Which states did Peter visit? 1. The goals of organizing the great embassy. King abroad

The Grand Embassy - the journey of the Russian Tsar Peter 1 to Western Europe, carried out in 1697-1698. to establish diplomatic relations.

The diplomatic mission included more than 250 people. Among them were representatives of various professions from translators to priests, led by diplomats P.B. Voznitsyn, F.A. Golovin, F. Lefort. Tsar Peter 1 himself also went to Europe, introducing himself as Peter Mikhailov, a police officer of the Preobrazhensky regiment.

Purposes of the embassy

It is believed that the main purpose of the trip was to gain support from European countries in the fight against the Ottoman Empire.

However, there is a version that this is not the case. Even before the trip, Ambassador K. Nefimonov signed an agreement for 3 years with Austria and Venice on an alliance against the Turks. Other European countries at that time were not ready for such an alliance: France was a supporter of Turkey, England and the Netherlands were preparing to divide the “Spanish inheritance”, and Poland could not choose a new king for a year, so there was simply no one to make a decision there.

Thus, the diplomatic goal was secondary, and the main ones were:

• acquaintance with Europe, its political life;
• making changes to the state and military system of Russia following the example of European countries;
• search for foreign specialists to work in Russia;
• sending to Europe to train Russian nobles;
• procurement of materials and weapons.

Travel

The convoy of the great embassy of Peter the Great left Moscow in March 1697.

The first long stop was made in Courland.

A trade agreement was concluded between Elector Frederick III and Peter I on the possibility of transporting goods.

Peter arrives in Holland in August. He gets a job as a carpenter at the Linsta Rogge shipyard (Saardam), and then at the East India Company in Amsterdam.

But in Holland, the Russian tsar not only did carpentry, he visited various institutions, factories, workshops, attended lectures on anatomy, studied how a windmill works.

Dutch shipbuilding did not suit Peter, since the Dutch did not make drawings of the ships under construction.

In early 1698, the tsar reached England, where in Deptford at the royal shipyard he supplemented his knowledge of shipbuilding. Here he examined warships, saw how artillery shells were made, and even attended a meeting of the British Parliament.

The last stop for Peter the Great was Vienna, from where in July 1698 he went back to Moscow, having learned about the riot of the archers.

Embassy results

• the realization by Peter 1 that Russia needs access to the sea, the decision to unleash for access to the coast of the Baltic Sea, instead of a war with the Ottoman Empire;
• the emergence of personal (and political) friendship with the king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (aka the Saxon Elector) August 2, which later resulted in a military alliance;
• transformations in the state apparatus of Russia, taking into account the experience of Western countries;
• introduction of the European way of life (new chronology, new clothes, holidays, schools, books, etc.);
• hiring more than 1000 specialists in various fields for service in Russia;
• purchase of weapons, instruments, equipment;
• opening of new enterprises, manufactories, production facilities in Russia.

The Great Embassy was founded in 1697 by Peter I after the conquest of Azov. The Grand Embassy was sent to Austria, Denmark, England, to the Pope, to the Dutch states of Holland and to the Elector of Brandenburg. December 16, 1696 Peter I created this decree and its further instructions. The embassy planned to expand and strengthen the Anti Turkish League: "For the renewal of old friendship, for all Christian affairs, for weakening the enemies of the Lord: the Turkish Sultan, the Crimean Khan." Also, the grand embassy should seek and recruit military personnel, financially help shipbuilding, and monitor the "volunteers" and assist them in the study of crafts and military sciences. The Grand Embassy acted simultaneously as consuls and diplomats. Peter I appointed F. Ya. Lefort, F. A. Golovin and clerk Voznitsyn to the embassy. In total, there were twenty persons in this embassy. Thirty-five "volunteers" were appointed, sent to master and study the science of shipbuilding. Among these same volunteers was Peter I, who rode under the name of Peter Mikhailov. Hiding his real name gave him the opportunity to avoid a bright reception and use the trip to study European states and study various crafts, thereby leading the Grand Embassy.
It was difficult for the Great Embassy to fulfill the assigned tasks from the very beginning. The most important thing in Europe at that time was the Spanish heritage and the shores of the Baltic. The European states that fought with Turkey were fixated on the early end of this war to free their troops. Before sending the Great Embassy for the assignment, in February 1697, the representative of Russia, Kozma Nefimonov, was able to conclude an agreement with Austria and Venice on a war with Turkey, with them the case against Turkey ended. The ambassadors went to Konigsberg. The agreement concluded with him already foreshadowed an alternative in Moscow's foreign policy, which ended with the beginning of the Northern War. However, Peter I unconditionally fought with Turkey. He actively supported the personality of Frederick Augustus of Saxony as the future leader of Poland. He sent letters with recommendations for the election of Frederick Augustus of Saxony as opposed to the French. Whose rule would have drawn Poland into French politics and would have disconnected Poland from an alliance with Russia in a war with Turkey.
At the same time, a huge Russian army was sent to the borders of Poland. This guaranteed the accession to the throne of the Saxon representative, an ally in the Northern War. From Brandenburg the great embassy went to Holland. In The Hague, they could not achieve what they wanted, although 4 conferences were held in total, because Holland made peace with France and could not financially help Russia in the war with France's ally. The Grand Embassy briefly remained in Amsterdam, where it hired sailors and engineers and bought weapons, tools and materials. The Russian leader went to England, where he gained experience in shipyards. There he negotiated with the King of England.
In 1698 Austria, with the help of England, began to negotiate with Turkey. The Grand Embassy went to England, but it did not work to prevent their peace. When negotiating with Austria, Peter asked that the treaty guarantee the joining of Azov and Kerch to Russia. The Austrians did not comply with this request. During the negotiations, Peter realized that the separation of Austria was inevitable. When the Grand Embassy was informed of the rifle revolt, it left for Venice. Peter, together with the ambassadors, left for Moscow, leaving his man there. There Peter met with the King of Poland Augustus, and concluded a treaty of war with
Sweden.

