Peter the Great and the Founding of Saint Petersburg

In this episode of The Romanov Dynasty, Lucas and Luna explore Peter the Great's audacious project to build a new capital from scratch on the swampy delta of the Neva River. They discuss the strategic vision behind Saint Petersburg — Russia's 'window to the West' — and the staggering human cost of its construction, with tens of thousands of serfs dying from disease, malnutrition, and brutal conditions. The conversation covers the fierce Swedish resistance during the Great Northern War, culminating in the decisive Battle of Poltava in 1709, and the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 that finally secured Russia's access to the Baltic. Lucas delves into the architectural influences brought by Italian and French architects like Domenico Trezzini, and the forced relocation of nobles, merchants, and artisans to populate the new city. They touch on the symbolic significance of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the city's layout reflecting Peter's rationalist ideals, and how Petersburg became a crucible of Russian modernization — but also a source of enduring tension between tradition and Westernization that would haunt the Romanovs until their end. #PeterTheGreat #SaintPetersburg #RomanovDynasty #GreatNorthernWar #BattleOfPoltava #TreatyOfNystad #DomenicoTrezzini #NevaDelta #WindowToTheWest #RussianHistory #FexingoHistory #ImperialRussia #BalticSea #PeterAndPaulFortress #Serfdom #Westernization #Modernization #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo