|
|
OPPOSITION TO THE REFORMS AND PETER'S LAST YEARS
|
|
As
Peter I understood the vital interests of Russia, and devoted
the whole reign of his to strengthen Russia's position for
those interests, he deserved the nickname "the
Great", which has been attached to his name for ever. His
merits are remarkable although his policy not always was free
of errors; apart from great achievements, there were major
setbacks, which - like for example during the Prut Campaign -
could spell a disaster. |
 |
Russia's Europeanisation
was, beyond any doubts, necessary, but some social
classes, especially the peasantry and clergy, received
it reluctantly, or even hostile. To some degree it was conditioned by Peter's cruelty,
most clearly demonstrated after the reprisals following the streltsi revolt, Astrakhan uprising or the Third Peasant War
led by Kondrat Bulavin. Even with his associates Peter used to
be sometimes nice, and generous for money and titles, and
sometimes hot-tempered and rude. Simpletons hated him for
reforms, whose essence they did not understand, for burdening
taxes, for drudging labour, and also for the czar's
disrespectful attitude towards ancient traditions and
ecclesiastic rituals, which Peter and his suite many a time
demonstrated through mocking
masquerades
and processions.But it has to
be stated unequivocally, that in Russia of the beginning of
the 18th century Peter the Great personified the social
progress, while the opponents of the reforms were getting in
the way of this progress. As a result of various historic
processes it happened that representatives of that silent but
growing opposition originated, as a rule, from the upper
clergy and aristocracy, and gathered around Peter's son,
Alexis. They did not create any uniform front opposing the
reforms; they just offered their friendship and trust to
Alexis, and conducted with him frank conversations. The prince
differed from his father both in respect of temperament and
philosophy, although it is difficult to attach any special
importance to both in a young man born in 1690. Alexis was
born from Peter's marriage with his first wife, Eudoxia
Lopukhina, who was later divorced and sent to one of the
convents in the province of Suzdal. All that caused that the
relations between the father and the son remained cool, and
main feelings they nursed about each other were fear and drive
to suppress any resistance.
The relations between the czar and the prince got complicated
even more after the second Peter's marriage with a woman of
very badly compromised reputation, a mistress from Livonia,
Martha (Catherine) Skavronskaya. They aggravated even more
after a boy was born out of this marriage. The conflict became
so acute that in 1716 the prince, in quite unclear
circumstances, left Russia for Vienna, and then for Naples.
There Peter's envoys found him, and through various
persuasions and promises induced Alexis to return. And then
came the tragedy. In the beginning of 1718 Peter announced the
manifesto that deprived Alexis of the right to inherit the
throne, and ordered to investigate into the circumstances of
the prince's escape abroad. The investigation, victims to
which fell many persons close to Alexis, under tortures and
threats of death punishment, extorted admissions that the
prince reportedly had some far-fetching plans concerning his
father and awaited his death to seize the throne and undo the
reforms. There is a lot of legends, innuendoes and guessing
surrounding the Alexis affair, but it is known that a special
tribunal had tortured and sentenced him to death. The poor
young man died in prison before the execution and passed to
the History as the main and the most zealous enemy of his
father, his reforms and the whole Russia, which, in case of
Alexis' ascension to the throne, would regress socially and
collapse. It all is not entirely indisputable if one keeps in
mind that Alexis, who indeed admired old Muscovite life and
was troubled by his father's various innovations, was a rather
weak person and not once asked from Peter a permission to
retire to a monastery. And regardless of the degree of truth
in the accusations against Alexis, father's shrift with son
has never been perceived favourably.
In 1722 Peter I issued the law, according to which every
emperor had a right to appoint his successor at will. But the
practical execution of that law was difficult: Alexis was
dead, Peter's two sons from the second marriage also died,
appointing the son of Alexis (born in 1715) was out of
question; only Peter's two daughters, both from the second
marriage, could be considered, as well as two daughters of
Ivan V (died in 1696). Peter hesitated and eventually he did
not appoint a successor, as in the beginning of 1725 he died
in result of acute pneumonia, which even his Herculean
organism was not able to withstand. |
|
M.
Arushev
|
|
|