Conclusion.

The objectives of the Grand Embassy were to accomplish certain tasks.
1. Get support from Western Europe in the war with Turkey.
2. Get the Black Sea coast with the help of Europe.
3. Increase Russia's influence in Europe by declaring a victory in Azov;
4. Invite European specialists to Russia, purchase materials and new weapons.
And:
Peter went to Europe to seek allies for his fight against the Turks. And he took nobles with him. But why? The Russian nobility went to Europe to learn about the political life of Europe; to improve your state politically and militarily; show an example to your subjects what you need to do to improve and improve the state. The best representatives of the Russian nobility were supposed to study the European customs and structure of the states themselves and talk about it in Russia. Unlike all foreign policy goals, the most important task of the embassy was - inviting European specialists to work in Russia, buying materials, negotiating loans, finances, military operations, did not attract much attention.

In short, the Great Embassy of Peter the Great can be described as creating the basis for subsequent large-scale state reforms in Russia. in Europe was supposed to perform a number of tasks related to international relations, but its main result was to familiarize the young tsar with the technical achievements of Western civilization. During this long journey, Peter finally established himself in the intention to make Russia an influential power with a strong navy and an efficient army.

Goals

The official diplomatic task of the Great Embassy of Peter I was to strengthen the alliance of Christian countries to fight Turkey. The victories won by the Russian army in the Azov campaigns raised Russia's prestige in the eyes of European monarchs, which increased the chances of success in negotiations.

Another goal of the diplomatic mission was to form a coalition to confront Sweden, which at that moment was at the peak of its power and posed a real threat to both Russia and Western European states.

However, not only for the sake of negotiations, the Great Embassy of Peter 1 set off on a long journey. The briefly hidden goal of the diplomatic mission can be described as follows: to overcome Russia's technical lag behind the European powers in the field of shipbuilding and industrial production. To accomplish this task, it was required to hire foreign specialists for the service and purchase a large number of foreign weapons.

Start

The great embassy of Peter the Great to Europe set off in March 1697. The start of the diplomatic mission was overshadowed by an international scandal. The governor of Riga, which at that time was under the rule of Sweden, did not allow the young Russian tsar to inspect the city fortifications. This was a blatant disregard for the diplomatic norms of the time and caused understandable anger on the part of Peter. This incident worried the Swedish king, who demanded an explanation from the governor of Riga.

The tsar was in the embassy incognito, using a false name, but the representatives of the European states knew very well that the Russian monarch was personally leading the mission. The secret was not allowed to be preserved by the conspicuous appearance and unusually tall Grand Embassy, ​​in short, simplified diplomatic etiquette thanks to the formal incognito of the king.

The Russian mission was solemnly received in Konigsberg. Peter's secret negotiations with the Elector Frederick III on a joint struggle against the Ottoman Empire were not crowned with success, but the parties concluded a number of mutually beneficial trade agreements.

Netherlands

Dutch merchants regularly visited Arkhangelsk, so contacts between the two states existed long before the tsar-reformer came to power. Craftsmen and artisans from the Netherlands were in the service of Alexei Mikhailovich.

