1. Nick Tartaglia

2. Peter the Great was born in Moscow on June 9,1672. He is the son of Czar Alexis I, who ruled Russia from 1645 until 1676.

3. Peter’s education ended at age 10. As a child, Peter enjoyed playing games. Peter learned Dutch and was very fluent at it. Peter started as a tsar at age 10.

4. Peter the Great married twice; His first wife’s name was Eudoxia. He had eleven children. Many, however, died at birth.

5. Peter wanted a strong, educated army and navy. He had a large desire to expand Russia. He tried to make Russia modern like Europe. He also shared rule of Russia with his half brother Ivan V at the start of his reign.

6. Peter went to Europe for a tour in 1697. He was amazed with the technology of Western Europe. He then wanted to make Russia more like Europe.

7. A large part of Peter’s reign was spent involved in the Great Northern War. After winning the war with Sweden, Russia was called an empire and Peter the Great was named the emperor. He also gained access to the Baltic Sea and the Baltic trade.

8. During the Great Northern War, Peter built a new capitol, Saint Petersburg, in the early 1700s. Saint Petersburg was like a European city with elegant places, public squares, and canals. It was founded on May 16, 1703. It was the capitol of Russia for more than 200 years. It is Russia’s second largest city.

9. In 1724, Peter jumped into the Gulf of Finland to save a soldier who’s ship had been stuck on a sandbar. He caught a cold, and became very ill. Peter then died on February 8, 1725.