Peter 1 - the All-Russian Emperor, a representative of the Romanov dynasty - began to rule on his own at the age of seventeen, although he was proclaimed king at the age of ten. The great ruler and reformer, thanks to whom the reforms in the country and in the army were carried out. It was Peter 1 who created the great Russian fleet. Many of the filmmakers tried to convey the chronology of his life and the events of those times repeatedly on film, Soviet and Russian cinema is no exception. An overview of the most popular paintings about Peter the Great is presented in our article, but this is not a complete list.
Films about Peter 1: “Tsarevich Alexey”
Soviet, and later Russian cinema, with enviable constancy over the years, presented to the audience a picture of Peter the Great. Among the films that relate directly to the life of the great ruler, the following can be distinguished: “Peter the Great” (1910), “Peter the Great” (1937–1938), “The Tale of How Tsar Peter the Arapa Married” (1976). In 1980, the film "Youth of Peter" was released on the screens of the country. It is noteworthy that the picture, based on the works of Peter the Great, based on the work of Alexei Tolstoy, consists of two parts. The second part of the film was released in the same year and was called "At the Beginning of Glorious Deeds." After only sixteen years, the directors of Russian cinema have again raised the theme of the great ruler. In 1997, Vitaly Melnikov's painting “Tsarevich Aleksey” (1997) appeared on the screens of the country.
The list, films about Peter 1 in which the bright years of the autocrat’s life are illuminated, is replenished with another picture, this time shot by a team of professionals from America. US cinema in 1985 released a series about Peter called Peter the Great (translated as "Peter the Great").
Tsarevich Aleksey is a feature film based on Merezhkovsky’s novel Peter and Aleksey. The plot of the historical drama is based on the relationship between the great autocrat and his son Alexei Petrovich. The director of the film Vitaly Melnikov decided to show the son of Peter 1 as a person who wants to live the life of an ordinary citizen and not have anything to do with everything that his great father does. According to the plot, Alex did not crave the death of Peter and the change of power in Russia. He was a meek and God-fearing young man. However, the events developed in such a way that as a result of libel, the guy was tortured by his father. The role of Peter in the film was played by Victor Stepanov, Alexei Zuev played Tsarevich Alexei.
"Peter the Great"
The film "Peter the Great", which saw the light in 1910, is the directorial creation of Kai Ganzen and Vasily Goncharov, a representative of the silent short-length genre. The picture has another name - “The Life and Death of Peter the Great” - and tells about the main stages of the biography of the all-Russian ruler. The film begins with an illustration of Peter's youth, his campaigns in Moscow; then the picture tells about the beginning of the great reforms, about the resistance of the boyars, about Peter's journey to Holland to study shipbuilding; about the organization of the Russian fleet, about the defeat in the Northern War and about the victory in the Battle of Poltava. The film ends with a story about the last days of Peter, about how his health was undermined as a result of his efforts and hard work. As a result, the king dies. The role of Peter the Great in the film was played by Peter Voinov, Catherine 1 - E. Trubetskaya.
By the way, the film was a great success and broke all records for the quality of shooting and the number of views in Russia at that time. As critics of the early 20th century noted, in the best theaters of the province the picture was shown as much as the public wished.
Let's continue our list, films about Peter 1 in which they will be considered in chronological order.
“Peter the Great” is a Soviet historical and biographical film that was shot at the Lenfilm film studio by director Vladimir Petrov. The two-part tape is based on the play of the same name by Alexei Tolstoy. The first series of the film was released in 1937, the second - in 1938. The plot tells about the everyday life of the Russian emperor, about the period of formation and revival of the Russian Empire; about the time of the great reforms and palace conspiracies. Close attention is paid to the conflict between Peter and his son Alexei. The main roles in the film were played by Nikolai Simonov (Peter 1), Alla Tarasova (Catherine 1), Nikolai Cherkasov (Tsarevich Alexei), Mikhail Zharov (Menshikov).
Our list (films about Peter 1) is replenished with another film shot based on the classic novel with a very twisted plot.
"The Tale of How Tsar Peter Arapa Married"
The painting "The Tale of How Tsar Peter Arapa Married" was released on the screens of the USSR in 1976. Filming was directed by director Alexander Mitta. The tape was shot at the Mosfilm film studio based on the immortal work of Pushkin's The Arap of Peter the Great. In the 1976 film distribution, the film took sixth place, collecting a total of 33 million 100 thousand viewers.
The plot of the picture tells how Peter the Great was once presented with a little arap - “the son of a black king”. The fate of the “gift” has developed quite non-trivially. The boy was not a slave at court, he became a royal pupil. Peter baptized the boy, giving him the name Ibrahim Petrovich Hannibal. Later, a smart black man was sent to France, where he received a whole bag of knowledge and manners.
