Secondary Sources

Golikov, Ivan Ivanovich, author.Di︠e︡i︠a︡nīi︠a︡ Petra Velikago, mudrago preobraziteli︠a︡ Rossīi, sobrannyi︠a︡ izʺ dostovi︠e︡rnykhʺ istochnikovʺ i raspolozhennyi︠a︡ po godamʺ. 1788-1789. Library of Congress Rare Book & Special Collections

Peter the Great has fascinated generations of historians both in Russia and abroad. Dozens of monographs have been dedicated to the study of his life and achievements. In Russia, historians such as Ivan Golikov (1735-1801), Sergei Solov'ev (1820-1879), Vasilii Kliuchevskii (1844-1911), Mikhail Bogoslovskii (1867-1929), Nikolai Pavlenko (1916-2016) and Evgenii Anisimov (1947-) have all produced significant works of scholarship on Peter the Great, often devoting their lives to researching the emperor. Outside of Russia, historians James Cracraft (1930-), Lindsey Hughes (1949-2007), Paul Bushkovitch (1948-) and Reinhard Wittram (1902-1973) have also written authoritative works on the topic.

Major works of scholarship on Peter the Great are listed in the table below, grouped by language. As not every book has been translated, each section might contain unique materials not available in another language (when an item is available in another language, it will be noted in its description).

To find more books about Peter the Great, use the following subject headings as search terms in the Library of Congress Online Catalog:

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available. The titles are organized alphabetically by author's last name.

Peter the Great by Anderson, M. S.
Call Number: DK131 .A49 1995 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0582084121
Published/Created: 1995
The study does full justice to Peter's extraordinary contribution to the development of Russia - his determination to westernize the country; to furnish it with the means of self-defence; to change drastically its religious and educational institutions; to give it a voice in European affairs; and to create a new capital city - Peter's "window on the West" - of unprecedented splendour.
The Reforms of Peter the Great: Progress Through Violence in Russia by Anisimov Evgenii; J. T. Alexander
Call Number: DK133 .A5513 1993 FT MEADE
ISBN: 1563240475
Published/Created: 1993
Evgenii Anisimov is the leading contemporary historian of Peter the Great in Russia. This psychologically penetrating revisionist account of the life and rule of Rusia's 18th-century Tsar-reformer develops an important theme - that is, what happens when the drive for "progress" is linked to an autocratic, expansionist impulse rather than to a larger goal of human emancipation? And, what has been the price of power - both for Peter and for Russia? Also available in the original Russian.
A new history of the life and reign of the Czar Peter the Great, Emperor of all Russia, and father of his country; giving an exact relation of I. His travels ... To which is prefixed, a chronological summary of the history of Russia, a political view of t by Banks, John
Call Number: DK131 .B21 1755
Published/Created: 1755
John Banks (1709-1751) was an English poet and writer, famous for his biographies. His biography of Peter the Great was originally published in 1740. This is the third edition. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
A memoir of the life of Peter the Great by Barrow, John, Sir
Call Number: DK131 .B27 1839a FT MEADE Do Not Serve
Published/Created: 1839
Sir John Barrow (1764-1848) was an English writer and civil servant, best known for serving as the Second Secretary to the Admiralty from 1804-1845. Barrow also spent considerable time in China and South Africa and wrote memoirs of his experiences in both countries. Also available online: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011208193 External
Russian economic development from Peter the Great to Stalin by Blackwell, William L.
Call Number: HC333 .B543
Published/Created: 1974
See Ch. 2 "The Economic Policy of Peter the Great" by S. Blanc.
Peter the Great by Bushkovitch, Paul
Call Number: DK131 .B897 2016 CABIN BRANCH
ISBN: 9781442254626
Published/Created: 2016-01-14
This penetrating study by noted Yale historian Paul Bushkovitch casts new light on Peter and his times, and demonstrates why it is impossible to comprehend the later course of Russian history without first grasping Peter's profound influence. Bushkovitch illustrates how Peter, during his thirty-six years as tsar, transformed his country into a modern nation--he strengthened the state, reorganized the army, established a navy, and conquered new territories.
