Reforms during the reign of Peter the Great 1. Reforms of Peter the Great and their role in the development of the state. Significance and consequences of reforms

Many people know that the changes carried out by Peter I radically changed the state. The transformations affected all spheres of life of Russian citizens, leaving a major mark on history.

The reforms were of great importance for the further development of the country, laid the foundation for numerous achievements in all spheres of life of the state and its citizens.

It is very difficult to cover all the innovations that turned the structure of Russia at the beginning of the 18th century in one article, but we will try to briefly describe what transformations broke the old social order.

Peter I with his reforms affected almost all spheres of life.

Transformations took place simultaneously in the most important areas of state activity:

• army;
• estates;
• public administration;
• church;
• economics and finance;
• science, culture and education.

The activities of most areas have changed fundamentally.

Most of all, the sovereign dreamed of creating a fleet and developing maritime trade relations with Europe. To achieve this goal, he went on a journey. Returning after visiting several European countries, the tsar saw how much Russia lagged behind in its development.

Moreover, backwardness from Europe was manifested in all spheres of activity. Peter understood that without reforms, Russia would forever lose the opportunity to compare in terms of development with European states. The need for transformation is long overdue, and in all areas of life at once.

Thus, the Boyar Duma did not fulfill its intended function of governing the country. The training and armament of the archery troops was not good. If necessary, it is unlikely that the soldiers would have coped with their task. The level of industrial production, education and culture was significantly lower than the European one.

Although there have already been some shifts towards development. Cities were separated from villages, crafts and agriculture were separated, industrial enterprises appeared.

The path of Russia's development passed in two directions: something was borrowed from the West, something developed independently. On such a basis, Peter I began global transformations in Russia.

The objectives of the reforms are summarized in the table:

Military reforms

The most famous transformation of Peter I was the creation of a navy. Under Peter I, about 800 galleys and 50 sailboats were built.

The reform of the army introduced regular regiments of the new order. These changes began under Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. But then the regiments gathered only for the duration of the hostilities, and after the end they disbanded.

The reorganization consisted in the fact that the soldiers were specially recruited for the regular army. They were removed from their families and could not do anything except military affairs. The Cossacks ceased to be a free ally. An obligation was imposed on him to regularly supply a certain number of troops.

social change

Thanks to the reforms of Peter, the life of all sectors of society has changed. The nobles were forced to serve on an equal footing with everyone else. They started, like everyone else, from the lowest ranks. The rest could rise to the highest ranks on a par with the nobility. The "Table of Ranks" was published. 14 ranks of service were appointed in it.

Compulsory training was introduced to prepare for the service. It included literacy, arithmetic (at that time tsifir), geometry. The passage of training was also mandatory for the nobility.

In addition, after completion there was an exam. If a nobleman did not pass it, he was forbidden to receive an officer's rank and marry.

But change could not happen overnight. In fact, the nobles still had privileges.

They were immediately assigned to the guards regiments and did not always start their service from the lower ranks.

Despite this, there were many discontents from the nobility. But this did not change the reforms of Peter I.

There were also changes in the life of the peasants. Instead of household taxation, poll tax appeared.

An important decree on uniform inheritance was issued. According to this decree, the nobles had the right to leave their real estate to only one person. It could be an older child, or it could be another person by will.

Governance reforms

A new state body appeared - the Governing Senate. Its members were appointed by the king himself. The Prosecutor General supervised the work of this body. At first, the Governing Senate had only an administrative function, a little later a legislative function appeared.

The Boyar Duma finally lost its significance and influence on the tsar. The emperor discussed all matters with his close associates, who were few.

There have been changes in the management of various areas. Orders were replaced by colleges.

The last ones were 12:

• church;
• marine;
• military;
• foreign affairs;
• trading;
• by income;
• on expenses;
• financial;
• mining industry;
• manufacturing industry;
• justice;
• urban.

Note! Initially, the members of these boards were equal and consulted among themselves. The leadership of the collegiums by the minister appeared later.

Another transformation concerns the division of Russia. The country was divided into provinces, which, in turn, included provinces and counties. In the latter, the governor was appointed head, and in the provinces the governor was the head.

One of the reforms of Peter I became a key one in history. It brought with it an era of palace coups. The king changed the law of succession to the throne. Under the new law, the sovereign himself could appoint an heir.