The Russian monarch personally took part in the construction of ships at shipyards. At the same time, the diplomatic mission was engaged in the recruitment of Dutch specialists who were supposed to help in the creation of the navy and the modernization of the army. However, the Great Embassy of Peter 1 was not able to accomplish all of the tasks in the Netherlands. After briefly familiarizing himself with the achievements of Dutch shipbuilding, the tsar found that local craftsmen did not know much about the art of creating drawings and this circumstance prevented them from sharing their experience.

England

The diplomatic mission headed for the shores at the personal invitation of the king. Peter, having heard that the British know how to design sea vessels much better than the Dutch, hoped to complete the development of the science of shipbuilding there. In Britain, he also worked at the Royal Dockyard under the guidance of experienced professionals. In addition, the young king visited arsenals, workshops, museums, observatories and universities. Despite the lack of special interest in the political structure of European states, he attended the parliamentary session.

Austria

The embassy arrived in Vienna to negotiate a joint fight against the Ottoman Empire. These efforts have yielded almost no results. Austria intended to conclude a peace treaty with the Turkish sultan and did not support Russia's aspirations to become a full-fledged maritime power. News of the rifle revolt forced the tsar to interrupt his diplomatic mission and return to Moscow.

results

In short, the results of the Great Embassy of Peter I can be called positive. Despite the absence of bright diplomatic victories, the foundation was laid for an alliance against Sweden in the impending Northern War. The tsar brought about 700 specialists to Russia, who later played a significant role in reforming and strengthening the army. The modernization of the country has become inevitable.

Plan
Introduction
1 Objectives of the Grand Embassy
2 Plenipotentiary ambassadors during the Grand Embassy
3 Intended places to visit
4 Beginning of the Great Embassy
5 The Polish question
6 Grand Embassy in Holland
7 Grand Embassy in England
8 Grand Embassy in Vienna
9 Polish-Russian negotiations
10 Perpetuation
Bibliography

Introduction

The Grand Embassy - the diplomatic mission of Russia to Western Europe in 1697-1698.

1. Objectives of the Grand Embassy

The embassy had several important tasks to fulfill:

1. Enlist the support of European countries in the fight against the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate;

2. Thanks to the support of the European powers, to obtain the northern coast of the Black Sea;

3. Raise the prestige of Russia in Europe by reporting the victory in the Azov campaigns;

4. Invite foreign specialists to the Russian service, order and purchase military materials and weapons;

5. Acquaintance of the king with the life and order of European countries.

However, its practical result was the creation of prerequisites for organizing a coalition against Sweden.

2. Plenipotentiary ambassadors during the Grand Embassy

Great plenipotentiary ambassadors were appointed:

1. Lefort Franz Yakovlevich - Admiral General, Novgorod Governor;

2. Golovin Fedor Alekseevich - general and military commissar, Siberian governor;

3. Voznitsyn Prokofiy Bogdanovich - Duma clerk, Belevsky governor.

With them there were more than 20 nobles and up to 35 volunteers, among whom was the sergeant of the Preobrazhensky regiment Peter Mikhailov - Tsar Peter I himself.

Formally, Peter followed incognito, but his conspicuous appearance easily betrayed him. And the tsar himself, during his travels, often preferred to personally lead negotiations with foreign rulers. Perhaps this behavior is due to the desire to simplify the conventions associated with diplomatic etiquette.

3. Intended places of visit

According to the order of the king, the embassy was sent to Austria, Saxony, Brandenburg, Holland, England, Venice and to the Pope. The path of the embassy went through Riga and Koenigsberg to Holland and England, from England the embassy returned back to Holland, and then it visited Vienna; the embassy did not reach Venice.

4. Beginning of the Great Embassy

On March 9-10, 1697, the embassy departed from Moscow to Livonia. In Riga, which was then the possession of Sweden, Peter wanted to inspect the fortifications of this fortress, but the Swedish governor, General Dahlberg, refused his request. The tsar got very angry, called Riga "a cursed place", but noticed something important for himself: leaving for Mitava, he wrote to Moscow about Riga like this:

We drove through the city and the castle, where the soldiers stood in five places, there were less than 1,000 people, and they say that they were all. The city is much more consolidated, just not finished. They are afraid of evil here, and they are not allowed into the city and other places and with the guard, and they are not very pleasant.

The embassy moved through Courland to Brandenburg, bypassing Poland, where there was an interregnum.

In Libau, Peter left the embassy and went by sea to Königsberg, where he arrived on May 7 after a five-day sea voyage on the ship "St. George" (sailing on May 2). In Königsberg, Peter I was warmly received by the Elector Frederick III (who later became King Frederick I of Prussia).