The life and times of Peter the Great by Buzzi, Giancarlo
Call Number: DK131 .B813 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1968
A short biography of Peter the Great by the Italian writer, Giancarlo Buzzi. Translated into English by Ben Johnson.
The Petrine Revolution in Russian Imagery by Cracraft, James
Call Number: N6986 .C73 1997 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0226116654
Published/Created: 1997
The Petrine Revolution in Russian Imagery is the second volume of James Cracraft's comprehensive study of the cultural revolution engineered in Russia by Peter the Great. Throughout the study, Cracraft explores how medieval Muscovey became modern Russia, and situates the Petrine revolution in Russian visual and verbal culture in its wider political, economic, and social setting. In this second volume of the series, Cracraft considers the impact of Peter's intensive program of Europeanization on the visual arts, and shows how modern forms of imagery came into being in Russia along with allied techniques of image-making.
The Church Reform of Peter the Great by Cracraft, James
Call Number: BR935 .C7 1971
ISBN: 0804707472
Published/Created: 1971
An in-depth study of Peter the Great's ecclesiastical reforms, namely the creation of the Holy Synod which stripped the Orthodox Church of its autonomy from the government. Cracraft also seeks to reconcile these reforms with Peter the Great's personal faith, which could be both sincere and irreverent, as manifested by his Most Drunken Assembly.
The Revolution of Peter the Great by Cracraft, James
Call Number: DK131 .C73 2003 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0674011961
Published/Created: 2003
Many books chronicle the remarkable life of Russian tsar Peter the Great, but none analyze how his famous reforms actually took root and spread in Russia. In The Revolution of Peter the Great, James Cracraft offers a brilliant new interpretation of this pivotal era. Linking together and transcending Peter's many reforms of state and society, Cracraft argues, was nothing less than a cultural revolution. New ways of dress, elite social behavior, navigation, architecture, and image-making emerged along with expansive vocabularies for labeling new objects and activities. In this eloquent book, Cracraft illuminates an astonishing transformation that had enormous consequences for both Russia and Europe, indeed the world.
The Petrine Revolution in Russian Culture by Cracraft, James
Call Number: DK133 .C74 2004 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0674013166
Published/Created: 2004
The reforms initiated by Peter the Great transformed Russia not only into a European power, but into a European culture--a shift, argues James Cracraft, that was nothing less than revolutionary. The author of seminal works on visual culture in the Petrine era, Cracraft now turns his attention to the changes that occurred in Russian verbal culture. The forceful institutionalization of the tsar's reforms--the establishment of a navy, modernization of the army, restructuring of the government, introduction of new arts and sciences--had an enormous impact on language. Cracraft details the transmission to Russia of contemporary European naval, military, bureaucratic, legal, scientific, and literary norms and their corresponding lexical and other linguistic effects.
The Petrine Revolution in Russian Architecture by Cracraft, James
Call Number: NA1186 .C73 1988 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0226116646
Published/Created: 1988
In this highly original book James Cracraft provides a major case study of the cultural revolution in Russia initiated by Peter the Great, tsar and first emperor (1682-1725). He recounts in fascinating detail how modern standards of architecture supplanted traditional norms in Russia following a massive injection of European expertise and indicates how, thereby, the modern Russian built world came into being. The first comprehensive study of the Petrine revolution in Russian architecture to be published in any language, the book includes nearly 250 illustrations, many of them original photographs appearing here for the first time.
Peter the Great Humbled by Dorrell, Nicholas
Call Number: DR544 .D67 2018 CABIN BRANCH
ISBN: 9781911512318
Published/Created: 2018
In 1711 Peter the Great, the Tsar of Russia, led a large army of veterans from Poltava and his other Great Northern War victories into the Balkans. He aimed to humble the Ottomans in the same way he had the Swedes a few years before. Victory would secure useful allies in the Balkans, cement Russia's 'Great Power' status and offer Peter the opportunity to finally gain control over the Swedish king, Charles XII, thus completing his victory over Sweden. Yet within a few months, the 'backward' Ottomans had forced the Tsar and his Tsarina and their army of veterans into a humbling surrender near the Pruth River. The book looks at the causes of this little known war and its course. Using contemporary and modern sources it examines in detail the forces involved in the conflict, seeking to determine their size, actual composition, and tactics, offering the first realistic determination on the subject in English.