The economic changes are summarized in the table:

Financial reforms were manifested in the fact that the taxation system changed. There were more and more so-called indirect taxes. Taxes were imposed on such things as stamped paper, bathhouses, and beards. The coins were minted light.

A new position was invented - a profit-maker. These people suggested to the king what else could be taxed. These measures led to a significant increase in the treasury.

The church reform of Peter I made the church dependent on the tsar. After the death of the last patriarch Adrian, the patriarchate ceased to exist. The Holy Synod appeared. This college represented the clergy. Its members were elected not by the church, but by the sovereign. The monasteries were also under state control.

Science, culture and education also did not stand aside from the transformations of Peter, the sovereign tried his best to give Russia a Western look.

Among the nobility and nobility began to arrange social receptions in the Western manner. The upper class were ordered to cut their beards. European clothing was introduced into fashion, home improvement changed in imitation of London and Paris. Western literature was translated into Russian.

Significant transformations were undertaken in the field of education of noble offspring. Peter I opened several schools in which the humanitarian component of education faded into the background. Much attention was paid to the exact sciences. There have also been changes in writing. The old letter was replaced with a modern one.

Important! Under Peter I, the first public newspaper, Moskovskie Vedomosti, began to be published.

A table will help to briefly list the main directions of reforms and their achievements:

The most important transformation events with dates are reflected in the following chronological list:

• 1708-1710 - the establishment of eight provinces;
• 1711 - establishment of the Senate;
• 1712 - the emergence of companies in trade and industry;
• 1714 - decree on the transfer of real estate;
• 1718 - population census;
• 1718-1720 - the appearance of colleges;
• 1718-1724 - reform of the poll taxation of peasants;
• 1719 - division of the country into provinces and provinces;
• 1721 - the beginning of the dependence of the church on the state;
• 1722 - "Table of Ranks";
• 1722 - shop organization;
• 1724 - the introduction of large taxes on imported goods.

Features of reforms

The transformations carried out by Peter I were among the most unusual in the history of Russia.

The features of the reforms of Peter I were that they:

• they covered all spheres of life;
• transformations took place very quickly;
• coercive methods were most used;
• all the transformations of Peter were aimed at imitating Europe.

The main feature of the reforms of Peter I can be called his direct participation in all ongoing reforms.

What happened after the transformations were completed:

• centralized power;
• strong army and navy;
• stability in the economic sphere;
• the abolition of the patriarchate;
• loss of independence by the church;
• a big step forward in the development of science and culture;
• creating the basis for Russian education.

Useful video

Summing up

As a result of the reforms of Peter I in Russia, there was a significant rise in all spheres of life. The transformation provided not only a huge leap in development, but also a good basis for further progress. The country began to develop at an accelerated pace.

In contact with

The reforms of Peter I are changes that affected the public and state life of Russia during the reign of the emperor. At the initial stages, they were hasty and not always deliberate. After the end of the Northern War, they became more systematic.

In the 17th-18th centuries, transformations took place in Russia that covered all aspects of the life of the country. Most of them were connected with the activities of Tsar Peter I. The reforms that he carried out were aimed not at the interests of one estate, but at the prosperity of the state as a whole. Their goal was to make Russia one of the strongest countries in the world.

Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov was born in 1672. Father - Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, mother - Natalya Kirillovna from the Naryshkin family. From 1689 to 1696 he ruled jointly with his brother Ivan until the death of the latter.
In 1697 - 1698 he traveled around Europe under a false name. He received great knowledge in the sciences, shipbuilding, and mechanics. He made acquaintances with many European kings.

During his reign, he carried out many reforms that affected the system of government, the economy, industry, science and culture. The church was subordinate to the state, the power of the monarch became absolute. New cities, factories, manufactories, shipyards were built.

Participated in the battles of the Northern War, Azov, Prut, Persian military campaigns. He died in 1725 from pneumonia.

Basic conversions

Burmister Chamber- the central body in charge of the self-government of the urban population and the collection of taxes.

Stamped paper- a special paper with a coat of arms that was sold by the government. It was used to draw up official documents, contracts, etc.

Table of ranks- a list of military, civil and court positions introduced by Peter.

Significance and consequences of reforms

Thanks to innovations, the efficiency of power in Russia has increased significantly.
The country confidently became part of the European community. Great achievements have been noted in industry and commerce, science and art. Along with this, the role of the monarch in the role of the state increased, his power became absolute.

