Who is this 18th century king who transformed his country?

Peter the Great was born Pyotr Alekseyevich on June 9, 1672, in Moscow, Russia. He was the 14th child of Czar Alexis by his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.

Peter inherited a nation that was severely underdeveloped compared to the culturally prosperous European countries. He built St. Petersburg in the marshes of the Baltic sea. He created a strong navy, reorganized his army according to Western standards, secularized schools, administered greater control over the reactionary Orthodox Church, and introduced new administrative and territorial divisions of the country. Mirroring Western culture, Peter modernized the Russian alphabet, introduced the Julian calendar, and established the first Russian newspaper.

Peter was a far-sighted and skillful diplomat who abolished Russia's archaic form of government and appointed a viable Senate, which regulated all branches of administration, as well as making ground-breaking accomplishments in Russia's foreign policy.

In 1721, he proclaimed Russia an empire and was accorded the title of Emperor or Tsar of All Russias, Great Father of the Fatherland, and "the Great." Although he proved to be an effective leader, Peter was also known to be cruel, violent and tyrannical.

Peter the Great died on February 8, 1725, without nominating an heir. He is entombed in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul located in St. Petersburg.

He was succeeded by his second wife, as Tsaritsa Ekaterina I.