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Travel like a Tsar How did Peter I tour all of Europe according to the modern “work & travel” principle?
T he monarchs of bygone times had prac- tically unlimited power, but it was diffi- cult for them to marry for love or to travel wherever they wanted. Peter Alekseyevich Romanov, who ascended to the Russian throne in 1682, broke the rules and became the first Russian tsar to travel Europe. His trips were also more educational than diplomatic
possessed colonies in the Americas, Asia and Africa. Upon arriving in the Netherlands, Tsar Peter set- tled in Saenredam (today’s Zaandam), which was then home to around 50 shipyards, 200 sawmills and 140 paper factories. There was also a factory for the pro- duction of sails, ropes, anchors and other nautical equipment. The emperor stayed at the house of black-
smith Gerrit Kist, bought tools and found work as a shipyard carpenter, spending his spare time studying overall production in the city and in- teracting with locals. Peter next relocated from Saenredam to Am- sterdam, where the local mayor suggested that the emperor work in the shipyard of the Dutch East India Company, finding him a house to stay in and even instigating work on a new frigate, named “Peter and Paul”, especially for him. Peter was happy to finally be able to work on building a ship and to monitor how the works unfolded from the outset to the ship’s launch.
Peter the Great was an energetic and vigor- ous man. He adored military affairs from a ten- der age and even built a “pretend” army on his estate. He liked to beat the drum, while he al- so engaged in woodcarving and studied natural sciences. However, the young emperor’s great- est interest was in ships. He had a passionate dream to build them, but Russia didn’t have a fleet at that time, so the 25-year-old Peter trav- elled to other countries in an effort to gain the required knowledge. This great ruler wanted to travel incognito and went under the pseudonym Peter Mikhailov, but his distinctive appearance was too conspic- uous for his movements to remain a secret. Pe- ter was a very tall and slender man, with narrow shoulders and small hands and head. Nature had gifted him with beautiful and regular facial fea- tures, which in moments of excitement would be distorted by his nervous spasms. The great journey of the Russian emperor
Peter Alekseyevich Romanov, who ascended to the Russian throne in 1682, became the first Russian tsar to travel Europe
The tsar combined his work at the shipyard and diplomatic correspondence with tours of museums, theatres and factories, and the pur- chasing of weapons. He also studied printing, medicine, mathematics and physics, visited ana- tomical theatres and executions, learned the art of engraving from Adrian Schönebeck, bought parrots, monkeys and stuffed crocodiles, studied the microscope and practiced extracting teeth. It was also in the Netherlands that Peter met King William III of England, who was simultaneously also the stadtholder (ruler) of the Netherlands. William in- vited the Russian emperor to stay as his guest. When the frigate Peter and Paul was completed, Peter – having received the title of shipmaster – set sail for London. While the tsar had dealt with the practical side of shipbuilding in the Netherlands, he would study the theory in England. Under the patronage of Wil- liam III, this “student” was granted access to the ship- yards of Deptford, Portsmouth and Chatham, as well as the artillery plant at Woolwich, and wherever he went he would try to obtain drawings, paintings and models of ships. Peter also actively studied mathe-
began in March 1697, with his route to Europe lead- ing through Tver, Novgorod, Pskov and Riga. His del- egation headed from there to Germany, ending up in various cities and castles. The emperor had an oppor- tunity to see temples with organs there, but also for- tresses and metallurgical factories. In Königsberg (to- day's Kaliningrad), Peter studied artillery and ballistics, even receiving a certificate for his efforts. The Russian emperor didn’t spend too long in Germany – travel- ling via Berlin, virtually without leaving the carriage in Coppenbrügge to visit two German princesses, he immediately departed for the Netherlands. During this period of the late 17 th century, the Dutch practi- cally had a monopoly on maritime trade routes and
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