The History of Peter the Great, an outstanding Russian historian, professor at the University of Dorpat, Alexander Gustavovich Brikner (1834-1896), is a real encyclopedia of Peter's time, an unbiased look at Peter's reforms and their importance for strengthening Russian statehood. Since its appearance, Brickner's book has become a notable phenomenon in Russian and foreign public life. The events of one of the most interesting, contradictory and intriguing eras of Russian history are set forth in it at the highest artistic level and at the same time impeccable in terms of the selection of factual material. An illustrative series of publications has also been carefully prepared: portraits of the emperor and his associates are given from the most reliable originals, views of cities, buildings, localities - from the originals of the 18th century, costumes and everyday scenes accurately reproduce the flavor of the stormy Petrovsky era.