Since Peter I arrived in Königsberg incognito, they settled him not in the city castle, but in one of the private houses on the Kneiphof.

A few years after returning from the Great Embassy, ​​the construction of fortresses began on Kotlin Island. The project of these fortresses was approved by the tsar personally, and was drawn up on the model of the Friedrichsburg fortress, which Peter examined in Königsberg. To this day, only the main gate has survived from this fortress, but they were built in the middle of the 19th century during modernization instead of the old ones.

The embassy following the overland route lagged behind Peter, so in Pillau (now Baltiysk), so as not to waste time, the tsar began to learn artillery from the Prussian Lieutenant Colonel Steitner von Sternfeld. The teacher gave him a certificate, in which he testified that “ Mr. Petr Mikhailov, for a serviceable, cautious, well-skillful, courageous and fearless firearm master and artist, may be recognized and revered. »

In addition to studying artillery, Peter had a lot of fun and amusement. In the town of Coppenbrügge, Peter met two very educated ladies of that time - with the Elector of Hanover Sophia and her daughter Sophia-Charlotte, Elector of Brandenburg.

But the matter was not limited to entertainment and study alone. As you know, the Elector of Brandenburg, Frederick III of Hohenzollern, planned to declare himself king of East Prussia, which would allow him to dramatically increase his status in the Holy Roman Empire, which was carried out several years later. On the eve of this event, Frederick proposed to Peter to conclude a defensive and offensive alliance, but the king limited himself to a verbal promise of military support. The agreement drawn up dealt exclusively with trade - the right of Russia to transport its goods to European countries through the territory of the Elector, and to Brandenburg - to Persia and China through Russian territory. The first (secret) meeting between Peter I and Frederick III took place on May 9.

5. The Polish question

In Brandenburg, Peter was most worried about the question of Poland. During the Great Embassy in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, after the death of Jan Sobieski, an interregnum began. There were many candidates for the throne: the son of the late King Jan, Jacob Sobieski, Count Palatine Charles, Duke Leopold of Lorraine, Margrave of Baden Louis, grandson of Pope Odescalca, French Prince Conti, Saxon Elector Frederick August II and several Polish nobles. The main contenders were Conti and August.

Russia's attitude to this election was simple: no matter who was on the Polish throne, it was all the same, as long as Poland did not withdraw from the sacred union of the four powers before the conclusion of a common peace with the Turks; therefore, Russia had to oppose only one candidate - Prince Conti, because France was on friendly terms with the Ottoman Empire and hostile to Austria. Poland with the French king could easily submit to French policy, and indeed, the French envoy announced to the Polish nobles the Sultan's promise to conclude a separate peace with Poland and return Kamyanets-Podolsky to her if a French prince was elected king. Since this statement greatly strengthened the French party, Peter, in a letter sent to the Polish masters from Koenigsberg, stated that if the Polish nobles continued to support Prince Conti, this would greatly affect Russia's relations with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

On June 17, double elections were held: one party proclaimed Conti, the other - the Elector of Saxon. This was further reflected in the internal situation in the country: the confrontation between the two warring parties only intensified. The adherents of Augustus relied heavily on the royal charter, in their support Peter sent another of the same content; therefore the Saxon party began to take a clear advantage. To support Augustus, Peter moved the Russian army to the Lithuanian border. These actions of Peter allowed the Saxon elector to enter Poland and be crowned, having converted to Catholicism. At the same time, he gave him his word to support Russia in the struggle against the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate.

6. The Grand Embassy in Holland

Having reached the Rhine in early August 1697, Peter went down the river and canals to Amsterdam. Holland had long attracted the tsar, and in no other country in Europe at that time did they know Russia so well as in Holland. Dutch merchants were regular guests of the only Russian seaport of that time - the city of Arkhangelsk. Even during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Peter's father, there were a large number of Dutch artisans in Moscow; Peter's first teachers in maritime affairs, with Timmerman and Kort at the head, were the Dutch, many Dutch ship carpenters worked at Voronezh shipyards during the construction of ships for the capture of Azov. The burgomaster of Amsterdam Nikolaas Witsen was in Russia even during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and even traveled to the Caspian Sea. During his travels, Witsen developed a strong relationship with the Moscow court; he carried out orders from the tsarist government by order of ships in Holland, hired shipbuilders and all kinds of craftsmen for Russia.

Without stopping in Amsterdam, Peter went to Zaandam, a small town famous for its many shipyards and shipbuilding workshops. The next day, the tsar, under the name of Peter Mikhailov, signed up for the Linst Rogge shipyard.

