Peter I was born on 30 May 1672. When Peter was a child several teachers were delegated to teach him. Among Peter’s tutors were Patrick Gordon, Nikita Zotov and Paul Menesius. This process was commissioned by Tsar Alexis I.In 1676 Tsar Alexis I died. As a result the power was left to Feodor III who was Peter’s elder half-brother. He died in 1682 and there were not his descendants. Consequently there was a conflict for power between the Miloslavsky and Naryshkin families. Other half-brother of Peter, Ivan V, was heir to the throne but his health declined. As a result at the age of ten Peter became Tsar chosen by the Boyar Duma.Peter was interested in shipping and shipbuilding. He was a tall man and his height was about 200 cm. He did not have square shoulders and his feet and hands were small. Moreover Peter’s head was small for his figure. In accordance with his mother’s desire Peter married. The marriage was in 1689 and Eudoxia Lopukhina became his wife. 10 years later the marriage broke down and Peter’s wife became a nun.In 1689 the power was in the hands of Peter’s half-sister Sophia. Because of two ineffective Crimean campaigns her authority was undermined and Peter planned to take power. Peter could become an independent ruler only in 1694 when his mother died. Officially there were two rulers: Peter and Ivan V. In 1696 Peter became the absolute ruler when Ivan V died.On 19 August 1700 Peter declared war on Sweden. The main aim of the war was to acquire control of the Baltic Sea. At that time it was under Swedish Empire control. Denmark-Norway, Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth supported Peter. In 1721 the Treaty of Nystad ended and the Russian Empire acquired control of the Baltic Sea. This war went down in history as Great Northern War.