However, the increase in tax collections led to the impoverishment of the bulk of the population. The introduction of European traditions and cultural values, as well as the decline in the influence of the church, led to an aggravation of social problems.

References:

1. Pavlenko N.I. Peter the First. Moscow: Young Guard, 1975
2. Platonov S.F. A complete course of lectures on Russian history. Domestic activity of Peter since 1700. M., 1996
3. History of Russia from ancient times to the beginning of the 21st century. Under the editorship of academician Milov L.V.
4. Solovyov S.M. History of Russia since ancient times. Volume 18
5. Anisimov E.V. Time of Peter's reforms. Leningrad, 1989

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History table: Reforms of Emperor Peter I

Peter I is one of the most prominent rulers of the Russian state, who ruled from 1682 to 1721. During his reign, reforms were carried out in many areas, many wars were won, and the foundation was laid for the future greatness of the Russian Empire!

Table navigation: Reforms of Peter 1:

The wise man avoids all extremes.

Lao Tzu

The reforms of Peter 1 are his main and key activities, which were aimed at changing not only the political, but also the social life of Russian society. According to Peter Alekseevich, Russia lagged far behind the Western countries in its development. This confidence of the king was further strengthened after he conducted a great embassy. Trying to transform the country, Peter 1 changed almost all aspects of the life of the Russian state, which took shape over the centuries.

What was the reform of the central government

The reform of the central government was one of the first transformations of Peter. It should be noted that this reformation continued for a long time, since it was based on the need to completely restructure the work of the Russian authorities.

The reforms of Peter 1 in the field of central administration began in 1699. At the initial stage, this change affected only the Boyar Duma, which was renamed the Near Chancellery. With this step, the Russian tsar removed the boyars from power, allowed him to concentrate power in a more pliable and loyal office. This was an important step that required priority implementation, since it allowed the centralization of the country's administration.

The Senate and its functions

At the next stage, the king organized the Senate as the main body of government in the country. It happened in 1711. The Senate became one of the key bodies in governing the country, with the broadest powers, which were as follows:

• Legislative activity
• Administrative activity
• Judicial functions in the country
• Control functions for other bodies

The Senate consisted of 9 people. These were representatives of noble families, or people who were exalted by Peter himself. In this form, the Senate existed until 1722, when the emperor approved the post of prosecutor general, who controlled the legality of the activities of the Senate. Prior to this, this body was independent and did not carry any report.

Creation of boards

The reform of the central administration continued in 1718. For three whole years (1718-1720) it took the reformer tsar to get rid of the last legacy of his predecessors - orders. All orders in the country were abolished and boards came in their place. There was no actual difference between the colleges and orders, but in order to radically change the administrative apparatus, Peter went for this transformation. In total, the following bodies were created:

• College of Foreign Affairs. She was in charge of the foreign policy of the state.
• Military board. Engaged in ground forces.
• Admiralty Board. Controlled the Russian Navy.
• Office of Justice. Handled litigation, including civil and criminal cases.
• Berg College. Under her command was the country's mining industry, as well as factories for this industry.
• Manufactory College. Engaged in the entire manufacturing industry in Russia.

In fact, only one difference between collegiums and orders can be singled out. If in the latter the decision was always made by one person, then after the reform all decisions were made collectively. Of course, not many people decided, but the leader always had several advisers. They helped me make the right decision. After the introduction of the new system, a special system was developed to control the activities of the collegiums. For these purposes, the General Regulations were created. It was not general, but was published for each collegium in accordance with its specific work.

secret office

Peter created a secret office in the country, which dealt with cases of state crimes. This office replaced the Preobrazhensky order, which dealt with the same issues. It was a specific state body that was not subordinate to anyone except Peter the Great. In fact, with the help of the secret office, the emperor maintained order in the country.

Decree on unity. Table of ranks.

The decree on single inheritance was signed by the Russian tsar in 1714. Its essence boiled down, in addition to everything else, to the fact that the courts, which belonged to the boyar and noble estates, were completely equated. Thus, Peter pursued one single goal - to equalize the knowledge of all levels that were represented in the country. This ruler is known for the fact that he could bring a person without a family closer to him. After signing this law, he could give each of them what they deserved.