The Battle That Shook Europe by Englund, Peter
Call Number: DL743.P8 E5513 2003 FT MEADE
ISBN: 1860648479
Published/Created: 2003
The Battle of Poltava, 1709, marks the birth of Peter the Great's vast Russian Empire. In 1700, the Tsar combined with Denmark, Saxony, and Poland to attack Swedish hegemony in the North. When the forces finally defeated King Charles XII of Sweden in 1708 at Poltava, in the Ukraine, it proved the turning-point of the Great Northern War, heralding the collapse of the Swedish Empire and the rise of Russia, the effects of which would be felt for almost three hundred years. Swedish historian Peter Englund's vivid account of the three violent days of battle is an internationally acclaimed classic of military history.
Peter the Great by Hughes, Lindsey
Call Number: DK131 .H838 2002 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0300094264
Published/Created: 2002
This, a condensed and updated biography of Peter the Great (1672-1725) based on Hughes' previous book on the leader, tells the story of Peter the Great from birth to death in twelve chapters, including two final chapters on the Tsar's legacy and posthumous reputation up to the present, with the aim of providing a vivid sense of the dynamics of his life and reign: The focus is firmly on the dramatic, appealing and unconventional figure of Peter himself: his actions, deliberations, decisions, relationships, tastes and possessions. The main sources are Peter's letters and papers, both published and unpublished, as well as other contemporary accounts and documents.
Russia in the Age of Peter the Great by Hughes, Lindsey
Call Number: DK131 .H84 1998 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0300075391
Published/Created: 1998
This book - a history of Peter and the Russia he governed - examines the impact of a man was both acclaimed as the architect of the New Russia and condemned as a crude despot who sacrificed cherished traditions for the sake of international success. Drawing on previously unavailable sources, Lindsey Hughes provides an account of one of the most significant periods in Russian history. She proceeds thematically, discussing Russia's foreign policy, the army and navy, economy, governing institutions, society, arts, education and religion.
Peter the Great and the West by Hughes, Lindsey (Editor); University of London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies Staff (Contribution by); National Maritime Museum Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: DK133 .P444 2001 CABIN BRANCH
ISBN: 0333920090
Published/Created: 2000
In this thought-provoking book internationally renowned experts mark the anniversary of Peter I's visit to England in 1698. They explore British-Russian relations - Peter in England, Russian apprentices, British ships and maritime technology in Peter's navy, forest surveys, British views of Russia, Scottish influences - and widen the focus to look at the Baltic question, the motives behind the founding of St Petersburg, and the 1695-6 Azov campaigns. From a glimpse of Russian court life through private letters, portraits of Peter and a description of Catherine I's household to over-views of Peter's reforms and their impact: this timely volume offers new insights into the relationship between Russia and Europe as well as Peter's personality, legacy and relevance for Russia today.
Peter the Great by Kli︠u︡chevskiĭ, V. O. (Vasiliĭ Osipovich)
Call Number: DK131 .K553 FT MEADE
Published/Created: 1958
Vasilii Kliuchevskii (1841-1911) was a prominent Russian historian famous for his lectures. This is an English translation of the fourth volume of the published collection of his lectures. This volume focuses on Peter the Great.
Peter the Great by Massie, Robert k.
Call Number: DK131 .M28 CABIN BRANCH
ISBN: 0394500326
Published/Created: 1980
An account of Peter the Great's life and also a good picture of life in Russia during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
A history of Russia from the birth of Peter the Great to Nicholas II by Morfill, W[illiam] R[ichard]
Published/Created: 1904
Willliam Richard Morfill (1834-1909) was a scholar who was the first professor of Russian at the University of Oxford. He wrote this sweeping history of Russia for the general reader. The first three chapters cover the life of Peter the Great. The books is available online: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/scd0001.00091828996
Peter the Great's administrative and judicial reforms : Swedish antecedents and the process of reception by Peterson, Claes
Call Number: JN6524 .P47
Published/Created: 1979
A doctoral thesis that examines the influence of Swedish customs and laws on Peter the Great's reforms.
The Founding of Russia's Navy by Phillips, Edward J.
