Peter the Great (1672 - 1725) was the Russian czar, a military and political leader, who transformed Russia from an isolated agricultural society into an Empire on a par with European powers. Peter toured Europe and educated himself in western culture and science, then returned to Russia and introduced military, civil and social reforms to make Russia more like Europe. He spent much of his time fighting wars, first against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire, then (from 1700) against the Swedes in the Great Northern War. He succeeded in conquering land on the Baltic Sea, where he founded St. Petersburg. A gateway to Europe, St. Petersburg became the new capital of Russia. Peter was often in the battlefield, occasionally returning home to address domestic issues and put down revolts. In 1725 he dove in the water to help rescue some drowning sailors; he ended up with a bad cold and died a short time later.

His personality has been the cause of much debate and discussion and has inspired generations of historians, writers, artists and musicians.

You can follow his life story via the following video-clips.

Sources for videoclips:
Peter the Great - Part I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZih6QERIeg
Peter the Great - Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFl4R30xzY&feature=related
Peter the Great - Part III http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju4UNG-8fFw&feature=related
Sources for this text: Peter I of Russia. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved, September 28, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_I_of_Russia