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Peter was born in Saint Petersburg on 23 (O.S. 12) October 1715. His father was the only living son of Peter the Great. His mother was well-connected to European royalty, and through her, Peter was a first cousin of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. Peter's mother died when he was only ten days old.
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The terrified tsarevich volunteered to relinquish his claim to the throne, but that wasn't enough to appease his powerful father.
Many monarchs throughout history have killed family members. England’s Henry VIII, for example, beheaded two wives and several cousins.
Cleopatra engineered the murder of two siblings (one of whom was also her husband). And Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor, ordered the execution of his half-brother from a Spanish prison.
But even those royals might have been aghast at the actions of Russian czar Peter the Great, who in 1718 had his eldest son tortured to death for allegedly conspiring against him.
Peter I, better known as Peter the Great, is generally credited with bringing Russia into the modern age. During his time as czar, from 1682 until his death in 1725, he implemented a variety of reforms that included revamping the Russian calendar and alphabet and reducing the Orthodox Church’s autonomy. Peter even instituted a tax on beards as part of his efforts to make Russians look and act more like Western Europeans.
Brutal Execution of the Romanovs
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Feb 21, 2024 · He confronted kings and clergy, lived a life of heroic virtue, and was a prolific writer for the Church. He is St. Peter Damian (feast day: Feb. 21), known for his Church reforms, diplomatic ability, holiness, and great theological mind.
Peter the Great had two wives, with whom he had fifteen children, three of whom survived to adulthood. Peter's mother selected his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukhina, when he was only 16. [92] This was consistent with previous Romanov tradition by choosing a daughter of a minor noble.
He was taken in by one of his married brothers after their parents’ deaths, but was treated as a slave. Hearing about his brother’s ill-treatment, another brother, Damian, the arch-priest of Ravenna, arranged for Peter’s education.
Oct 6, 2024 · At his side, Peter felt like a son, which is why he decided to take this brother’s name: “Damiani” (Damian). As Peter grew up, he showed an increasing inclination to prayer, meditation, and fasting while at the same time being generous with those whom God loved the most — the poor.
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Oct 7, 2024 · Born during 1007 in the Italian city of Ravenna, Peter belonged to a large family but lost both his father and mother early in life. An older brother took the boy into his household, yet treated him poorly.
