. Guns roared from the fortress. Peter examined the bastions without bowing to the cannonballs flying overhead. The luxurious Menshikov pranced on a stallion and shouted to the gunners: “It’s too bad, comrades!”

The plan to take Narva from the raid did not materialize. Peter plans further actions. At this time, Varg commits sabotage. Unconfused, Aleksashka pulled out his sword, jumped into the saddle, drew the dragoons with him and repelled the attack, which aroused the delight of engineer Gallart and the praise of Peter. Peter was dissatisfied with the preparations for war. “We’ve been preparing for two years... And nothing is ready.” "Not a camp - a camp."

Karl was marching towards Riga. Peter needs guns, bombs, cannonballs, corned beef. It started raining. The soldiers were sick. “Every night, dozens of carts carried the dead to the fields.” The Swedes did not give rest. Peter is stern and silent. The convoys arrived slowly: there were not enough carts. The commanders were bad. King Augustus, pushed back to Courland, asked Peter for money, Cossacks, guns, and infantry. It's frozen. The bombardment of Narva began. But the city stood unharmed. Peter said that they started from the wrong place: “For a cannon to fire here, it must be loaded in Moscow.” It was decided to retreat to Novgorod, starting from the rear. The troops are presented to the Duke by von Kroon.

The Swedish general ordered the horse's hooves to be wrapped in felt and approached the Russian troops. The mounted noble regiments stationed near Narva fled without honor. The Swedes, led by Karl, crawled down the hill in regular rows. Alexey Brovkin with his company of hungry soldiers tried to repel the attack. “Pain burst out from the eyes, - the skull, the whole face was flattened from the blow. Fedka Wash himself with Mud and strangled Leopoldus Mirbach. Russian troops fled in thousands to the bridges, to the crossing. Blinded by the snowstorm, hungry, not understanding why they had to die, the Russians shouted: “Guys, we have been sold... Beat the officers!”

Boris Petrovich’s army also retreated: “... he closed his eyes, cried, tearing the bridle,” turned his horse. Hundreds of horsemen drowned. Boris Petrovich's good horse carried him to the other side. Golovin's center was broken through, but the flanks desperately resisted. The Swedes rushed about in a snowstorm. The companies got lost in the snowstorm and disappeared. Karl ordered the pursuit to be stopped. Charles had five hundred thousand armies and strong fortifications, the Russians had ten thousand hungry, exhausted soldiers loaded with sacks. Karl is told how desperately the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovtsy resisted; intoxicated by the danger, he himself rushed towards the shots. In the end, he was left without a horse and boots.

When the center was broken through, Duke von Krun, Gallart and Blomberg galloped towards the Swedish shots - to surrender in order to save lives from the enraged soldiers. (Already two foreign majors had been strangled, the captain’s throat had been cut.) “Let the devil fight with these Russian pigs,” shouted the duke.

Eighty commanders gathered for a meeting. They sent envoy Buturlin to Karl. I had to agree to all the conditions: the Swedes let Russian troops through, but without guns and convoys. They demanded that all Russian generals and officers be brought to the manor as collateral. “The remnants of the forty-five thousand strong Russian army - barefoot, hungry, without commanders, without formation - moved back the other way.”

4
The news of the defeat caught up with Peter at the entrance to Novgorod, in the voivode’s courtyard. Petitioners from all the monasteries were waiting for Peter in the entryway, asking the sovereign not to let the churches of God be abandoned. By decree of the king, it was ordered to take ten carts and people with shovels from each monastery. Peter ordered Menshikov to lock up the petitioners and not let them out. Peter asked Yaguzhinsky in detail about the embarrassment and how the officers surrendered. He ordered Aleksashka to lead carts with baked bread towards the army. He called the monks from custody and released them, ordering all parishes and monasteries to go out to dig ditches and erect palisades so that they could defend the “bad city” of Novgorod.

The merchants Brovkin, Svetnikov and others entered. Peter told them about plans: to defend Novgorod, double the number of guns, recruit young generals. “Now we start the war.” I asked the merchants for money immediately. The tsar dealt harshly with those who refused to work: semi-colonel Shenshin, who did not show up for work, was mercilessly beaten with whips and sent to the regiment as a soldier, and the commander, who took five rubles in compensation so as not to take carts to work, was hanged.