Call Number: DK57.5 .P48 1995 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0313295204
Published/Created: 1995
The reign of Peter the Great (1682-1725), long regarded as the turning point in the Europeanization of Russia, witnessed the establishment of Russia's first modern navy, the Azov Sea fleet. This three-part study examines Russia's maritime experience in the 17th and early 18th centuries in order to address this central question. The author argues that Peter's development of the navy was revolutionary in the scale and level of technology brought to fruition through the reform of existing political and social structures.
The Image of Peter the Great in Russian History and Thought by Riasanovsky, Nicholas
Call Number: DK132 .R53 1985 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0195034562
Published/Created: 1985
A groundbreaking treatment of how Peter the Great has been viewed and represented in Russian historiography and culture.
Peter the Great and Marlborough : politics and diplomacy in converging wars by Rothstein, Andrew
Call Number: D282 .R67 1986
ISBN: 0312603630
Published/Created: 1986
Andrew Rothstein, a Russian-British journalist, examines the connections between the parallel conflicts of the Great Northern War (1700-1721) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714).
History of Russia by Solovʹev, Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich
Call Number: DK40 .S6213
Published/Created: 1976
English translation of the historian Sergei Solov'ev's monumental history of Russia. In 48 volumes. Volumes 26 through 32 cover the life of Peter the Great. Also available in Russian.
Peter the Great and the emergence of Russia by Sumner, B. H. (Benedict Humphrey)
Call Number: DK131 .S88 1951
Published/Created: 1951
Benedict Sumner (1893-1951) was an Oxford historian who wrote extensively on Russia, including this influential work on Peter the Great's reign.
Russia under Peter the Great by Voltaire
Call Number: DK131 .V913 1983 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0838631487
Published/Created: 1983, originally 1763
English translation of Voltaire's history of Peter the Great. Voltaire, the great French writer and thinker, was commissioned by Empress Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter, to write this history in the hope of demonstrating Russia's enlightened status to other European powers. Also available in the original French.
The Transfigured Kingdom by Zitser, Ernest A.
Call Number: DK133 .Z58 2004 FT MEADE
ISBN: 0801441471
Published/Created: 2004
In this richly comparative analysis of late Muscovite and early Imperial court culture, Ernest A. Zitser provides a corrective to the secular bias of the scholarly literature about the reforms of Peter the Great. Zitser demonstrates that the tsar's supposedly "secularizing" reforms rested on a fundamentally religious conception of his personal political mission. In particular, Zitser shows that the carnivalesque (and often obscene) activities of the so-called Most Comical All-Drunken Council served as a type of Baroque political sacrament, a monarchical rite of power that elevated the tsar's person above normal men, guaranteed his prerogative over church affairs, and bound the participants into a community of believers in his God-given authority ("charisma").

Kulʹtura i iskusstvo Rossii XVIII veka : novye materialy i issledovanii︠a︡ : sbornik stateĭ
Call Number: N6986 .K83 1981
Published/Created: 1981
See the chapter "Otrazhenie idei absoliutizma v simvolike Petrovskikh znamen."
Voprosy geografii petrovskogo vremeni : Sbornik stateĭ
Call Number: G97 .V66 OVERFLOWJ34
Published/Created: 1975
A view of the Petrine era through the lens of geography.
Reformy vtoroĭ poloviny XVII-XX v. : podgotovka, provedenie, rezulʹtaty : sbornik nauchnykh trudov
Call Number: DK127 .R44 1989 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1989
See the chapter "Petrovskaia reforma gosudarstvennogo apparata" by A. N. Medushevsky.
Iz istorii russkoĭ kulʹtury
Call Number: DK32.7 .I96 1996
Published/Created: 1996-2002
See the chapter 'Kul'turnye reformy v sisteme preobrazovaniia Petra I' by V. M. Zhivov in volume three.
Gravi︠u︡ra petrovskogo vremeni by Alekseeva, M. A. (Marii︠a︡ Andreevna)
Call Number: NE481 .A44 LANDOVR
Published/Created: 1971
A description of prints and engravings made during the time of Peter the Great.
Petr Velikiĭ by Andreev, A. I. (Aleksandr Ignatʹevich), ed.
