Peter the Great quickly stepped onto the streets of Saratov. A new square now bears his name, and a spectacular monument adorns the bank of the Volga. At the International Petrovsky Congress in St. Petersburg, Saratov was presented with the banner "The Way of Peter the Great" as the next "Petrovsky" city. He was received by Professor of Saratov University Sergei Mezin, whose contribution to the study of the Enlightenment and Peter's time was marked by many prestigious awards.
When and on what occasions did Peter I pay attention to Saratov? What can each of us find interesting and useful in the inexhaustible personality of Peter today? This is our interview.
Sergei Mezin – Chair of the Department of Russian History and Archaeology, the Institute of History and International Relations, Saratov State University, Doctor of History, Professor.
– Sergey Alekseevich, there are many myths about Peter the Great's stay in Saratov that have been replicated by the mass media. Have you managed to establish the whole truth about this event, so to speak, to sift the wheat from the chaff?
– It is impossible to establish the whole truth, because, firstly, historical knowledge is never complete and, secondly, knowledge is infinite! Unfortunately, we are limited by the scarcity of sources of Peter the Great's time, in particular, about the events in Saratov and the Volga region. The historical picture has to be restored literally bit by bit. But still, these searches allow us to separate the legends, which have accumulated a lot, from the facts that can be verified.
In particular, we are talking about a common legend that Peter I was in Saratov in 1695, when the troops were moving near Azov. Allegedly, the young Peter showed royal generosity here: having climbed Sokolovaya Mountain, he granted all the surrounding lands to the city. In fact, the grant of land occurred later, in 1700. As for 1695, we simply do not know whether he went ashore at all, there are no facts on this score. Or the legend that during the royal visit by the voivode (commandant) Saratov was Vasily Beklemishev, to whom the tsar gave an island on the Volga. But Beklemishev became a voivode only in 1727, that is, five years after the tsar's stay in our city.
Indeed, Peter I sailed past Saratov twice. In 1695 , the travel journal recorded: "We passed the city of Saratov." No stop is marked. Maybe the governor greeted the tsar on the water – there were such cases. Maybe there was a short stop for a change of rowers, although the rowers at that time were probably soldiers. Or fresh water supplies were needed. But there are no facts about Peter's stay on Saratov land at that time. Much more information has been preserved about the visit of 1722.
– How exactly did Saratov enter the orbit of Peter's reforms?
– I would interpret your question like this: when did Peter I pay attention to Saratov? Our city is often mentioned in Peter's letters. Unfortunately, they were not published in full, only until 1714. He was interested in the city as a base for the construction of the Volga-Don Canal (in 1697, after the capture of Azov, the first attempt was made to build a canal between the Volga and the Don in the Kamyshin area). Peter was interested in our city as a military stronghold for the suppression of the Astrakhan uprising in 1705, when Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev arrived here and planned to lead an offensive from here. Then the fear that the uprising would spread to our city was not justified. But in 1707 Saratov again attracted the attention of the tsar, as it was stormed by the Cossacks, who rebelled under the leadership of ataman Bulavin. And Peter knew that "the Saratov people did not stick to their theft," that is, they defended their city and did not join the rebels.
Saratov often acted as a kind of "Kalmyk capital", because through the Saratov voivode, and then the commandant, the Kalmyks were managed. At that time they roamed here, on the left bank of the Volga. The Saratov commandant was appointed responsible for relations with the Kalmyks and was subordinate not only to the governor in Astrakhan, but also to the Board of Foreign Affairs. So it is not by chance that in 1722 it was in Saratov that Peter met with Ayuka Khan during a large-scale Persian campaign (the khan's headquarters was located on the left bank, on the site of modern Engels).
Saratov attracted Peter during the Northern War – due to the fact that mass purchases of horses were made here. Horses and camels were bought from the same Kalmyks, which were sent to the theater of military operations. Saratov residents profited well from this. As follows from the documents, they bought cattle from the Kalmyks cheaply, fattened it on the 300 thousand acres of land that they were granted (mainly for pastures and haymaking), and then resold to army commissars.
Saratov also attracted the attention of the tsar in connection with military affairs, when Crimean and Kuban Tatars raided here in 1711 and in 1717. They did not take Saratov itself, but they ravaged the district significantly, many people were taken prisoner.
And finally, there was a not very pleasant case when the Saratov commandant Dmitry Bakhmetyev was accused of great abuses. It was a high-profile case, it was considered in the Senate in 1721.
– While working on another book, you were actively engaged in archival research. Were you able to find something new? What discoveries have you perhaps made for yourself in the process of detailed development of materials?