5
Peter was ordered not to let anyone in. Uncle Romodanovsky passed without a report. The king walked gloomily, thinking where to get money. I decided to transfer the bells to copper. But - money! Fyodor Yuryevich warns that touching the monastery treasury is dangerous: it’s not the right time; asks how much money is needed. Peter said firmly: “Two million.” Prince Caesar Romodanovsky took Peter to the Kremlin to the Chamber of the Order of Secret Affairs, established by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Sophia also came here, but Fyodor Yuryevich did not open the door for her, “I couldn’t unlock it,” Prince Caesar grinned. They broke open the iron door with a crowbar. There was great wealth there. “This is enough for me,” said Peter, “to put on shoes, dress, arm the regiment and put Karl in charge as needed.”

Chapter 5

1
In Europe they forgot about the king of the barbarians, Charles became a hero, he was praised. He wanted to rush after Peter into the depths of Muscovy, but the generals dissuaded him. Charles strengthened the army, now it was one of the strongest in Europe. He allocated a corps of eight thousand under the command of Schlippenbach and sent it to the Russian border. King Charles himself defeated King Augustus, who fled from Warsaw. The Polish king began to gather a new army in Krakow. The king's hunt for king began.

Peter spent the entire winter between Moscow, Novgorod, and Voronezh. They fortified Novgorod, Pskov, and the Pechersky Monastery, repelled the attack of the Swedish navy, capturing a frigate and a yacht. Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev unexpectedly attacked the Swedes' winter quarters and won. The Swedes retreated. Schlippenbach himself barely left for Revel.

In Moscow, funny fires were lit, barrels of vodka and beer were put out, and the soldiers were given the first minted ruble. Sheremetyev was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. In the second battle, five and a half thousand Swedes out of seven were destroyed. The path to the coastal cities was open.

2
The Swedish fortress of Marienburg was taken. The Swedes blew up a powder magazine, killing many people. The population of the fortress, engulfed in fire, moved to the shore along the broken bridge. The soldiers talked to the prisoners and spoke to the women. Sheremetyev went out to the troops. From behind the dragoons, the eyes of a girl of about seventeen looked at him. Burnt my heart. Sitting on the bench, Boris Petrovich sighed. He orders them to find “one little woman” in the train and bring her to him. “It’s a pity - she’ll disappear, the dragoons will hush up...” The girl said that her name was Elena Ekaterina, that her husband died in the river. Boris Petrovich said that he would take her to his place in Novgorod, and she would be his “housekeeper.”

3
Returning from Narva, many soldiers ran away. Fedka Wash himself with Mud lured Andryushka Golikov. We spent the winter in Valdai. Fedka thought of joining the robbers, Andrei - no way. He wanted to get to the painters, he felt in himself “such a strength - more than human.” He said to Fedka: “... the day brightened and darkened, but on my board the day burns forever.”

4
Locksmiths hired in Holland arrived in Arkhangelsk to connect with the Caspian and Black Seas through the locks. Alexey Brovkin (Ivan Artemich exchanged his son for a Swedish lieutenant colonel, giving three hundred efimks in addition) was supposed to sail along the Vyg and find out whether the river was suitable for sluicing.

Services were held at the Vygoretskaya Danilov Monastery day and night. Everything is prepared for burning. Elder Nektarios emerged from the seclusion where he had sat for two years. He began to call on the people to save themselves and turn them against Andrei Denisov, saying that he had sold out to the tsar. Andrei accused Nektarios of eating chicken while sitting in a hole. Confusion began. Denis secretly left the monastery and went to Tsar Peter. He told the sovereign about his well-established economy, his mining business, and his reserves of iron and copper. Five thousand men and women are involved in the business. Denisov asked Peter to allow people to live by their rules. Otherwise, incited by priests and clerks, people will run away. Peter says: “Pray with two fingers, at least with one.” He ordered them to pay double wages from the farm and start working without delay. He promised not to take duties for fifteen years.