Call Number: DK131 .A5
Published/Created: 1947-
A collection of ten essays about Peter the Great prepared by leading Soviet historians, including Aleksandr Andreev, Berngard Kafengauz and Petr Epifanov. The collection was heavily criticized by the Soviet establishment for portraying the West too favorably.
Petr Pervyĭ : blago ili zlo dli︠a︡ Rossii? by Anisimov, E. V. (Evgeniĭ Viktorovich)
Call Number: DK131 .A527 2017 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 2017
Evgenii Anisimov is the leading contemporary historian of Peter the Great in Russia. This book explores the continuing debate about Peter the Great's impact on Russia and whether his reforms were to the country's benefit or harm.
Vremi︠a︡ petrovskikh reform : XVIII vek 1-i︠a︡ chetvertʹ by Anisimov, E. V. (Evgeniĭ Viktorovich)
Call Number: DK133 .A55 1989 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1989
Evgenii Anisimov is the leading contemporary historian of Peter the Great in Russia. This book examines Peter the Great's numerous reforms.
Petr Velikii by Anisimov, E. V. (Evgeniĭ Viktorovich)
Call Number: DK131 .A53 2009 CABIN BRANCH
ISBN: 9785388005687
Published/Created: 2013
Evgenii Anisimov is the leading contemporary historian of Peter the Great in Russia. This book is a careful study of Peter the Great as a reformer and as a personality.
Podatnai︠a︡ reforma Petra I : vvedenie podushnoĭ podati v Rossii, 1719-1728 gg. by Anisimov, E. V. (Evgeniĭ Viktorovich)
Call Number: HJ4935.R8 A54 1982 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1982
Evgenii Anisimov is the leading contemporary historian of Peter the Great in Russia. This book is a study of Peter the Great's tax reforms.
Zhizneopisanīe generalʺ-admirala grafa Ḟedora Matvi︠e︡evicha Apraksina by Berkh, Vasiliĭ Nikolaevich
Call Number: DK130.A7 B4 1825 Yudin Coll
Published/Created: 1825
A biography of Count Fedor Apraksin (1661-1728), one of the first Russian admirals. Apraksin served under Peter the Great and commanded the Russian fleet in the Great Northern War (1700-1721). Written by Vasilii Berkh (1781-1834), a historian of the Russian navy. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
Istoricheskoe, geograficheskoe i topograficheskoe opisanīe Sanktpeterburga, otʺ nachala zavedenīi︠a︡ ego, sʺ 1703 po 1751 godʺ, so mnogimi izobrazhenīi︠a︡mi perʹvykhʺ zdanīĭ; a nyni︠e︡ dopolnennoe i izdannoe ... Vasilʹemʺ Rubanomʺ by Bogdanov, Andreĭ Ivanovich
Call Number: DK551 .B6 Yudin Coll
Published/Created: 1779
The first written history of St. Petersburg, describing its founding in 1703 and its development up to 1751. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
Petr Velikiĭ : materialy dli︠a︡ biografii by Bogoslovskiĭ, M. M. (Mikhail Mikhaĭlovich)
Call Number: DK131 .B65 2005
Published/Created: 2005-
Mikhail Bogoslovskii (1867-1929) was a major Russian historian who specialized in the period of Peter the Great. This is Bogoslovskii's major contribution to the study of Peter the Great, providing a meticulous account of the tsar's life. Unfortunately, Bogoslovskii was unable to finish the work and the account stops at volume five with the events of 1701. Nevertheless, it remains an invaluable resource, especially on the tsar's early life.
Oblastnai︠a︡ reforma Petra Velikago by Bogoslovskiĭ, Mikhail Mikhaĭlovich
Call Number: JN6599.A1 B6
Published/Created: 1902
Mikhail Bogoslovskii (1867-1929) was a major Russian historian who specialized in the period of Peter the Great. This work, the author's Master's thesis, examines the attempted provincial reforms of Peter the Great. Also available online: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001147881 External
Armii︠a︡ Petra I by Borodulin, Aleksandr Leonidovich
Call Number: UA770 .B629 1994
Published/Created: 1994
A study of Peter the Great's army and his military reforms.