– If we talk about the latest book "Saratov Volga region in the era of Peter the Great", which was published on the 350th anniversary of the birth of the first Russian emperor and the 300th anniversary of Peter I's visit to Saratov, then this is the result of many years of archival searches. For the first time I came to these materials by accident. Local history was not the main focus of my scientific research. When I was working in Moscow at the Central State Archive of Ancient Acts, I noticed that our city was mentioned in the inventories. I found some interesting materials: in particular, the statement of the garrison of Saratov and other cities of the Volga region in 1704 – a source previously unknown to historians. And another colleague of mine published an inventory of the fortress cities of the Volga region in 1704, and as a result, a picture emerged of what the fortress looked like, what military forces were concentrated in it. Other historians have also made interesting observations. For example, Mikhail Pavlovich Belikov, who deals with the history of the Trinity Cathedral, found indirect information that Peter I was received by commandant Semyon Ivanovich Mechev in 1722. And then I found confirmation of this fact. It turned out that the commandant was buried in Saratov, at the end of his life he became a monk, and in the Saratov Holy Transfiguration Monastery he invested a silver cross in memory of his parents (it is now kept in the Radishchev Museum).
In general, my search began back in 1984-85, when I started working as a teacher at the university and made my first trips to the archive. Later, in the early 1990s, my teacher and well-known local historian Yevgeny Konstantinovich Maksimov and I published a brochure about Saratov of Peter the Great's time. In 2011, I added this material to the book. And now my third book has already been published as a result of the work done. Although it can also be supplemented. I have a dream – to work in the Astrakhan Regional Archive. This is the only place in the Lower Volga region where documents of Peter the Great's time have been preserved.
– At the beginning of June, you participated in the Fifteenth International Petrovsky Congress in St. Petersburg. Judging by the number of participants, attention to the personality of Peter is not fading. From what side is this historical character interesting to domestic and foreign researchers now?
– The Congress is designed to popularize the Petrovsky theme. It is attended not only by historians and researchers, but also by museum workers, local historians, and a fairly wide audience is represented.
This year, the title of the anniversary congress used a quote from the historian Mikhail Petrovich Pogodin: "Not a magician, but a genius." The Congress was dedicated to the personality of Peter I. There were 70 reports by specialists on the Peter the Great era from many cities of Russia. Foreign researchers also participated: from Paris to Hanoi. The audience's interest was aroused by the performance of a colleague from Vietnam. Imagine, he translated many of Pushkin's works into Vietnamese! Including "The Bronze Horseman" and "The Black Sheep of Peter the Great".
The theme of Peter's reforms is extremely popular both in the world and in our country. Because it was Peter who began the real modernization of Russia. This process turned out to be quite long and complicated. This is the beginning of many beginnings of our subsequent history, from elementary everyday realities to the most important state institutions. In addition, this is the beginning of the imperial history of Russia and, of course, its Europeanization. But Peter's methods still cause controversy among researchers. That's why this person is interesting from all points of view. It attracts everyone: patriots, because he created a great Russia; Westerners, because he gave a European vector to Russia's policy; technocrats, because he was oriented towards the technical side of progress; intellectuals-humanitarians, because he believed in enlightenment and was the founder of education in Russia. Everyone finds something for themselves in Peter's inexhaustible personality.
Every time we gather at a congress (and I attended all but one), not only reports are important, but also scientific communication on the sidelines, exchange of information, literature. For example, this time a specialist from the Hermitage told in great detail and showed the clothes worn by Peter I. Of course, I had ideas that the tsar did not wear patched shoes and darned socks, but I did not know that he had such a huge wardrobe, which for the most part was preserved. Peter was not a fashionista, but he loved high-quality European clothes. And if suddenly collars went out of fashion, and he liked them, he still ordered a French caftan, but – with a collar! Wigs were in fashion, but Peter did not like them and wore them only when it was cold as a hat. He was ahead of his time in everything because he was a free man. You can, of course, add that he was the only free person in Russia for the whole country.
It is very important for a researcher to learn new details about what this person wore and what he ate, how he danced. There were also serious historical and psychological reports on the character and personality of Peter. A whole series of reports on his pictorial and verbal portraits, which makes it possible to understand how his contemporaries saw him. There was an original speech devoted to such a curious topic as the emperor's mustache, because in portraits the type of mustache was constantly changing. By the way, this feature is now the basis for attribution of portraits – determining authorship and the time of their writing.
– At the congress you made a report "Voltaire on the personality of Peter the Great". What do you think the most important thing was seen in Peter by the famous French educator and publicist, and how did his opinion affect the later historiography dedicated to the Russian emperor?
– In this story, there is an intersection of two interesting large-scale personalities. Voltaire was one of the first historians of Peter the Great, he is the author of several works about him, but the main thing is "The History of the Russian Empire under Peter the Great." This was the first serious scientific work about Peter, of course, from the point of view of the XVIII century. Voltaire saw in Peter the great statesman of all times and peoples. He believed that Peter's work was important for the whole world. He was sure that he had created a new Russia. At the same time, realizing the greatness of the Russian tsar, he saw in Peter and just a living person. Most of the authors of that time took a kneeling position in relation to Peter. Voltaire allowed himself, with all due respect to the hero, to bring him down from heaven to earth.
Of course, Voltaire's concept that Peter was the creator of Russia, that "Peter was born, and Russia was formed," has long been outdated. We will not agree with Voltaire, because Peter's reforms are not accidental, they were preceded by whole centuries of Russian history. But Voltaire showed the whole of Europe that Peter is an extraordinary hero, a truly outstanding statesman. By the end of the XVIII century, 42 editions of this book were published in all major languages of Europe.
