Produktdetails
- Verlag
- Seltzer Books
- Erschienen
- 2018
- Sprache
- English
- Seiten
- 571
- Infos
- 571 Seiten
- ISBN
- 978-1-4554-0502-2
Kurztext / Annotation
According to Wikipedia: 'Peter I the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov (9 June [O.S. 30 May] 1672 - 8 February 1725) ruled Russia and later the Russian Empire from 7 May1682 until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his weak and sickly half-brother, Ivan V. He carried out a policy of modernization and expansion that transformed the Tsardom of Russia into a 3-billion acre Russian Empire, a major European power.'
Textauszug
11. THE BUILDING OF ST. PETERSBURG.
1700-1704
Continuation of the war--Stratagems of the Swedes--Peculiar kind of boat--Making a smoke--Peter determines to build a city--The site--Peter's first visit to the Neva--Cronstadt--A stratagem--Contest on the island--Peter examines the locality--He matures his plans--Mechanics and artisans--Ships and merchandise--Laborers--The boyars--The building commenced--Wharves and piers--Palace--Confusion--Variety of labors--Want of tools and implements--Danger from the enemy--Supplies of provisions--The supplies often fall short--Consequent sickness--Great mortality--Peter's impetuosity of spirit--Streets and buildings--Private dwellings--What the King of Sweden said--Map--Situation of Cronstadt--Peter plans a fortress--Mode of laying the foundations--Danger from the Swedes--Plan of their attack--The Swedes beaten off--The attempt entirely fails--Mechanics and artisans--Various improvements--Scientific institutions
The struggle thus commenced between the Czar Peter and Charles XII. of Sweden, for the possession of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, continued for many years. At first the Russians were every where beaten by the Swedes; but at last, as Peter had predicted, the King of Sweden taught them to beat him.
The commanders of the Swedish army were very ingenious in expedients, as well as bold and energetic in action, and they often gained an advantage over their enemy by their wit as well as by their bravery. One instance of this was their contrivance for rendering their prisoners helpless on their march homeward after the battle of Narva, by cutting their clothes in such a manner as to compel the men to keep both hands employed, as they walked along the roads, in holding them together. On another occasion, when they had to cross a river in the face of the Russian troops posted on the other side, they invented a peculiar kind of boat, which was of great service in enabling them to accomplish the transit in safety. These boats were flat-bottomed and square; the foremost end of each of them was guarded by a sort of bulwark, formed of plank, and made very high. This bulwark was fixed on hinges at the lower end, so that it could be raised up and down. It was, of course, kept up during the passage across the river, and so served to defend the men in the boat from the shots of the enemy. But when the boat reached the shore it was let down, and then it formed a platform or bridge by which the men could all rush out together to the shore.
At the same time, while they were getting these boats ready, and placing the men in them, the Swedes, having observed that the wind blew across from their side of the river to the other, made great fires on the bank, and covered them with wet straw, so as to cause them to throw out a prodigious quantity of smoke. The smoke was blown over to the other side of the river, where it so filled the air as to prevent the Russians from seeing what was going on.
It was about a year after the first breaking out of the war that the tide of fortune began to turn, in some measure, in favor of the Russians. About that time the Czar gained possession of a considerable portion of the Baltic shore; and as soon as he had done so, he conceived the design of laying the foundation of a new city there, with the view of making it the naval and commercial capital of his kingdom. This plan was carried most successfully into effect in the building of the great city of St. Petersburg. The founding of this city was one of the most important transactions in Peter's reign. Indeed, it was probably by far the most important, and Peter owes, perhaps, more of his great fame to this memorable enterprise than to any thing else that he did.
The sit
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