Peter the Great's Grand Embassy

In 1697, Tsar Peter the Great set out on one of history's most unusual diplomatic missions. Traveling across Europe under the alias "Peter Mikhailov," the towering Russian ruler attempted to remain anonymous while studying the technologies, industries, and military innovations that had made Western Europe so powerful. Unsurprisingly, almost no one believed his disguise.

Rather than simply meeting kings and diplomats, Peter worked in Dutch shipyards as a carpenter, studied naval architecture in England, toured factories and arsenals, and absorbed ideas he believed could transform Russia. His energetic curiosity was matched only by the chaos he and his entourage left behind—including the near destruction of an English country house.

In this episode of History Shorts, discover how the Grand Embassy reshaped one man's vision for his country and laid the foundations of modern Russia—from the creation of a navy to the founding of St. Petersburg and the sweeping reforms that made Peter one of history's most consequential rulers.

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