Capture of the Noteburg fortress, formerly called Oreshk. Several thousand soldiers, with incredible difficulty, dragged boats from the lake to the Neva through a clearing. Peter’s shirt was wet, his veins were swollen, his legs were confused. I pulled along with everyone else. At dawn the fortifications were taken and on the same day they began to throw cannonballs at Noteburg. The fortress resisted for two weeks. A big fire started there and burned all night. Alexey Brovkin demanded immediate surrender. In the morning, young officers led the hunters to storm. Peter watched the assault in excitement. The Swedes resisted desperately. There was nothing to help the Russians. The last reserve is Menshikov’s detachment. Aleksash, without a caftan - in a pink silk shirt, - without a hat, with a sword and a pistol, “fearlessly gained rank and glory for himself...” The Swedes threw out the white flag. They fought for thirteen hours.

At night, on the banks of the Neva, the soldiers were fed and given vodka. The hunters talked about a terrible battle. Over five hundred people died, and about a thousand wounded groaned. “Here’s a nut for you—they’ve chewed it up,” the soldiers said with a sigh. “By bloody efforts, the passage from Ladoga to the open sea was opened.” The sea was just a stone's throw away. The health bowls were ringing in the royal tent. Peter recognizes Koenigsek that Sheremetyev boasted about the slave. Koenigsek himself wanted to hide the “little thing” that was dearer to him than life, which he talked about at the table: so that Peter would not find out, he decided to throw it into the river, but fell and was killed. On his chest, Peter discovered a medallion with a portrait of Anna Mons with the inscription: “Love and fidelity” and her letters. Peter is shocked.

5
The Noteburg fortress was renamed Shlisselburg (key city). Peter returned to Moscow, where he was greeted solemnly: “for a hundred fathoms Myasnitskaya is covered with red cloth.” Moscow feasted for two weeks. There was a big fire on Pokrov. The Kremlin burned to the ground, the bells were falling, the largest one was split. Princess Natalya and the prince were barely rescued from the old palace.

The whole family gathered at the Brovkins'. Only Alexandra was missing. Gavrila, who came from Holland, said that the Volkovs live in The Hague, their sister has learned to play the harp, and their house is full of guests. But she’s tired of everything, she wants to go to Paris. Peter and Menshikov arrived and asked Gavrila what he had learned. The king praised. I told Ivan Artemich that it was necessary to build a new city, but not here, but on Ladoga, on the Neva. Peter remembered Anna Mons in Moscow once: he ordered Aleksashka to take from her his portrait, showered with diamonds, nothing more. But don't let her show up anywhere. Took her out of my heart. Menshikov understood that Peter needed a faithful friend. Aleksashka said that he liked Boris Petrovich’s “housekeeper”, that he pinned the old man down so much that he broke up with her in tears. Now she is with Alexashka.

The merchants awoke from their slumber and began to organize their affairs. Labor was needed. Ivan Artemich won the right to take workers from prisons. He bought the blacksmith Zhemov for seven hundred rubles.

The man felt bad everywhere - both in the village and in the factories, especially in the mines of Akinfiy Demidov. Few people returned from there: the cruelty was incredible.

7
Peter asks Menshikov why he doesn’t marry Katerina, why he doesn’t show her off. When he saw Katerina, Peter felt warm and comfortable, “I haven’t laughed so kindly for a long time.” She told everything about herself. Going to bed, Peter asked: “Katyusha, take a candle and shine it on me...”

On the banks of the Neva, construction began on a new fortress, which was called Piterburkh. Carts, workers, convicts came and went here. Many got sick and died. The gloomy Fedka Wash himself with Mud, chained at the legs, with a brand on his forehead, “throwing his hair on his sore wet forehead, he beat and hit the piles with an oak sledgehammer...”

Book III

Chapter 1

1
You can't hear the ringing of bells in Moscow, there's no brisk trade. The fortress moat near the Kremlin wall became swampy, there were heaps of garbage and stench. Little people are taken to war, or sent overseas to study. Many people worked in factories; swords, spears, stirrups and spurs were forged in forges. The boyars' yards are desolate.

2
Princess Natalya, Peter's beloved sister, arrived at the Izmailovo palace, where under the supervision of Anisya Tolstoy were two sisters of Alexander Menshikov, taken from their father's house, and Katerina, dutifully given by Menshikov to the Tsar. Pyotr Alekseevich did not forget her; he sent her funny letters, reading which Katerina only blossomed. Natalya was curious about how she had bewitched her brother. Having looked at her and talked, Natalya is ready to love her: “Be smart, Katerina, I’ll be your friend.”