In Zaandam, Peter lived in a wooden house on Crimp Street. After an eight-day stay in Zaandam, Peter moved to Amsterdam. Through the burgomaster of the city of Witzen, he secured permission for himself to work in the shipyards of the East India Company.

Having learned about the Russian guests' passion for shipbuilding, the Dutch side laid down a new ship at the Amsterdam shipyard (the frigate "Peter and Paul"), on the construction of which volunteers worked, including Peter Mikhailov. On November 16, the ship was successfully launched.

At the same time, activities were launched to recruit foreign specialists for the needs of the army and navy. In total, about 700 people were hired. Weapons were also purchased.

But Peter was not only engaged in shipbuilding in Holland: he traveled with Witzen and Lefort to Utrecht to meet with the Dutch stadtholder William of Orange. Witzen took Peter to whaling ships, hospitals, orphanages, factories, workshops. Peter studied the mechanism of a windmill, visited a paper mill. In the anatomical office of Professor Ruysch, the king attended lectures on anatomy and was especially interested in the methods of embalming corpses, for which the professor was famous. In Leiden in the anatomical theater Boerhaave, Peter himself took part in the autopsy. Passion for anatomy in the future was the reason for the creation of the first Russian museum - the Kunstkamera. In addition, Peter studied the technique of engraving and even made his own engraving, which he called "The Triumph of Christianity over Islam."

Russian diplomacy is considered the time of the reign of Peter I, whose reforms strengthened the Russian state and created conditions for the independent political and economic development of Russia. The successful overcoming of the decisive resistance of Europe (including the so-called allies) to the rise of Russia, the destruction of all attempts to form an anti-Russian military-political coalition is the greatest achievement of Peter's diplomacy. This, in particular, was expressed in the fact that Peter I conquered the Baltic coast over a huge stretch, and then forced Europe to recognize these just and justified acquisitions.

But unlike such his contemporaries as Louis XIV, Charles XII, George I, he was not a conqueror. The whole history of Peter the Great's diplomacy speaks of this with irresistible convincingness. Territorial annexation under Peter was justified by the vital security interests of Russia. And in the last analysis, they responded to Peter's constant concern for the establishment of "general silence in Europe", or, in modern language, his desire to ensure European security. The essence of Peter's diplomacy is accurately conveyed by the Pushkin image: "Russia entered Europe like a launched ship - with the clatter of an ax and the thunder of cannons." Geographically, Russia has always been a part of Europe, and only an unfortunate historical fate temporarily divided the development of the western and eastern parts of one continent. The significance of the Peter's reforms lies in the fact that they made international relations on our continent truly pan-European, corresponding to the geographical framework of Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals. This world-historical event has acquired enormous importance for the entire subsequent three-century history of Europe, right up to the present day.

This was largely due to Peter's brilliant idea to send the Great Russian Embassy to Western Europe exactly 320 years ago. In the history of diplomacy, it is difficult to find such a significant enterprise as it turned out. From the point of view of achieving specific foreign policy tasks assigned to this embassy, ​​it ended in failure. However, in terms of its real practical consequences, the Grand Embassy had a truly historic significance, primarily for relations between Russia and European countries, and later for the fate of all of Europe.

American historian R. Massey notes: “The consequences of this 18-month journey turned out to be extremely important, even if Peter's goals seemed narrow. He traveled to Europe with the determination to lead his country along the western path. For centuries, the isolated and closed old Muscovy now had to catch up with Europe and open itself to Europe. In a sense, the effect was mutual: the West influenced Peter, the tsar had a huge impact on Russia, and the modernized and reborn Russia had, in turn, a new, huge impact on Europe. Consequently, for all three - Peter, Russia and Europe - the Great Embassy was a turning point. "

EXPAND THE ANTI-TURKISH LEAGUE. BUT NOT ONLY

The Grand Embassy was sent by Peter I to the Emperor of Austria, the Kings of England and Denmark, the Pope, the Dutch states, the Elector of Brandenburg and Venice. The decree on the Great Embassy and its tasks was signed on December 16, 1696. The main goal was set before him - to expand and strengthen the anti-Turkish league, "to confirm the ancient friendship and love, for common to all Christianity, to weaken the enemies of the cross of the Lord - the Saltan of Tur, the Crimean Khan and all Busurman hordes, to the increasing increment of Christian sovereigns." At the same time, the Grand Embassy was supposed to look for experienced sailors and gunners, purchase equipment and materials for shipbuilding, and also take care of arranging "volunteers" abroad to teach crafts and military sciences. Thus, the Grand Embassy performed simultaneously the tasks of the diplomatic, military-diplomatic and consular services.