This reform continued in 1722. Peter introduced the Table of Ranks. In fact, this document equalized the rights in the public service for aristocrats of any origin. This Table divided the entire public service into two large categories: civil and military. Regardless of the type of service, all state ranks were divided into 14 ranks (classes). They included all key positions, ranging from simple performers to managers.

All ranks were divided into the following categories:

• 14-9 levels. An official who was in these ranks received the nobility and peasants in his possession. The only restriction was that such a nobleman could use the property, but not dispose of it as property. In addition, the estate could not be inherited.
• 8 - 1 level. This is the highest administration, which not only became the nobility and received full control of possessions, as well as serfs, but also got the opportunity to transfer their property by inheritance.

Regional reform

The reforms of Peter 1 affected many areas of the life of the state, including the work of local governments. The regional reform of Russia was planned for a long time, but was carried out by Peter in 1708. It completely changed the work of the local government apparatus. The whole country was divided into separate provinces, of which there were 8 in total:

• Moscow
• Ingermanlandskaya (later renamed Petersburg)
• Smolensk
• Kyiv
• Azov
• Kazanskaya
• Arkhangelsk
• Simbirskaya

Each province was governed by a governor. He was personally appointed by the king. The entire administrative, judicial and military power was concentrated in the hands of the governor. Since the provinces were quite large in size, they were divided into counties. The counties were later renamed provinces.

The total number of provinces in Russia in 1719 was 50. The provinces were ruled by voivodes, who led the military power. As a result, the governor's power was somewhat curtailed, as the new regional reform took away all military power from them.

City government reform

Changes at the level of local government prompted the king to reorganize the system of government in the cities. This was an important issue, since the urban population increased every year. For example, by the end of Peter's life, there were already 350,000 people living in the cities, who belonged to different classes and estates. This required the creation of bodies that would work with every estate in the city. As a result, the city administration was reformed.

Special attention in this reform was paid to the townspeople. Previously, their affairs were handled by governors. The new reform transferred power over this estate into the hands of the Chamber of Burmese. It was an elected body of power, which was located in Moscow, and in the field this chamber was represented by individual burmisters. It was only in 1720 that the Chief Magistrate was created, who was in charge of control functions in relation to the activities of the burmisters.

It should be noted that the reforms of Peter the Great in the field of city government introduced clear distinctions between ordinary citizens, who were divided into "regular" and "mean". The first belonged to the highest inhabitants of the city, and the second - to the lower classes. These categories were not unambiguous. For example, "regular citizens" were divided into: wealthy merchants (doctors, pharmacists and others), as well as simple artisans and merchants. All "regular" enjoyed great support from the state, which endowed them with various benefits.

The urban reform was quite effective, but it had a clear bias towards wealthy citizens who received the maximum support from the state. Thus, the tsar created a situation in which it became somewhat easier for cities to live, and in response, the most influential and wealthy citizens supported power.

Church reform

The reforms of Peter 1 did not bypass the church. In fact, new transformations finally subordinated the church to the state. This reform actually began in 1700, with the death of Patriarch Adrian. Peter forbade the election of a new patriarch. The reason was quite convincing - Russia entered the Northern War, which means that electoral and church affairs can wait for better times. Stefan Yavorsky was appointed to temporarily perform the duties of the Patriarch of Moscow.

The most significant transformations in the life of the church began after the end of the war with Sweden in 1721. The reform of the church was reduced to the following main steps:

• The institution of the patriarchate was completely eliminated, from now on there should not have been such a position in the church
• The church was losing its independence. From now on, all its affairs were managed by the Spiritual College, created specifically for these purposes.

The spiritual college lasted less than a year. It was replaced by a new body of state power - the Holy Governing Synod. It consisted of clerics who were personally appointed by the emperor of Russia. In fact, from that time on, the church was finally subordinated to the state, and the emperor himself, through the Synod, was actually involved in its management. To exercise control functions over the activities of the synod, the position of chief prosecutor was introduced. This was an official whom the emperor also appointed himself.

Peter saw the role of the church in the life of the state in that it had to teach the peasants to respect and honor the tsar (emperor). As a result, laws were even developed that obliged the priests to conduct special conversations with the peasants, convincing them to obey their ruler in everything.