When leaving, Peter asked his sister not to give rest to the old Testament bearded men: “This swamp will suck us in.” Natalya says that by the fall there will be a “Tiatr” in the Kremlin, which everyone will have to attend. He regrets that Sanka is not in Moscow, she would have helped. Alexandra Ivanovna Volkova in The Hague after, speaks three languages, writes verses.

4
Natalya goes to Pokrovka to have a “cool talk” with Sophia’s sisters, princesses Ekaterina and Maria. All of Moscow knew that they were “running crazy” on Pokrovka. Katka is already approaching forty, and Masha is a year younger. They said that they live with the singers, give birth to children from them and send them to be raised in the city of Kimry. Having learned about their new eccentricities: trips to the German settlement, to the Dutch envoy, to Monsikha to ask for money, Natalya could no longer hear complaints about her sisters.

5
Natalya is offended that Peter’s sisters are gossiped about as barbarians and hungry beggars. When the sisters came out like two shocks, Natalya even groaned at their appearance and outfits. Attempts to talk to them and shame them led to nothing. Crackers, freaks, fools came to the door - they burst into the room and screamed. Natalya felt powerless in front of this “demonic thickness.” Suddenly the Tsar Caesar, “the most terrible man in Moscow,” Fyodor Yuryevich Romodanovsky, arrived. It turned out that he knew more than Natalya: in the sisters’ closet lives Raspop Grishka, who brews a love potion, goes to the German Settlement at night and communicates with a woman who washes the floors in Sophia’s Novodevichy Convent.

Chapter 2

1
A rare case: the three Brovkin brothers are together at Alyosha’s in St. Petersburg. Yakov came from Voronezh, Gavrila - from Moscow. They were waiting for Pyotr Alekseevich. The brothers ate “shti with corned beef.” Here it is only on holidays. Alexey says that life is difficult, “and everything is expensive, and there is nothing to get.” He explains why the sovereign chose this particular place for the new fortress: “a military, convenient place.” The round bastion with fourteen cannons will be called Kronstadt.

The brothers remembered their childhood, their mother, talked about politics, and then the conversation turned to matters of the heart. Three brothers, three bitter little boys began to question Gavryushka. He spoke about his meetings with Princess Natalya. She instructed him to build a theater and read her comedy. However, the work had to be interrupted: the Tsar ordered Gavrila to build a harbor in St. Petersburg. But Gavrila cannot forget Natalya Alekseevna.

At this time, the bombardier arrives - Lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Governor-General of Ingria, Karelia and Estland, Governor of Shlisselburg Alexander Danilovich Menshikov.

2
Alexander Danilych drank, ate cabbage with ice, and complained about boredom. I couldn't sit in one place for a long time. Let's go to Neva. The future city was still in Peter's plans and drawings. Menshikov tells the Brovkin brothers that all the berths, booms, and barns should be ready by the end of May - “they haven’t come to sleep.”

Menshikov's house, or the governor-general's palace, is a hundred fathoms from the tsar's hut. In the middle of the facade there was a porch, on both sides of which there was Neptune with a trident and a Naiad. In front of the porch are two cannons. They saw the approaching royal convoy and fled in different directions with orders. Upon the arrival of the Tsar, the cannons struck, people fled, the Preobrazhentsy and Semyonovtsy walked in a line.

3
Peter and Menshikov on a shelf in a light linden bathhouse are talking about business, about Russian merchants who are afraid to sell things out, while a lot of goods are rotting. “Without Piterburg we are like a body without a soul,” said Peter.

4
At Menshikov’s table sat new people, those who, with their talent, had emerged “out of the woods.” There were more than just “thin people”: Roman Bruce and his brother Yakov, who considered Peter’s cause their own, Kreis, Golovkin, Peter’s sleeping bag, Prince Mikhail Golitsyn. They talked and argued about a big matter. Peter said that, although the Russians had proven to the Swedes how they knew how to win, there was no need to wait for Karl to turn to Petersburg, one must meet him on the far outskirts, on Lake Ladoga. We must take Narva.