The main goals of the Grand Embassy, ​​writes Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky, were as follows: "With its numerous retinue, under the guise of a diplomatic assignment, it headed west with the aim of looking out for everything there, finding out, adopting masters, and enticing a European master." But, I think, not only the masters were going to "lure" the diplomats. The fact that the embassy was headed by one of the most experienced Russian military men of that time speaks volumes. It can be assumed that Peter then already conceived of "recapturing" the Baltic Sea, and therefore, along with the search for masters of warships, training in the construction of the latter, he collected and carefully studied all the information related to the state of the armed forces of Western Europe. This assumption is confirmed by the entire development of the situation related to the Great Embassy.

“The fifth Tsar Romanov had many ideas, inspired by the fresh wind from the West, but, as they say, it is better to see once than hear a hundred times. Peter equipped the Great Embassy of more than two hundred people, which included doctors, priests, scribes, translators, bodyguards; He also included his friends and young noblemen in it, so that they would learn the work as well, ”V.G. Grigoriev in the book "Tsar's Fates".

Officially, the diplomatic mission was headed by three "great ambassadors": General-Admiral Franz Yakovlevich Lefort (first ambassador), General-Kriegskommissar Boyar Fyodor Alekseevich Golovin (second ambassador) and Duma clerk Prokofiy Bogdanovich Voznitsyn (third ambassador). The ambassadors' retinue consisted of 20 nobles. 35 "volunteers" were sent to the embassy to go to the "science". Among the latter was Peter I himself under the name of Peter Mikhailov. Incognito gave him the opportunity to avoid lavish receptions and use travel abroad to get acquainted with European countries and study various crafts, at the same time taking a direct part in the affairs of the Grand Embassy.

EUROPE MEETS CHALLENGES

As the Russian state calendar says, "The Great Embassy of Tsar Peter I departed for Western Europe on March 9/22, 1697 ...". (By the way, the solemn ceremony of his return took place in Moscow on October 20, 1698. - V.V.). From the very beginning, it encountered significant difficulties in fulfilling its main task. At the center of Western European politics was at that time the forthcoming struggle for the Spanish inheritance and for the shores of the Baltic Sea. Therefore, even those states of Western Europe, which had already fought with Turkey, sought to end this war as soon as possible in order to free their forces. True, shortly before the departure of the Great Embassy from Moscow, in February 1697, the Russian envoy in Vienna Kozma Nefimonov managed to conclude a triple agreement with Austria and Venice against Turkey, but further this strengthening of the alliance against the Turks did not move.

First, the Grand Embassy went through Livonia and Courland to Königsberg, to the court of the Elector of Brandenburg. The first stop was made in Riga. And there it left an indelible impression on itself. So, the governor of the city, the Swede Dahlberg, noted: "Some Russians allowed themselves to walk around the city, climb high places and thus study its location, others went down into the ditches, examined their depth and sketched out plans of the main fortifications with a pencil."

Concerned about the actions of the Russians, the governor demanded from the first ambassador, Lefort, that he "cannot allow more than six Russians to be suddenly in the fortress, and there will be a guard going after them for greater safety." Even Peter (it would be more correct to say Peter Mikhailov, the sergeant of the Preobrazhensky regiment) did not make any indulgences: “And when the tsarist majesty, for his pleasure, deigned to go to the city with some persons from his retinue, then although he was truly known, but he was the same guard, as it is written above, they set them up and acted wickedly than with others, and gave less time to be in the city. "

Peter had no choice but to sit out in the local "hotel". There, however, he got the opportunity to compose a detailed letter sent to Moscow to clerk Andrei Vinius, who was in charge of the tsar's correspondence and summarizing all the observations made by the tsar abroad: “We drove through the city and the castle, where soldiers stood in five places, which were less than 1000 people , but they say that everyone was. The city is much fortified, only unfinished. " In the same letter, Peter in a separate line notes, as if by chance: "From now on I will write in secret ink - hold it on the fire and read it ... otherwise the local people are extremely curious."

Such a precaution was not unnecessary: ​​from the huge flow of information that literally fell upon the participants of the Great Embassy from the very first day, it was decided to focus on the main thing - the search for the shortest path to strengthening the military power of Russia and especially the creation of its own fleet. And there was no need to share the secrets received with the enemy, to inform the whole of Europe about our "white spots" in naval affairs.

POLISH QUESTION

The first in the business of obtaining information was the king himself. “While the companions of Peter I, burdened with ceremonial events, were on the move to Königsberg, the tsar, who arrived there a week earlier, managed to undergo a short course of artillery fire and received a certificate in which it testified that“ Mr. bombs both in the theory of science and in practice, a careful and skilful artist of fire. "

The Königsberg Treaty concluded with Brandenburg already outlined new paths in Russia's foreign policy, which soon led it to the Northern War. However, Peter I still intended to continue the war with Turkey.

