Topic: Tsar Peter... What else did he do?

[88Devin12]

Been watching a documentary on the history of the Russian Empire, and while I knew Tsar Peter harmed Russia, I had no clue that he went so far as to force people to dress different, shave their beards, etc... He even melted down church bells for canons just so he could have a port on the Baltic... Not to mention abolishing the Patriarchate (in favor of a Holy Synod and Metropolitan)...
He also apparently said that men couldn't join a monastery until they turned 50, and he did that because he wanted them to serve in his army instead...

What else did he do? What other harm did he cause to the Church?

It's kind of funny because the documentary/program is constantly singing his praises for bringing old, ancient, decaying Russia into a new, more enlightened Western World... They even acted like it was an okay thing that he physically ripped out the beards of people on the streets...

sigh... I didn't realize he had done as much as he did... Why do we call him "Great"?

Also, I didn't think this would be considered political, so I put it here, I'm sorry if it is...

[ialmisry]

Because the West is good, and the East is bad, and secularism is good and religion bad.  Doesn't everyone know that?-Westoxification.

When I was a wee lad in school, they used "Westernization" for "modernization" without blushing. It was only when the WOGS started mocking "Coca-cola-ization" that "modernization" became the preferred term.

I remember seeing a documentary on a Chinese Christian (loyal to the Vatican), being mocked for follwoing a "Western ideology." He retorted "Wasn't Marx from the West?"

[tuesdayschild]

Because the West is good, and the East is bad, and secularism is good and religion bad.  Doesn't everyone know that?-Westoxification.

When I was a wee lad in school, they used "Westernization" for "modernization" without blushing. It was only when the WOGS started mocking "Coca-cola-ization" that "modernization" became the preferred term.

I remember seeing a documentary on a Chinese Christian (loyal to the Vatican), being mocked for follwoing a "Western ideology." He retorted "Wasn't Marx from the West?"

Please define "WOGS"

[88Devin12]

Hmm I also just read that he gave himself the title of "Great"... (probably like Alexander the Great)

I'm sure the West is more than willing to attribute him that title... Is he called such in Russia?

[ialmisry]

Hmm I also just read that he gave himself the title of "Great"... (probably like Alexander the Great)

I'm sure the West is more than willing to attribute him that title... Is he called such in Russia?

no. Just Peter the first. I understand that the phrase caught when American TV filmed his life in the 80's in Russia.

[Luke]

Who created the documentary?  Is it a PBS program?  While I am at it, can anyone recommend a history of Russia, which emphasizes the Orthodox Church?  It may be hard just to recommend 1 vol. for a big country with a long history, but I thought I would ask.

[biro]

no. Just Peter the first. I understand that the phrase caught when American TV filmed his life in the 80's in Russia.

Yes, there was that book by Robert K. Massie and a miniseries on U.S. television. Massie also wrote Nicholas and Alexandra.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Great:_His_Life_and_World

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_K._Massie

The miniseries was on NBC in the U.S., in 1986. It won three Emmys, and starred Maximillian Schnell, Vanessa Redgrave and Laurence Olivier. It was required viewing in school for my class. I also got the Massie books for Christmas.

[88Devin12]

The documentary was "Russia: Land of the Tsars", by the History Channel I think... (yeah, go figure, the History Channel putting out a bias documentary, who would'ave thunk it? lol)