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Bereznitsky S. The Power of Knowledge as the Basis of Peter the Great’s Activity in Creating the Imperial Identity of Russia

Sergey Bereznitsky
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0001-6235-5542
E-mail: svbereznitsky@yandex.ru

 

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ABSTRACT. The original meaning of the concept of “empire” meant the supreme state power of the people. Subsequently, power not only passed to its sole owner — the emperor, but was also projected onto the territory under his control. The empire is characterized by such components as the absolute, sacred power of the emperor, based on law enforcement agencies, the army, navy and the bureaucratic apparatus; a clearly organized (center-periphery) territory (power over space), calendar (power over time); culture, education, science, ideology and identity (power over minds and consciousness). The recognition of the imperial character of these structural elements by foreign Powers is mandatory. This evolution of the creation of the Russian Empire and imperial identity is seen in the activities of Peter the Great. Peter was not engaged in acquiring wealth and privileges, but was accumulating, in accordance with his phenomenal efficiency and natural curiosity, applied and theoretical knowledge in the field of many crafts, technologies, humanities, social and natural sciences. He used this knowledge to manage a huge empire, numerous peoples settled in its various parts possessing specific and sometimes unique civilizational, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, mental characteristics. Peter had a special imperial power — the power of knowledge.

 

KEYWORDS: The Russian Empire, Peter I, imperial identity, the power of knowledge

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2022-1(15)-44-54
УДК 39:930.85

 

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