L russia in the 18 th century Russia under Peter I

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L.7. Russia in the 18
th
 century
Russia under Peter I
In Russia in the XVIII century. along with the strengthening and execution of the estate system, 
profound changes in economic and social development are taking place, affecting all aspects of the 
national economy and the social image of the country. The basis of these changes was the process 
of decomposition of feudalism and the genesis of capitalist relations, which began in the 17th 
century. The culmination of this process was, of course, the era of 
Peter
I
(1672-1725), the king-
converter. Peter I understood correctly and realized the complexity of the tasks that the country was 
facing, and set about to accomplish them purposefully. 
Absolutism and government.
Under Peter I, absolutism was finally established in Russia, Peter 
was proclaimed emperor, which meant the strengthening of the power of the tsar himself, he 
became a monarch autocratic and unlimited. 
In Russia, the state apparatus was reformed - instead of the Boyar Duma, the 
Senate was
established, which included nine dignitaries who were closest to Peter I. The Senate was the 
legislative body that controlled the country's finances and the activities of the administration. At 
the head of the Senate was the Attorney General. 
Reform of public administration affected the order system and they were replaced by 
boards, the
number of which reached 12. Each board was in charge of a specific branch of management: 
external relations were managed by the Board of Foreign Affairs, the Admiralty Fleet, revenue 
collection — Chamber Chamber, noble landowning — Eternal, etc. The cities were in charge of 
the Chief Magistrate. 
During this period, the struggle between the supreme and secular authorities and the church 
continued. In 1721, the 
Theological Board,
or 
Synod,
was established 
,
which testified to the 
complete subordination of the church to the state. In Russia, the office of the patriarch was 
abolished, the supervision of the church was entrusted to the chief procurator of the Synod. 
The system of local government was reorganized, the country was divided in 1708 into eight 
provinces
(Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Arkhangelsk, Smolensk, Kazan, Azov and Siberian), 
headed by governors in charge of the troops. Since the territories of the provinces were huge, they 
were divided into 50 
provinces.
In turn, the provinces were divided into 
counties.
These measures testified to the creation in Russia of a single administrative-bureaucratic 
management system - an indispensable attribute of an absolutist state. 
The reforms of Peter I affected the army and navy. In 1705, a recruitment duty was introduced in 
the country, and the rate for placing a soldier on a life-long service was established - one recruit 
from 20 peasant households. Thus, the army was created with a single principle of recruitment, 
with uniform weapons and uniforms. New military regulations were introduced. Officers' schools 
were organized. Artillery guns were delivered to the army, many ships were built. So, by 1725 the 
Baltic Fleet had more than 30 battleships, 16 frigates and more than 400 other ships. Under Peter 
I, the Russian army and navy became one of the strongest in Europe. 
An important result and legislative consolidation of all the reform activities of Peter was 
Table of 
ranks
(1722), which was a law on the procedure of public service. The adoption of this law meant 
a break with the previous patriarchal tradition of government, embodied in regionalism. Having 
established the order of clerical production in the military and civil service, not according to 
nobility, but according to personal abilities and merits, Table of Ranks helped consolidate the 
nobility and expand its composition at the expense of people from different sections of the 
population loyal to the tsar.