Sankt Peterburg v Petrovo vremi︠a︡ by Bozheri︠a︡nov, Ivan Nikolaevich
Call Number: DK565 .B68 FT MEADE
Published/Created: [1901]
A history of St. Petersburg during the reign of Peter the Great.
Istorii︠a︡ Petra Velikogo. by Brückner, Alexander, 1834-1896
Call Number: DK131 .B888
Published/Created: 1882
Alexander Bruckner was a German-Russian historian with a particular interest in the Westernization of Russia. This is the Russian translation of Bruckner's biography of Peter the Great, originally published in German in 1879. The biography was translated by Bruckner himself. Also available in the original German.
Di︠e︡i︠a︡nīi︠a︡ Petra Velikago, mudrago preobraziteli︠a︡ Rossīi, sobrannyi︠a︡ izʺ dostovi︠e︡rnykhʺ istochnikovʺ i raspolozhennyi︠a︡ po godamʺ by Golikovʺ, Ivanʺ Ivanovichʺ
Call Number: DK131 .G6 Yudin Coll
Published/Created: 1788-1789
Ivan Golikov (1735-1801) was a Russian historian who wrote one of the first histories of Peter the Great's reign. Although flawed, the massive twelve-volume work had a huge influence on later Russian historians of the emperor. Also includes eighteen supplemental volumes. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
Petr Velikiĭ, kak prosvi︠e︡titelʹ Rossīi. Chitano v torzhestvennom sobranīi Imperatorskoĭ akademīi nauk, 31 mai︠a︡ 1872. g. I︠A︡. Grotom by Grot, I︠A︡. K. (I︠A︡kov Karlovich), 1812-1893
Call Number: DK133 .G7
Published/Created: 1872
Published speech given by IAkov Grot, a professor of Russian language and literature, to the Imperial Academy of Sciences on May 31, 1872. The speech focused on Peter the Great's role as an enlightener.
Kurs russkoĭ istorii by Kli︠u︡chevskiĭ, V. O. (Vasiliĭ Osipovich)
Call Number: DK5 .K56 1987
Published/Created: 1987-1989
Vasilii Kliuchevskii (1841-1911) was a prominent Russian historian famous for his lectures. These lectures are compiled in this five-volume collection. Volume four focuses on Peter the Great. Originally published between 1904 and 1921.
Naselenīe Rossīi pri Petri︠e︡ Velikom po perepisi︠a︡m togo vremeni. by Klochkov, Mikhail Vasilʹevich
Call Number: HB3607 .K55
Published/Created: 1911
A description of the Russian population during the reign of Peter the Great. Only one volume was published.
Kratkoe opisanīe slavnykhʺ i dostopami︠a︡tnykhʺ di︠e︡lʺ Imperatora Petra Velikago, ego znamenitykhʺ pobi︠e︡dʺ i puteshestvīǐ vʺ raznyi︠a︡ evropeĭskii︠a︡ gosudarstva : so mnogimi vazhnymi i li︠u︡bopytstva dostoĭnymi proizshestvīi︠a︡mi, predstavlennoe by Krekshinʺ, Petrʺ Nikiforovichʺ, 1684-1763
Call Number: DK131 .K7 1789 Yudin Coll
Published/Created: 1789, originally 1788
Petr Nikiforovich Krekshin was a Russian bureaucrat and historian who extensively studied the period of Peter the Great. Although the accuracy of his work has been disputed by later historians, it represents a major early effort to reflect on the emperor's significance. Second edition. The Library also has later editions published in 1794 and 1808. Also available in German. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
Petr Pervyĭ by Mavrodin, V. V. (Vladimir Vasilʹevich)
Call Number: DK134 .M35 1944a
Published/Created: [1944]
Vladimir Mavrodin (1908-1987) was a Soviet historian who specialized in medieval and 18th-century Russian history. This treatment of Peter the Great is notable for its Marxist interpretation of the subject, especially from the Stalinist era.