While in Königsberg, he actively supported the candidacy of Frederick Augustus of Saxony in the elections of the king taking place in Poland at that time. He sent a special letter to the Diet, in which he strongly recommended the election of this candidate as opposed to the French protege Prince Conti, whose accession would have drawn Poland into the orbit of French politics and would have torn it away from an alliance with Russia against Turkey. At the same time, an impressive Russian army was moved to the Polish border. Thus, the election of the Saxon Elector, the future ally of Russia in the Northern War, was ensured.

No sooner had the gun barrels in Königsberg cooled down, as with a small retinue, Pyotr Mikhailov continued to move, almost without stopping, on the postal checkpoints in front of the entire Grand Embassy, ​​cities flashed one after another: Berlin, Brandenburg, Holberstadt. We stopped only at the famous factories of Ilsenburg, where the inquisitive Peter got acquainted with "the production of cast iron, the boiling of iron in pots, the forging of gun barrels, the production of pistols, sabers, and horseshoes." In Germany, Peter left several soldiers of the Preobrazhensky regiment, before whom he set the task of learning everything that the Germans know about artillery. One of the Transfigurations, Sergeant Korchmin, in his letters to the tsar listed everything that had already been comprehended and summed up: "And now we are learning trigonometry."

In his reply, Peter asked with amazement: how is the transfiguration S. Buzheninov "mastering the subtleties of mathematics, being completely illiterate." Korchmin said with dignity: "And I don't know about that, but God also enlightens the blind."

LEARNED TO BUILD SHIPS

From Brandenburg, the Grand Embassy went to Holland. In The Hague, where it arrived in September 1697, despite lively diplomatic activity (four conferences were held), it was not possible to achieve success, since the Netherlands made peace with France at that time and did not dare to provide material support to Russia in the fight against Turkey, an ally France. The Grand Embassy stayed in Amsterdam, where it was engaged in the hiring of sailors and engineers, as well as the procurement of materials and tools. “The Russian side expressed a wish, as soon as possible, to receive assistance with ships, weapons, cannons and artillery balls. The ambassadors asked the Netherlands to build seventy warships and over a hundred galleys for Russia. " This request "was not respected and was communicated to the ambassadors in a softened to the last degree of courtesy form."

The Russians spent nine months in Holland, the hosts negotiated slowly, and the guests were engaged not only in official diplomacy, but also in other matters, traveling around the country, they were interested in everything - from growing tulips to building ships and so on. In particular, Peter himself worked for four months as a ship's carpenter at one of the Dutch shipyards.

“His insatiable greed,” wrote S.M. Soloviev, - to see and know everything brought the Dutch escorts to despair: no excuses helped, only one could hear: this is what I have to see! "

After hospitable Holland on January 10 (23), 1698, Tsar Peter, accompanied by Jacob Bruce and Peter Postnikov, went to England, where he stayed for about two months. The stay of the tsar in England is evidenced by "Jurnal (magazine) in 205" and the records of the stay of the Russian autocrat, which later became historical relics. Most of all, Peter I stayed in Deptford, working at the shipyard (today one of the city streets is called Czar Street in his honor. - V.V.). In addition, he visited the main base of the English fleet Portsmouth, Oxford University, Greenwich Observatory, the Mint, the famous artillery arsenal and the Woolwich foundry, participated as an observer in a major naval exercise, and met Isaac Newton. Peter also visited the English parliament, where he said: "It's fun to hear when the sons of the fatherland tell the king clearly the truth, this must learn from the British", attended a meeting of the English Royal Society, had a meeting with the English king.

A trade agreement was signed in London, under which a monopoly on the tobacco trade in Russia was sold to Lord Carmarthen. When he was noticed that the Russians consider smoking a great sin, the tsar replied: "I will remake them in my own way when I return home!"

One of Peter's English impressions may have formed the basis for the idea of ​​creating a Pillar of Triumph in honor of victory in the Northern War: in 1698 in London, the tsar was "on a pillar" from which you can see all of London ", that is, probably on a column erected Christopher Wren after the London fire of 1666.

According to the Russian state calendar, during a trip to England, the tsar and his assistants managed to attract many British people to work in Russia: military, engineers, doctors, builders, even one architect, who then worked near Azov.