Peter went out to get some air. Andryushka Golikov rushed to his feet: “Sir, the wonderful power in me is disappearing. The painter is from the Golikov family.” Peter goes to see what Golikov drew on the wall with charcoal. The battle was depicted so skillfully that the amazed Tsar decides to send Golikov to Holland to study. Returning to Menshikov, he forced him to eat moldy bread, which was fed to the workers, taken from one of them.

6
Peter can't sleep. King Augustus, who was ruined by his favorites, is worried. Dolgorukov gave him ten thousand efimki without a receipt, and Peter orders the prince to collect this money from Augustus himself. “A frigate can be built with this money.”

The Tsar orders Golikov to be sent to Moscow to write a “parsun” from Katerina, saying that he misses her.

Chapter 3

1
Peter postponed the campaign against Kexholm, having received news from Apraksin that Schlippenbach with a large army was soon expected in Narva. And a large caravan is already heading there. Peter decided to march his entire army to Narva.

2
The favorite of King Augustus arrived at King Charles's camp tent. She said that the king wants peace and is ready to break the treaty with Tsar Peter. Finally she said the most important thing: Peter moved with large forces towards Narva.

3
King Augustus goes to dinner with Sobeschansky. Here Augustus, carried away by Mrs. Sobeschanskaya, learns that a huge army is approaching Sokal, where his court was located. King Augustus, instead of making any prudent decision, orders the feast to continue.

By order of Tsar Peter, Dmitry Golitsyn arrived with eleven infantry regiments and five cavalry Cossack regiments to help King Augustus. Despite Golitsyn’s attempts to prove to the king that the soldiers were tired, the troops needed to rest, pull up the carts, Augustus said: “We must set out immediately, not an hour of delay. I will trick King Charles by the nose, like a boy...”

Chapter 4

1
Peter looks through the telescope at Narva. There, off the coast, is the fleet of Admiral de Proulx. He ordered two squadrons to be sent forward and galloped off himself. Menshikov galloped up to the tower where the Narva commandant Gorn was and invited Gorn to surrender. He spat in his direction, and a cannonball flew over Menshikov’s head. Having scolded Menshikov for his recklessness, Peter says that the fortress must be “taken quickly, and we don’t want to shed a lot of our blood.” Menshikov promises to come up with a trick.

2
Peter, having learned about the behavior of King Augustus, an “ally,” wrote to Dolgorukov so that he would not tire of diverting the king from the general battle. A dust cloud is visible towards Narva. A storm begins. Three loaded barges of the admiral remained aground. The Swedes began to surrender from the barges.

3
Provisions from the barges were distributed to the soldiers. General Gorn said that he was not afraid of storming the fortress. The Russians were waiting for the siege artillery trudged from Novgorod.

Sheremetyev near Yuryev could not repel the Swedes. It was necessary to remove Schlippenbach like a thorn. Menshikov came up with a trick: they dressed the Russians in Swedish uniforms and tricked Horn; The “mashkerats battle” destroyed a third of the Narva garrison. Horn managed to defend only the gates to prevent the Russians from breaking into the city. But there was still a serious task ahead: to destroy the Schlippenbach corps.

4
The second king of Poland, Stanislav Leszczynski, upon learning that King Augustus with Russian regiments was marching on Warsaw, said that he was ready to relinquish his crown. It was the Diet that imposed the crown on him. Hetman Lubomirski, who commanded all the Polish and Lithuanian troops, refuses to wage war and throws the mace at the feet of the boy king.

5
Karl was furious at Augustus's unexpected march to Warsaw. He shouted at the generals, tore off all the buttons on his coat, and rushed around the tent. He ordered the army to be raised on alert.

The Great Hetman Lubomirski arrived to King Augustus with his convoy. He said that he never recognized Stanislav Leszczynski as king, but was ready to serve King Augustus. He said that Leshchinsky managed to escape with the entire royal treasury. The Hetman advises Augustus to take Warsaw before Charles arrives. Prince Lubomirski offers the king the necessary money.

Chapter 5

1
Gavrila Brovkin rode to Moscow without rest with instructions to Prince Caesar to quickly deliver “all sorts of iron products” to St. Petersburg. Andrei Golikov rode with him “in rapturous soaring.” In Valdai we stopped at a forge to repair the rim. It turned out that Pyotr Alekseevich himself knows the blacksmiths of the Vorobyov brothers. The blacksmith Kondraty did not take money for the work, he ordered them to bow to Tsar Peter.