Gosudarstvennoe khozi︠a︡ĭstvo Rossii v pervoĭ chetverti XVIII stoli︠e︡tii︠a︡ i reforma Petra Velikogo by Mili︠u︡kov, P. N. (Pavel Nikolaevich)
Published/Created: 1905
Pavel Miliukov (1859-1943) was a Russian historian and politician, best known as the founder of the Constitutional Democratic Party. This book, Miliukov's Master's thesis, describes the relationship between the Russian government and its economy through the lens of Peter the Great's reforms. In contrast to other historians, Miliukov argues against Peter's genius, positing instead that the tsar's reforms were the natural result of larger historical and economic forces. Available online: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000959314 External
Petr I by Pavlenko, N. I.
Call Number: DK131 .P285 2000 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 2000
Originally published in 1975, this biography was written by the preeminent Soviet historian of Peter the Great, Nikolai Pavlenko (1916-2016).
Rossii︠a︡ v period reform Petra I by Pavlenko, N. I. (Nikolaĭ Ivanovich)
Call Number: DK131 .R8 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1973
Collection of essay by various Soviet scholars and historians, including Nikolai Pavlenko. Notable as an example of scholarship from the post-Stalin period.
Petr Velikiĭ; lichnostʹ i dei︠a︡telʹnostʹ by Platonov, S. F. (Sergeĭ Fedorovich)
Call Number: DK131 .P55 1926 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1926
Sergei Platonov (1860-1933) was a major Russian historian of the late 19th- and early 20th century. He primarily focused on the history of medieval Russia. In 1930, Platonov was accused of conspiring against the Soviet regime and was exiled to Samara, where he passed away. His academic reputation has since been rehabilitated in contemporary Russia. This is Platonov's study of Peter the Great.
Istorīi︠a︡ Petra Velikago by Polevoĭ, Nikolaĭ Alekseevich
Call Number: Microfilm 43005 DK
Published/Created: 1899, originally 1843
Nikolai Alekseevich Polevoi (1796-1846) was a Russian journalist, writer and historian. His major historical work is Istoriia russkogo naroda ('A history of the Russian people') which was an answer to Nikolai Karamzin's Istoriia gosudarstva Rossiiskogo ('A history of the Russian state'). This is Polevoi's work dedicated to Peter the Great, which overall gives a positive view of the emperor. In four volumes. On microfilm. Request in the Microform & Electronic Resources Center (Jefferson, LJ139).
Slovo i di︠e︡lo, 1700-1735. Ocherki i rasskazy iz russkoi istorii XVIII veka by Semevskiĭ, M. (Mikhail)
Call Number: DK142 .S45 1884 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1884
A collection of articles about the Petrine era originally published in the journal Russkaia Starina. Includes the following articles: Tainaia kantseliariia pri Petrie Velikom - Samuil Vymorkov, propoviednik iavleniia antikhrista - Kamer freilina Gamil'ton - Petr I-i kak iumorist.
Istorĭi︠a︡ Rossīi s drevni︠e︡ĭshikh vremen by Solovʹev, S. M. (Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich)
Call Number: DK40 .S58
Published/Created: 1851-
The magnum opus of the historian, Sergei Solov'ev', this sprawling history represents 30 years of dedicated research. The first volume was published in 1851 and the last, volume 29, in 1879. Volumes 15 through 18 cover the life of Peter the Great. Available in English. Also available online: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005974636 External
Ėkonomicheskai︠a︡ politika i ėkonomicheskie vzgli︠a︡dy Petra I by Spiridonova, E. V.
Call Number: HC334 .S6
Published/Created: 1952
An analysis of Peter the Great's economic policies, primarily from a Marxist perspective.
"Reguli︠a︡rnoe" gosudarstvo Petra Pervogo i ego ideologii︠a︡ by Syromi︠a︡tnikov, B. I. (Boris Ivanovich)
Call Number: JN6511 .S9
Published/Created: 1943-
Landmark study of Peter the Great during the Soviet era. Due to scathing criticism from the Soviet establishment for its supposed 'bourgeois' historical methods, the planned second volume was never completed.
