The eighteenth century was a turning point in Russian history. At the end of the 17th century, for the European great powers, Russia was a distant and little significant country at the very edge of the world. She had no political weight, access to the sea and did not claim leading roles in world politics. By the end of the next century, the situation in the political arena of Europe has changed dramatically.
The eighteenth century includes the reign of Peter I, the era of palace coups and the golden age of Catherine II. Such ups and downs in domestic politics caused the unevenness of its social and foreign policy development, but its general direction remained consistent with the reforms of Peter the Great.
The domestic and foreign policies of this period are difficult to separate. Peter I planned to establish trade with European countries; for this, access to the sea was necessary. So in 1700 the war with Sweden began. It ended only in 1721, after the signing of peace in the city of Nishtadt, Russia got access to the Baltic Sea. But even during the war it became clear that the industrial development of the country does not allow for large-scale European wars. For this, guns, guns, ships and educated personnel are needed. The war required the construction of factories, ships and the opening of educational institutions. By the middle of the century, 75 metallurgical plants were operating in Russia, which provided the country with the necessary cast iron and sent the metal for export. A combat and merchant marine fleet appeared and, thanks to a number of technical universities that had opened, their own military personnel.
The same line of development of the state was continued by Catherine II. After the bloody war of 1768-1774 Russia ousted the Ottoman Empire from the Black Sea and got access to the Black Sea. After the partition of Poland, the lands of the Right-Bank Ukraine and Belarus entered the Russian Empire. As a result, the trade turnover increased several times, the number of manufactories increased, and new branches of production appeared. Thus, by the end of the 18th century, Russia from a distant, insignificant state in the north became an empire playing one of the leading roles in the international politics of that time.
Large-scale reforms of Peter the Great and Catherine II were little supported by the old nobility of the country. To strengthen the throne and imperial power, Peter I began to actively rely on the military estate, distributing land for service. So the nobility appeared and began to strengthen. In the first quarter of the eighteenth century, the nobility was divided into personal and hereditary. All persons of this estate were obliged to serve. Over time, the rights of the nobility expanded more and more. Lands and titles began to be inherited, and at the end of the century, service ceased to be mandatory. The expansion of the rights of the nobility led to enslavement of the peasants, and to several large-scale revolts of the people.
Another feature of this century is the secularization of public life. Peter I abolished the patriarchate and established a holy synod, and Catherine II decided to confiscate church lands. Church reform was the beginning of the absolutist period of Russian history. Towards the end of the 18th century, under the influence of the ideas of Voltaire and Diderot, Enlightened absolutism established itself in the country. A secular culture begins to develop in Russia, a theater has appeared, Fonvizin writes his comedies, sculpture and a ceremonial portrait appear in the visual arts.
In this century, the country has chosen the path that is catching up with European countries, taking from them what they like. This line of development influenced the consciousness of society, the development of culture, sciences and social thought.
