It is under the impression that Peter I was the greatest reformer in Russian history, a monarch who made backward Russia one of the Great Powers of Europe. He built factories to develop trade, culture, and education, while reforming the military and establishing a regular army and navy. But there are legends that Peter the Great drank heavily, is this true and false? Who the hell is an alcoholic?
In Russia, very few men do not drink alcohol. Are those who drink on holidays and weekends drunk? There is no other criterion for defining an alcoholic than a medical standard. In the time of Peter the Great, everything was subjective. Did Peter the Great like to drink? Yes, and the amount of alcohol was staggering, and Peter I's daily drink was not juice or water or anything like that, but a kvass, a pale ale. Let's take a look at how big his addiction is?
There is a saying that the deacon who trained Peter I, Nikita Zotov, taught Peter I to fall in love with alcohol, needless to say that Zotov was an alcoholic, and Peter I was trapped in it after trying it once. Don't forget that Peter I traveled to Europe, where Europeans drank rum, whiskey and other spirits. There was a milder mead in Russia at the time, and Peter I looked up to Europe and ordered his citizens to drink vodka more, and it is said that even women should drink vodka.
Peter I often held various gatherings, of course, "wine" to help. At the party, Peter the Great's "persuasion" skills were superb, and almost all the guests who attended his banquet were carried back to their homes. The cup that Peter the Great used to drink, the largest one called the "Eagle Cup", can hold 2 and a half pounds of vodka, and the cup is basically drunk and unconscious.
It is said that he could drink 36 glasses of wine a day, and of course Peter I was large and in good health. And I heard that Peter I would drink a cup of vodka every morning with a sour cucumber. If all this is true, then Peter is indeed an alcoholic.
But Peter I also issued laws restricting alcohol, and at first glance Peter I was inconsistent in this matter, but in fact he particularly encouraged the people to drink spirits. He also invented the "medal" for alcoholism, which weighed up to 10 kilograms. It seems that Peter just wants to distinguish between the pleasure of drinking and the pleasure of drinking. That is, when he saw that drinking was clearly not good, the "repression" began. However, none of this was institutionally bound, so the Russian people continued to drink uncontrolledly, including Peter I.
Peter I liked to celebrate victory with spirits, which seemed normal to us. We also drink to celebrate birthdays, New Year's Day, and other holidays, and Peter I, who often fought wars and went into the water, had more reason to drink. There is a theory that Peter I died of alcohol poisoning, but there is no empirical evidence. Peter I died in St. Petersburg in early 1725 at the age of 52. Knock on the blackboard to draw the point: 52 years old!