Constantin de Grunwald Peter the Great

The reign of Peter the Great represents one of the outstanding periods in the thousand-year-old history of Russia, a history dramatic in any case by reason of storms and upheavals in which acts of heroism alternated with frightful crimes and in which, for generations con­tinuous darkness clouded and interrupted the development of national power.

Haloed in morning freshness, the origins of Holy Russia merged, in the imaginations of monkish chroniclers and popular singers with man­kind’s golden age. The scenery of various famous operas has made us familiar with this legendary country: green meadows, lakes of deepest blue, pink-walled cities with gilded cupolas, young warriors in shining armour, sword at belt, princesses with braided golden tresses, clothed in white linen.