After England, the embassy was again on the continent, its path lay in Vienna. In 1698, Austria, mediated by England, began peace negotiations with Turkey. Peter, accompanied by the Grand Embassy, ​​went to Vienna, but he failed to prevent the conclusion of peace. During negotiations with the Austrian Chancellor, Count Kinsky, Peter insisted that the peace treaty ensure that Russia also receives Kerch in addition to Azov. This demand was not supported by the Austrians. The entire course of negotiations with them convinced Peter that Austria's withdrawal from the bilateral union had become a reality.

TIME FOR REFORM

The Grand Embassy was about to go further to Venice, when news came from Moscow that the archers took up arms for the second time: "They raised a riot, urging not to let the tsar into Moscow because he" believed "in the Germans and got along with them." ... Peter I was informed about the "theft of rioters, archers", which took place in the Toropets district and consisted in the fact that the four rifle regiments stationed there, heading for the Lithuanian border, refused to go there and, having replaced commanders, moved to Moscow. This message forced Peter to cancel his trip to Venice and return to his homeland.

Leaving P. Voznitsyn in Vienna as a representative for negotiations at the upcoming Karlovytsky Congress, Peter with the rest of the ambassadors left for Moscow. He regretted only one thing: his trip to Venice, where the embassy intended to get acquainted with the construction of galleys widely used in naval affairs, did not take place. A long-planned trip to Rome and Sweden also failed. In Rava-Ruska, he had a meeting with the Polish Augustus II. Here, on August 3, 1698, a verbal agreement was concluded about the war against Sweden.

According to the researchers, the main thing has been done. The tsar received tremendous information, visually sensed where the Moscow state was lagging behind and which path should be taken in the large-scale construction of its fleet and army. Literally from the first days of his return to Moscow, he began to carry out major, including military, reforms that caused a huge resonance both in Russia and abroad. Mikhail Venevitinov wrote: "The fruits of the Tsar's stay in Holland and the beneficial consequences of his first trip abroad were reflected in three ways in Russia, namely, on her civilization, on the creation of her sea power and on the spread of her dominion."

From the very beginning of the 18th century, Russia "is actively being drawn into the whirlpool of international politics", its ties with the Western European powers are being tied. In 1700, Russia begins a war for access to the Baltic (which went down in history as the Northern, which lasted twenty-one long years. - V.V.). More than ever, reliable information was important at this time - both political and military. Without them, both the state apparatus and the army are as if without hands. (This was soon convinced in the course of the tragic events for the Russian army near Narva, where Peter's troops suffered a crushing defeat. And one of the reasons for the latter is the lack of accurate data on the Swedish army, on the number of guns the enemy had, on the movement of cavalry. - V.V. .)

But literally the next day after Narva, the Russians again rushed "into battle": they began to create a new army, navy, poured cannons, and erected factories. Not the least attention was also paid to intelligence and counterintelligence in order to try to avoid the shame like the Narva beatings.

Carrying out his trips abroad, Peter I was in active correspondence with all Russian ambassadors and official residents at European courts. From these documents, as well as from the correspondence with Moscow, one can judge about the active leadership of Peter I in the foreign policy of Russia and the activities of all parts of the state apparatus, including the diplomatic one.

Peter I no longer gives instructions in his orders to “seek providence in deeds as God instructs”. Now he is well versed in the complex international situation in Europe at the end of the 17th century and, accordingly, sends his residents down to the smallest detail instructions (orders). Interesting is the instruction drawn up by the embassy and edited by Peter himself, to the captain of the Lefortov regiment G. Ostrovsky dated October 2, 1697. Ostrovsky followed with the Grand Embassy as an interpreter (translator) of Latin, Italian and Polish. He was ordered to go to the Slavic lands to study them, as well as to select officers and sailors.

Of course, now such a mandate raises a smile today, since part of the information required in it can be obtained from a geography textbook on Western European countries. But in those days, such textbooks did not exist. On September 4, 1697, by order of Peter I, a book-atlas with a description and with drawings of all states was purchased in Amsterdam "For knowledge of the ways." But, apparently, the atlas did not satisfy Peter I, and it was impossible to find concrete answers to the questions posed in the mandate in it.

Thus, the Grand Embassy played a great role in the great deeds of Peter I. It also turned out to be the beginning of Peter's diplomacy, a historic milestone, after which the transformation of Russia and the process of its all-round, primarily diplomatic, rapprochement with Western Europe begins. Today you can find many similarities in our relations with Europe at the turn of the 17th – 18th centuries. It is not for nothing that they say that history moves in a spiral and new events - to one degree or another - are a repetition of previous ones. 320 years ago Peter the Great solved this problem successfully. Will we be able to repeat his successes on a new round of the historical spiral?