– There are still different opinions about Peter, about the results of his stormy activity. And not only among fans of popular publications, but sometimes in the ranks of historians themselves. Is it possible to calculate something arithmetic mean from all these judgments? And who is Peter I for you personally?
– Our Russian national identity is being formed around these disputes. The disputes between Westerners and Slavophiles about the ways of Russia ultimately converge on Peter. Opinions are so polar that it is difficult to calculate something arithmetic mean. He's really a great ruler, it's not up for discussion. He created something that did not exist in Russia: the regular army, the navy, the regular state, was built by Petersburg. But there are many reasons for doubt. The same Voltaire gave this assessment: Peter can be very respected as a statesman, but he cannot be loved as a person.
Indeed, when you carefully examine the personality of Peter, you find repulsive personality traits. He was despotic, rude, cruel, and carried serfdom in Russia to the extreme. And what attracts you anyway? I share the opinion of the brilliant historian Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky: "Peter's faith in the miraculous power of education, his reverent cult of science forcibly ignited a spark of enlightenment in slave minds, which flared up in the pursuit of truth and freedom." It would seem, what kind of freedom under Peter? None. But the fact that he forced Russian people to be enlightened, educated, the fact that he cultivated science, it awakened the best aspirations in people.
– Which work of art, in your opinion, is the most interesting and fully reflects the fate of this great man?
– I must admit that I don't really like historical fiction. Of course, I accept unconditionally talented works where the author, even if in some ways he departs from the facts, is so talented that you believe him. Sometimes a work of art educates us more than scientific works. Try to say that the Cossacks did not write a letter to the Turkish Sultan! They didn't write it, but we believe Repin. Interest in such works – both books and films – determines the degree of talent of their authors. I would single out the famous novel by Alexei Tolstoy "Peter I". The films based on this novel also arouse great interest. Well, among more modern writers, I would mention the book by Daniil Granin "Evenings with Peter the Great". There are interesting reflections in it, the formulation of acute questions about the personality of Peter. We should be grateful to Granin for coming up with the Petrovsky Congress, the program "The Way of Peter the Great". His business lives on. He considered that this person could unite representatives of different views on the fate of his country.
I really like Alexander Mitta's interesting film "The Tale of how Tsar Peter married a Blackamoor". Here several talents came together at once, and, first of all, the unexpected Vysotsky in the role of a blackamoor. I would single out Sergei Gerasimov's historical dilogy "Peter's Youth". In the image of actor Dmitry Zolotukhin, Peter looks very reliable to me, somehow he guessed it. In any case, this image coincides with the way I imagine Peter myself.
– At the opening ceremony of the congress, as its permanent participant and representative of the city visited by Peter, you were presented with a symbolic banner "The Way of Peter the Great". Does this event impose any obligations – on the university, on the city, on you personally?
– The presentation of the banner is the recognition of Saratov as a "Petrovsky" city, as well as other cities that are inextricably linked with its name. These are Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Taganrog, Petrozavodsk, Astrakhan... The same banner was awarded to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Reims in France. I am pleased to realize that my works have made some contribution to the recognition of Saratov as a "Petrovsky" city. It is gratifying to see that the city did not remain indifferent to this fact, as evidenced by the installation of the monument to Peter I. The monument created by sculptors Andrei and Sergei Shcherbakov, in my opinion, is successful and appropriate. It stands on the spot where Peter I really was. The installation of the monument and the landscaping of the square greatly decorated Saratov. After all, for many years before that, an unsightly wasteland acted as a "showcase" of the city. So Peter has now done a good deed for Saratov, appearing in such a beautiful place.
The Saratov region bears the imprint of Peter's times: the first city named after Peter is Petrovsk. Petrov Val is also a memory of the construction of a shipping channel between the Volga and the Don.
– Do the current students of history have an interest in the personality of Peter, and what useful, in your opinion, could they learn for themselves from the lessons of Peter's era?
– Such an unusual personality, of course, fascinates students. I see it when I give my lectures. They ask a lot of questions, they want to specialize in Peter the Great topics.
I should note by the way that on June 21, an online conference was held in Paris, at the Russian House of Science and Culture, at which I delivered the main report: "The Paris of Peter the Great and the dream of St. Petersburg." So, 79 listeners from different countries joined us, first of all from France, but even from Haiti!
Familiarization with the era of great deeds probably teaches students to be patriots in Peter's way (and patriotism cannot be taken away from Peter!). For all his Westernizing, European sympathies, he primarily thought about Russia. Peter's patriotism consisted in loving your country, but not blindly, taking the best from others, getting rid of not the best national traits, constantly updating, developing, wishing your country the "common good" and moving forward. When P.Ya. Chaadaev, who saw a historical impasse in Mykolaiv Russia, was reproached for Westernism, he said: "I have not learned to love my homeland with my eyes closed… I love my fatherland as Peter the Great taught me to love it."
Love for the motherland, coupled with the desire to make the country a better place, is probably the main lesson of Peter I of our youth.
Interviewed by Tamara Korneva, photos from Sergei’s Mezin archive