The significance of Peter's reforms

The reforms of Peter 1 actually completely changed the order of life in Russia. Some of the reforms really brought a positive effect, some created negative prerequisites. For example, the reform of local government led to a sharp increase in the number of officials, as a result of which corruption and embezzlement in the country literally rolled over.

In general, the reforms of Peter 1 had the following meaning:

• The power of the state was strengthened.
• The upper classes of society were actually equated in opportunities and rights. Thus, the boundaries between classes were erased.
• Complete subordination of the church to state power.

The results of the reforms cannot be singled out unambiguously, since they had many negative aspects, but you can learn about this from our special material.

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Reforms of public administration of Emperor Peter 1

Historians call the Petrine reforms of the central administration the large-scale transformations of the state apparatus that took place during the reign of Peter the Great. The main innovations of the ruler are the creation of the Governing Senate, as well as the complete replacement of the system of orders by Collegia, the formation of the royal Secret Office of the Holy Synod.

During the formation of Peter on the throne, the nobles acted as a key post of state administration, who received their rank by the right of their surname and origin. Peter, who came to power, understood that the established system of government was one of the weak links. What exactly is it that hinders the country in its development.

Traveling around Europe from 1697 to 1698, the king as part of the Great Embassy allowed him to get acquainted with the system of administrative bodies in European states. Based on them, he decides to carry out reforms in Russia.

With the beginning of Peter's power, the Boyar Duma began to lose its power and subsequently turned into an ordinary bureaucratic department. From 1701, all its work was delegated to a new body called the "Concil of Ministers", which was a council of chiefs of the most important government bodies. At the same time, it included many of the same boyars.

Two years before this, the Near Office is created, which controls the financial transactions of each order and makes administrative decisions. All royal advisers were required to sign the most important documents and register these events in a special book of nominal decrees.

Establishment of the Senate

On March 2, 1711, Peter the Great formed the so-called Governing Senate, which is the highest body of administrative, judicial and legislative power. The tsar assigned all his duties to this body during his absence, because frequent trips due to the Northern War could not stop the development of the state. At the same time, this administrative body was completely subordinate to the royal will and had a collegiate structure, the members of which were personally selected by Peter. On February 22, 1711, a new additional post of fiscal was created, which was supposed to carry out additional supervision during the absence of the king for officials.

The formation and development of colleges takes place in the period from 1718 to 1726. In them, the king saw an organ capable of replacing the outdated system of slow orders, which, for the most part, only duplicated each other's functions.

Appearing, colleges completely absorbed orders, and in the period from 1718 to 1720, the presidents of the educated Colleges even are senators and personally sit in the Senate. It should be noted that later only the main Colleges remained in the Senate:

• Foreign Affairs;
• Admiralty;
• Military.

The formation of the above-described system of boards completes the process of bureaucratization and centralization of the state apparatus of Russia. The division of departmental functions, as well as the general norms of activity regulated by the General Regulations, is the main difference between the updated Petrine apparatus and the previous management system.

General Regulations

By royal decree of May 9, 1718, the presidents of the three colleges were instructed to begin the development of a document called the General Regulations, which would be a system of office work and be based on the Swedish charter. This system later became known as "college". In fact, the regulations approved a collegial way of discussing and resolving cases, as well as organizing office work and regulating relations with self-government bodies and the Senate.

On March 10, 1720, this document was approved and signed by the ruler of Russia, Peter the Great. The charter included an introduction, as well as fifty-six chapters with general principles for the operation of the apparatus of each state institution and various appendices for the interpretation of new foreign words that were in the text of the General Regulations.

Holy Synod

Before the end of the Northern War, Peter the Great begins to plan his church transformations. He orders Bishop Feofan Prokopovich to start developing the Spiritual Regulations, and on February 5, 1721, the Tsar approves and signs the establishment of the Spiritual College, which will later become known as the "Holy Governing Synod."

Each member of this body was required to personally swear allegiance to the king. On May 11, 1722, the post of chief prosecutor appeared, supervising the activities of the Synod and reporting all the news to the ruler.

Having created the Synod, the sovereign introduced the church into the mechanism of the state, in fact likening it to one of the many existing administrative institutions at that time, endowed with certain functions and responsibilities.

Scheme of government under Peter I

Table: reforms of Peter I in the field of public administration

Scheme: local self-government after the management reforms of Peter I

Video lecture: Reforms of Peter I in the field of management