Polnoe opisanīe di︠e︡i︠a︡nīĭ Ego Velichestva Gosudari︠a︡ Imperatora Petra Velikago. sochinennoe Ḟeodoromʺ Tumanskimʺ. Chastʹ 1. by Tumanskīĭ, Ḟedorʺ Osipovichʺ
Call Number: DK131 .T8 Yudin Coll
Published/Created: 1788
Fedor Tumanskii (1757?-1805) was a Russian stateman and writer who intended to complete a multi-volume study of Peter the Great. However, only one volume was published as Tumanskii became discouraged by the publication of Ivan Golikov's study of the emperor. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
Istorīia︡ t︠s︡arstvovanii︠a︡ Petra Velikago by Ustri︠a︡lov, N. G. (Nikolaĭ Gerasimovich)
Call Number: DK131 .U8
Published/Created: 1858-63
The major scholarly work of the prominent historian, Nikolai Ustrialov, which examines Peter the Great and his reign. Although Ustrialov planned to publish ten volumes in the series, he only completed the first four in addition to the sixth (the fifth volume was never finished).
Trudy Vserossiĭskoĭ nauchnoĭ konferent︠s︡ii "Kogda Rossii︠a︡ molodai︠a︡ muzhala s geniem Petra" : posvi︠a︡shchennoĭ 300-letnemu i︠u︡bilei︠u︡ otechestvennogo flota : Pereslavlʹ-Zalesskiĭ, 30 ii︠u︡ni︠a︡-2 ii︠u︡li︠a︡ 1992 g. by Vserossiĭskai︠a︡ nauchnai︠a︡ konferent︠s︡ii︠a︡ "Kogda Rossii︠a︡ molodai︠a︡ muzhala s geniem Petra"
Call Number: DK131 .V96 1992
Published/Created: 1992
A compilation of presentations from the 1992 conference "Kogda Rossiia molodaiia muzhala s geniem Petra" ('When young Russia matured with the genius of Peter'). The conference was held in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian navy. The presentations focus on the history of the Petrine era, with a particular emphasis on Russian naval history. Includes three volumes.
Manufaktura pri Petre I by Zaozerskai︠a︡, E. I. (Elizaveta Ivanovna)
Call Number: HC334 .Z3
Published/Created: 1947
A study of manufacturing under Peter the Great's reign through a Marxist lens.

Peter der Grosse by Brückner, Alexander, 1834-1896.
Call Number: DK131 .B89 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1879
Alexander Bruckner was a German-Russian historian with a particular interest in the Westernization of Russia. Brucker wrote this biography of Peter the Great in 1879. Available online: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000399135 External In German. Also available in Russian.
Peters des Grossen Jugendjahre : kurze Beschreibung der gesegneten Taten des grossen Gosudars, des Kaisers Peters des Grossen, Selbstherrschers von ganz Russland, gesammelt durch das unwürdige Mühen des letzten Knechts Petr Krekšin, Adligen aus Novgoro by Krekshin, Petr Nikiforovich, 1684-1763
Call Number: DK131 .K715 1989 CABIN BRANCH
Published/Created: 1989, originally 1788
German translation of Petr Kreshkin's history of Peter the Great. Petr Nikiforovich Krekshin was a Russian bureaucrat and historian who extensively studied the emperor. Although the accuracy of his work has been disputed by later historians, it represents a major early effort to reflect on Peter the Great's significance. Also available in Russian. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239).
Memoires du regne de Pierre le Grand, empereur de Russie, père de la patrie, &c., &c., &c. Par le B. Iwan Nestesuranoi [pseud.] by Rousset de Missy, Jean
Call Number: DK131 .R86 1726 Pre-1801 Coll
Published/Created: 1726-30
Jean Rousset de Missy (1686-1762) was a well-respected historian and journalist. In addition to this history of Peter the Great, de Missy also wrote a history of Catherine I. Request in the Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room (Jefferson LJ239). In French.
Histoire de l'empire de Russie sous Pierre le Grand by Voltaire, 1694-1778
Call Number: DK131 .V9
Published/Created: 1813, originally 1763
A history of Peter the Great written by the great French philosopher and writer, Voltaire. Voltaire was commissioned by Empress Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter, to write this history in the hope of demonstrating Russia's enlightened status to other European powers. In French. Also available in English.
Peter I, Czar und Kaiser by Wittram, Reinhard
Call Number: DK131 .W76
Published/Created: 1964
A major two-volume study of Peter the Great by the German historian, Reinhard Wittram. In German.

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