2
We arrived at Moscow at dusk. At home, go straight to the bathhouse. Andryushka Golikov was not allowed in by the majordomo. Sitting on the street, he looked at the stars and remembered how much torment he had to experience in his life. Remembering Andrei, Gavrila called him to the bathhouse. In the corner on a chair stood a framed portrait of the noblewoman Volkova, depicted on the back of a dolphin in what her mother gave birth to.

3
No matter how hard Prince Caesar Fyodor Yuryevich tried to find out from the priest Grishka in the dungeon, whose houses he went to, to whom he read from a notebook about the desire to “tame the present time...”, he failed. After the rack and five whips, Grishka became numb. Prince Caesar felt that he was on the trail of a conspiracy...

4
Gavrila handed over the mail to Prince Caesar. Peter wrote how the Swedes were deceived and asked why Vinius did not send medicinal herbs. Signature "Ptr".

5,6
Katerina told Natalya Alekseevna about her “amants” and her parents. Natalya is jealous of Katerina: “They don’t give us away in marriage, they don’t take us as wives.” Gavrila arrived and said that he had brought the painter to paint a portrait, and then he was ordered to send him abroad to study painting. With the arrival of Gavrila, Natalya Alekseevna cheered up, came up with fun, dinner with the mummers, Belshazzar's feast. After the feast, Natalya wanted to drive Gavrila away, but she couldn’t.

Chapter 6

1
Peter sailed to Narva in victory, carrying Swedish banners. Yuryev, a town set up by Yaroslav for the defense of Ukrainian land, was taken by storm. Peter was pleased with his victories over Charles. He also began to think about his sweetheart Katerina. I wrote a letter to Anisya Tolstoy and Ekaterina Vasilievskaya to come to him.

2
Peter recalls how Yuryev was captured with great difficulty. Up to four thousand people gathered around the walls and gates. From this victory, “King Charles’s eyes should darken with annoyance.”

3
A boat approached, in which the luxuriously dressed Menshikov arrived. He greeted Peter and congratulated him on his great victory. The tsar appointed Captain Neklyuev as the flagship of the squadron - commander - and ordered tomorrow, at the signal “taken with courage,” to carry the Swedish banners ashore to the army with the beating of drums. Peter praised Menshikov for his victory at Schlippenbach. The two of us had dinner in the tent and talked about the new Field Marshal Ogilvy. Peter, having read Katerina’s letter, went for a walk. I overheard the soldiers talking about Katerina. He could hardly breathe at their words. Somehow I tempered my anger. Mishka Bludov, from whom Field Marshal Sheremetyev took Katerina, ordered to be transferred to the right flank to Preobrazhensky.

4, 5
General Horn came home, where four children and his wife were waiting for him. She reproaches her husband for the fact that the children have nothing to eat, that he was deceived with a fake battle. She demands to let her and the children go to Stockholm, but Gorn says that this is impossible: they are locked in Narva, like in a mousetrap. The adjutant reported that there was something incomprehensible in the Russian camp. Gorn saw that soldiers were galloping behind the Tsar and Menshikov, raising eighteen captured Swedish banners on staffs. Gorn was offered peace. He refused. Huge battering cannons began to be delivered to Narva. Gorn realized that he had been deceived again: they pretended that the assault would take place in another place. He decided to stand until the end.

Ogilvy's disposition cost the treasury 700 gold efimki. Calling the field marshal, Peter said that the disposition was reasonable, but Narva should be taken not in three months, but in three days, well, in a week, no more. Ogilvy defended his disposition, speaking with disrespect of Russian soldiers. Peter was angry: “A Russian man is smart, smart, brave... And with a gun he is terrible to the enemy...” The troops were set in motion according to Peter’s disposition.

7
Screaming women demanded that Horn surrender the city. He still hoped for something, although the troops were surrounded. Horn was captured. At three quarters of an hour it was all over. “It was a European matter: it’s no joke - to take by storm one of the most impregnable fortresses in the world.” For four years Peter prepared for this hour. Peter appointed Menshikov governor of the city and ordered the bloodshed and robbery to be stopped within an hour. General Gorna was brought in. Peter ordered “this stubborn fool” to be taken to prison on foot through the entire city, “so that he could see the sad work of his hands...”

