Peter the Great's Beard Tax: Reforming Russia One Whisker at a Time

Peter the Great's Academy: The Birth of Russian Science

In 1724, Peter the Great founded the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences, a bold experiment to drag Russia into the Enlightenment. This episode explores how the Academy was conceived during his Grand Embassy, the recruitment of European scholars like Christian Wolff and Daniel Bernoulli, the unique structure that combined a university and a gymnasium, and the early struggles with empty classrooms. From the first Russian scientists to the Academy's role in mapping the empire, we uncover how Peter's vision of secular knowledge took root despite resistance from the Church and nobility. Featuring figures like Laurentius Blumentrost, the Academy's first president, and the astronomer Joseph Delisle, who brought modern astronomy to Russia. A story of ambition, bureaucracy, and the slow birth of Russian science. #PeterTheGreat #RussianHistory #SaintPetersburgAcademy #HistoryOfScience #Enlightenment #RussianEmpire #LaurentiusBlumentrost #ChristianWolff #DanielBernoulli #JosephDelisle #Kunstkamera #AcademyOfSciences #GrandEmbassy #TsarReformer #18thCentury #EuropeanInfluence #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's Russian Alphabet Reform: The Grazhdanskiy Shrift

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Peter the Great's often-overlooked reform of the Russian alphabet. In 1708, Peter introduced the grazhdanskiy shrift (civil script), simplifying the Church Slavonic letters for secular use. This change made books cheaper, literacy more accessible, and helped modernize Russia's print culture. Lucas explains the old bukvitsa, Peter's editorial work on the first civil typeface, the role of the Amsterdam printing house under Jan Tessing, and the resistance from the Orthodox Church. The episode also touches on the broader context of Peter's cultural Westernization, including the introduction of Arabic numerals and the founding of the first Russian newspaper, Vedomosti. A fresh angle on how a change in letter shapes reflected a transformation in Russian society. #PeterTheGreat #RussianAlphabet #GrazhdanskiyShrift #Cyrillic #1708 #RussianHistory #AlphabetReform #PrintingPress #JanTessing #Vedomosti #ChurchSlavonic #Westernization #EducationReform #RussianEnlightenment #Moscow #Amsterdam #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's Navy: The Baltic Fleet and the Battle of Gangut

In 1714, the Russian navy fought its first major victory at the Battle of Gangut, a sea fight in the Baltic that stunned Europe. Peter the Great's obsession with a modern fleet began decades earlier, from the 'toy boats' of his youth to the shipyards of Voronezh and the lessons of the Great Embassy. This episode follows the construction of the Baltic Fleet, the Swedish naval threat, and the brutal boarding action at Gangut where Russian galleys outmaneuvered Swedish warships. We also look at the cost: thousands of serfs forced to build the new capital and fleet, and Peter's own role as a shipwright and admiral. Featuring details on the galley fleet, the Åland Islands, and the first Russian naval regulations. #PeterTheGreat #BattleOfGangut #RussianNavy #BalticFleet #GreatNorthernWar #Galleys #ÅlandIslands #SaintPetersburg #Shipbuilding #RussianHistory #18thCentury #NavalHistory #SwedishEmpire #GalleyWarfare #PeterI #EasternEurope #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's Industrial Revolution: The Urals and the Demidovs

In the early 1700s, Russia was a military and economic backwater, but Peter the Great's drive to modernize sparked an industrial boom. This episode explores the rise of the Ural mining and metallurgical complex, focusing on the Demidov family—especially Nikita Demidov and his son Akinfiy—who became the tsar's iron barons. We cover the founding of Nevyansk and other factories, the Berg Privilege of 1719, the controversial use of serf and convict labor, and how Russian iron exports began to rival Sweden's. The conversation also touches on the technological innovations, like the Nevyansk leaning tower, and the darker side of industrialization, including the exploitation of workers and the environmental impact. This is a story of ambition, wealth, and the transformation of a nation through iron and fire. #PeterTheGreat #Demidov #Urals #RussianIndustrialization #Nevyansk #BergPrivilege #Iron #Metallurgy #AkinfiyDemidov #NikitaDemidov #18thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #RussianHistory #IndustrialRevolution #Serfdom #Mining #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Greats New Capital The Founding of Saint Petersburg

In 1703, on a swampy, mosquito-infested island at the mouth of the Neva River, Peter the Great ordered the construction of a new city. This episode follows the brutal and ambitious birth of Saint Petersburg: from the first stone of the Peter and Paul Fortress to the forced relocation of tens of thousands of serfs, the architectural vision of Domenico Trezzini, and the symbolic victory of a window on the Baltic. Hosts Lucas and Luna explore how Peter's obsession with a modern capital clashed with the harsh realities of disease, labor, and the Great Northern War. They discuss the role of Swedish prisoners, the engineering challenges of building on marshland, and the political message behind naming the city after his patron saint. Why did Peter abandon Moscow? How did a city built on bones become Russia's imperial jewel? And what does Saint Petersburg reveal about Peter's ruthless drive to transform his country? This is the story of a city that defied nature and tradition alike. #PeterTheGreat #SaintPetersburg #NevaRiver #PeterAndPaulFortress #DomenicoTrezzini #GreatNorthernWar #BalticSea #RussianEmpire #UrbanPlanning #1703 #TsarPeter #WindowOnTheWest #MenshikovPalace #Kronstadt #VasilyevskyIsland #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]