Connected Sites
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1703 - orders building of St Petersburg, Peterhof Palace etc
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(Then owned by Sweden)- "His first stop was at the Baltic town of Riga, where Peter took a vivid interest in the town's fortifications, based on the ones of the Famous French Marshal Vauban. Things got too far however, when a local guard ordered Peter away when he found that the young Russian was taking measurements of the Fort's walls and making sketches. Peter would never forget this incident and it would come back later when he declared war on Sweden, citing his rude reception at Riga as an excuse". Peter was present at the capture of Riga Riga is currently proposing to "give back" its statue of Peter the Great to St Petersburg as a 300th birthday present -"Some want to offer the statue as a present of goodwill. Others see it as a Russian occupier and want it out."
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1717 - Visited Versailles on his second overseas jounrey. Met Louis XIV. Returned with ideas for Peterhof
See www.sellingantiques.co.uk
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Visited the Tower of London to view the Royal Mint as he was interested incoinage. While at the Tower, Peter was not shown the axe used to behead King Charles I, as it was feared he might throw it into the river! Peter remembered how angry the execution had made his father
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Visited the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, observing Venus with the first Astronomer Royal, Flamsteed.
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Peter the Great stayed at Herengracht 527 during a visit to Amsterdam in 1716 to learn about ship building
See www.hermitage.nl