Sanka jumped off the stove and hit the jammed door with her back. Yashka, Gavrilka and Artamoshka quickly climbed down behind Sanka: suddenly everyone was thirsty, and they jumped into the dark entryway following a cloud of steam and smoke from the sour hut. A slightly bluish light shone through the window through the snow. Studeno. A tub of water became iced over, and a wooden ladle became iced over.

The children were jumping from foot to foot - everyone was barefoot, Sanka had a scarf tied around her head, Gavrilka and Artamoshka were wearing only shirts, up to their navels.

- The door, the catechumens! - the mother shouted from the hut.

Mother stood by the stove. The torches on the pole lit up brightly. The mother's wrinkled face lit up with fire. Most terribly of all, from under the torn cloth, the tear-stained eyes flashed, like on an icon. For some reason Sanka got scared and slammed the door with all her might. Then she scooped up the fragrant water, took a sip, bit into an ice cube and gave it to her brothers to drink. She whispered:

- Are you cold? Otherwise, we’ll run into the yard and see – Dad is harnessing the horse...

Outside, my father was harnessing the sleigh. A quiet snow was falling, the sky was snowy, jackdaws were sitting on the high tyne, and it was not as cold here as in the entryway. On the bat, Ivan Artemich - that’s what his mother called him, and people and he himself in public - Ivashka, nicknamed Brovkin - a high cap pulled down over his angry eyebrows. The red beard was not combed from the very cover... The mittens stuck out behind the bosom of the homespun caftan, belted with a low bast, the bast shoes squealed angrily in the dung snow: the father had trouble with the harness... The harness was rotten, only knots. Out of frustration, he shouted at the black horse, the same as his father, short-legged, with a swollen belly:

- Pamper, unclean spirit!

The children relieved themselves at the porch and huddled on the icy threshold, although the frost was biting. Artamoshka, the smallest one, barely said:

- Never mind, we’ll warm up on the stove...

Ivan Artemich harnessed and began to water the horse from the tub. The horse drank for a long time, puffing out his shaggy sides: “Well, feed him from hand to mouth, I’ll drink plenty”... Dad put on his mittens and took a whip from the sleigh, from under the straw.

- Run to the hut, I’ll get you! - he shouted to the children. He fell sideways onto the sleigh and, rolling outside the gate, trotted past tall spruce trees covered with snow to the estate of the son of the nobleman Volkov.

“Oh, it’s cold, bitterly cold,” said Sanka.

The children rushed into the dark hut, climbed onto the stove, chattering their teeth. Warm, dry smoke curled under the black ceiling and escaped through the little window above the door: the hut was heated in black. Mother was making dough. The yard was still prosperous - a horse, a cow, four chickens. They said about Ivashka Brovkin: strong. The embers of the splinters fell from the light into the water, hissing. Sanka pulled a sheepskin coat over herself and her brothers, and under the sheepskin coat she again began to whisper about various passions: about those, never mind, who rustle underground at night...

- Just now, my eyes burst out, I got scared... There is rubbish at the threshold, and on the rubbish there is a broom... I look from the stove - the power of the cross is with us! From under the broom - shaggy, with a cat's mustache...

“Oh, oh, oh,” the little ones were afraid under the sheepskin coat.

The slightly beaten path led through the forest. Centuries-old pines covered the sky. Windbreaks and thickets are difficult places. The year before last, Vasily, the son of Volkov, was seized from this land by his father, a Moscow serving nobleman. The local order imposed four hundred and fifty dessiatines on Vasily, and thirty-seven souls and families were assigned to them as peasants.

Vasily set up an estate, but he wasted money; half of the land had to be mortgaged to the monastery. The monks gave me money at a high rate - twenty kopecks per ruble. But according to the layout, it was necessary to be in the sovereign service on a good horse, in armor, with a saber, with a arquebus, and to lead with him warriors, three men, on horses, in tegileys, in sabers, in saadaks... I barely raised it with monastic money He's such a weapon. How about living on your own? How about feeding the servants? What about the increase in pay to the monks?

