This painting is entitled: "Timmerman Explaining to Peter the Use of the Astrolabe"

The future Russian Tsar, who would be the first to use the title Emperor, was born on the night of May 30, 1672.

He was the 14th child of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the first by his second wife, Tsarina Natalia Naryshkina.

After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich and his heir Fyodor III, a struggle for the throne broke out between the influential boyar clans of the Naryshkins and Milaslavskys.

The Streltsy uprising put an end to the court strife. The Streltsy demanded that the two brothers sit on the throne at the same time: the elder tsar Ivan and the younger tsar Peter.

The Streltsy also insisted that, due to the infancy of both tsars, their elder sister, Princess Sophia, took over the state administration.

After his official coronation, Peter was removed from the court to an estate near Moscow in the village of Preobrazhenskoe.

There he devoted himself entirely to his studies, showing "a ready wit and qualities that promised a great sovereign."

1687.

·       Isaac Newton published his major work, "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy", in which he described the law of universal gravitation and the three fundamental laws of mechanics.

·       Pierre Varignon published the "Project of New Mechanics", in which he gave a systematic presentation of the doctrine of the composition and decomposition of forces, the moments of forces and the rules for operating them.

In the Tsardom of Russia only the clergy, boyars (nobles) and some merchants received literacy training and studied other sciences.

The village of Perebrazhenskoye.

Peter is 15 years old.

He was taught to read and write by the clerk Nikita Zotov. Under his guidance, Peter received a primary education, and until the end of his life, he wrote with mistakes, using a poor vocabulary.

Peter was later able to compensate for his lack of basic knowledge with enormous practical exercises. For example, at his request, Prince Yakov Dolgoruky brought an astrolabe from France.

No one from the young tsar's suite knew how to use the device. The Dutch merchant Franz Timmerman helped Peter to master the principles of using the astrolabe. From that moment on, he became Peter's teacher in geometry and fortification.

Throughout his life, Peter did not lose his childish curiosity, constantly studied new sciences, and mastered new skills. He mentored, ushered in to his circle and promoted people who were active and inquisitive, thus forming a new type of Russian statesman.

Here is a digital copy of the painting "Timmerman Explaining to Peter the Use of the Astrolabe." The picture was painted by theatrical artist Mikhail Bocharov. The original is stored in the collections of the State Russian Museum.