In Europe, Ibrahim became famous thanks to his achievements not only in science, but also in military affairs, he became a famous man at the court. However, as a result of a scandal due to a relationship with a married lady, he was deported to Russia. At home, Hannibal did not maintain a good relationship with the king. The blame was the woman whom Peter wanted to marry Ibrahim Petrovich ...
The role of Peter 1 in the film was played by the famous Soviet actor Alexei Petrenko, but the talented Vladimir Vysotsky worked on the image of Ibrahim Petrovich Hannibal.
"Youth of Peter"
The joint work of the Gorky film studio and the German company "DEFA" (GDR) - the film "Youth of Peter". The picture was released in 1980 thanks to the director Sergey Gerasimov, music was provided by composer Vladimir Martynov. The original name of the film is Peters Jugend. It is curious that the film premiered in October 1980 in Berlin, and only in March 1981 did the Soviet audience see it. The main roles were played by Dmitry Zolotukhin, Tamara Makarova, Natalya Bondarchuk, Nikolai Eremenko (Jr.).
The adventure drama is based on the events described in the novel by Alexei Tolstoy "Peter the Great". The youth of Great Peter was fraught with a threat to the life of the ruler from the side of the boyar class. Princess Sophia, aspiring to power, wove intrigues. However, thanks to the clear mind and the unbending will of the ruler, the enemies were disarmed. The picture tells how, abandoning a number of patriarchal values, the tsar sought to bring the country to the list of the most enlightened, sparing no strength.
The director received a special prize for the magnitude of the embodiment of the historical and patriotic theme at the Vilnius Film Festival in 1981. Dmitry Zolotukhin, who played the role of Peter 1, according to a 1981 poll by Soviet Screen magazine, was recognized as the best actor.
The painting “At the Beginning of Glorious Deeds” is a continuation of the historical drama about the great emperor, based on the novel by Peter the Great, by Alexei Tolstoy.
The second part of the film by Sergei Gerasimov tells how in the late 17th century. Russia experienced a crisis in trade, suffered huge losses. The reason for everything was the lack of access to the sea. Tsar Peter 1 starts a great business - begins the construction of the Russian fleet, later takes the fortress of Azov. But not everyone likes the policy of the sovereign. Discontent is ripening among the boyars ...
About the creation of the Russian fleet
"Young Russia" is a multi-part film based on the historical novel of the same name by Yuri German, which tells about the creation of the Russian fleet at the turn of the 17-18 centuries. The directorial work in the film belongs to Ilya Gurin, the music for the film was written by composer Kirill Molchanov. The picture was shot at the Gorky film studio in 1980-1981. The premiere took place much later - in January 1984.
The film takes place in the Russian North. The plot is based on the life of captain-commander Sylvester Ievlev, lieutenant of customs troops Athanasius Krykov and feedman Ivan Ryabov. The film is an exact adaptation of the entire novel, with the exception of a few chapters. It is interesting that the characters Ivan Ryabov and Ievlev Sylvester Petrovich are real people whose names are known to history.
In 1701, Ivan Ryabov accomplished a feat - a man, as a loader, stranded a Swedish ship directly under the fire of a coastal battery, opposite a specially constructed fortress. Ievlev Sylvester Petrovich participated in the construction of the Novodvinsk fortress, and also took part in the hostilities during the defense of Arkhangelsk from the Swedes in 1701.
The film has a whole galaxy of talented actors of the Soviet period - Boris Nevzorov, Alexander Fatyushin, Stepan Starchikov, Alexandra Yakovleva, Dmitry Zolotukhin and others.
Events of the last years of Peter's life
Historical drama “Peter the Great. Testament ”was released in 2011. The picture was shot by director Vladimir Bortko on the request of the Russia-1 television channel. The film is based on the work of Daniel Granin, “Evenings with Peter the Great”. The film tells about the last years of the reign of the emperor, about his loneliness, illnesses and worries for the future of his state.
At the end of his life, Peter 1 fell in love with a woman 30 years younger than himself. This was the Moldavian princess Maria Cantemir - a very educated lady of her time. She became his favorite and probably the love of a lifetime. It seemed to Peter that only Mary, like no one else, understood him. It was because of this woman that Peter the Great was ready to divorce his wife, Catherine 1. Maria Kantemir was preparing to become the mother of the heir to Great Peter, however, the intrigues of the court and the untimely death of the emperor did not allow the plan to be realized.
The emotional feelings in the film are intertwined with the current state affairs of the king. He fights against embezzlement, continues to strengthen the fleet. And then one day, by chance, being in icy water, Peter falls ill. It becomes clear that the sovereign is one step away from death. His courtiers have already agreed on a division of power, and faithful like-minded people in the past are only concerned with saving their own heads. The main roles in the film were played by
Alexander Baluev (Peter 1), Elizaveta Boyarskaya (Maria Kantemir), Irina Rozanova (Ekaterina 1), Sergey Makovetsky (Alexander Menshikov) and others. Vladimir Dashkevich wrote the music for the film.