The royal treasury knows no mercy. Every year there is a new order, new money - feed, travel, tribute and quitrents. Will you lose too much? And everyone asks the landowner why he is so lazy to extract rent. But you can’t take more than one skin off a man. The state under the late Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was exhausted from wars, from unrest and riots. As the anathema thief Stenka Razin walked the earth, the peasants forgot God. If you press a little tighter, they bare their teeth like a wolf. Out of hardship they flee to the Don, where they can’t be obtained with either a letter or a saber.

The horse trudged along at a road trot and was completely covered with frost. The branches touched the arc and sprinkled snow dust. Clinging to the trunks, fluffy-tailed squirrels looked at the passerby - this squirrel was dying in the forests. Ivan Artemich lay in the sleigh and thought - the peasant had only one thing to do: think...

“Well, okay... Give me this, give me that... Pay this, pay that... But - a breakthrough - such a state! -Will you feed it? We don’t run away from work, we endure. And in Moscow, the boyars began to ride in golden carts. Give it to him for the cart, the well-fed devil. Well, okay... You force it, take what you need, but don’t be mischievous... And this, guys, is to tear two skins - mischief. The sovereign's people are now divorced - spit, and there is a clerk, or a clerk, or a kisser, sitting, writing... And there is only one man... Oh, guys, I'd better run away, the beast will break me in the forest, death is sooner than this mischief... So you'll be with us for a long time don't feed yourself..."

Ivashka Brovkin thought, maybe so, maybe not so. A Gypsy (by his nickname), a Volkovsky peasant, a black, gray-haired man, rode out of the forest onto the road, kneeling in a sleigh. For fifteen years he was on the run, wandering around the yard. But a decree was issued: to return all fugitives to the landowners without a statute of limitations. The gypsy was taken near Voronezh, where he was a peasant, and returned to Volkov Sr. He was about to sharpen his bast shoes again - they caught him, and they ordered Gypsy to be beaten with a whip without mercy and kept in prison - on Volkov's estate - and when the skin healed, he was taken out, in another row they were to beat him with a whip without mercy and again throw him into prison, so that he, the rogue, the thief, would not be allowed to run around in the future. The only way the gypsy got out was that he was sent to Vasilyev’s dacha.

“Great,” said the Gypsy to Ivan and got into his sleigh.

- Great.

- Can not hear anything?

– It’s as if we haven’t heard anything good...

The gypsy took off his mitten, unfolded his mustache and beard, hiding his slyness:

– I met a man in the forest: the king, he said, was dying.

Ivan Artemich stood up in the sleigh. It’s creepy... “Whoa”... He pulled off his cap and crossed himself:

-Who will they say is king now?

“Apart from that,” he says, there is no one like the boy, Pyotr Alekseevich. And he barely dropped a tit...

- Well, boy! – Ivan pulled his cap down, his eyes turned white. - Well, guy... Now wait for the boyar kingdom. We'll all fall apart...

– We’ll disappear, or maybe nothing – that’s it. – The gypsy stuck his head in close. Winked. - This man said - there will be turmoil... Maybe we’ll live a little longer, chew bread, tea - we’ll be experienced. - The gypsy bared his lesh teeth and laughed, coughing for the whole forest to hear.

The squirrel rushed from the trunk, flew across the road, snow began to fall, and sparkled with a column of needles in the slanting light. A large crimson sun hung at the end of the road over a hillock, above the high palisades, steep roofs and smoke of the Volkov estate...

Ivashka and Gypsy left their horses near the high gate. Above them, under a gable roof, is an image of the Holy Cross. Further on, a non-climbable tyn stretched around the entire estate. At least meet the Tatars... The men took off their hats. Ivashka took hold of the ring in the gate and said as expected:

- Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us...

Averyan, the watchman, came out of the gate, creaking his bast shoes, and looked through the crack - his own. He said: Amen, and began to open the gate.

The men brought the horses into the yard. They stood without hats, looking askance at the mica windows of the boyars' hut. A porch with a steep staircase led there to the mansion. Beautiful carved wood porch with onion roof. Above the porch there is a roof with a hipped roof, with two half-barrels, and a gilded ridge. The lower housing of the hut - the basement - is made of mighty logs. It was prepared by Vasily Volkov as a storage room for winter and summer supplies - bread, corned beef, pickles, and various pickles. But, the men knew, there were only mice in his pantries. And the porch - God forbid another prince: a rich porch...