Peter I

1 7.0

Russian ruler who modernized the country, expanded its land, and founded St Petersburg

proper noun
/ˈpiːtər aɪ/

: Pedro I

The city of St. Petersburg was established on the orders of Peter I.
Peter I, the czar

Examples

Czar Peter I is known for modernizing Russia.
Czar Peter I implemented numerous reforms that modernized Russia and expanded its territory.
Peter I implemented major reforms that radically changed Russian society.
Many historians regard Peter I as the most influential Russian czar of his era.
Did Peter I really found St. Petersburg?
Under Peter I, Russia established itself as a formidable European power during the 17th century.
The city of St. Petersburg was founded by Peter I as part of his efforts to Westernize Russia.

Synonyms

Peter the Great

vsPeter I

3 6.0

Ruler of Russia who modernized the country and founded St Petersburg

has identical sense but appears as a more familiar popular title

Czar Peter I

vsPeter I

1 7.9

A ruler of Russia from 1682 to 1725 who made the army and government more modern and founded St Petersburg

refers to the same person but notes an alternate name in its description

Surface Forms

Peter I main

Morphology

Peter + I

The form 'Peter I' signals a personal name plus an ordinal (Peter the First), so a learner who recognises 'Peter' as a name and 'I' as a regnal numeral can infer it refers to a particular historical person. However, the specific biographical content (that he was Czar of Russia who modernized the state and founded St. Petersburg) cannot be derived from the constituents, and some B1 learners may not interpret 'I' as a Roman numeral, making the expression only partially predictable.

Etymology

Peter I is the title for Peter the Great and the I shows he was the 'first' ruler named Peter. One memorable story says he traveled to Europe in plain clothes and worked in shipyards to learn new skills, and he used those ideas to change Russia and build St. Petersburg, so Peter I is remembered as the czar who 'modernized' Russia.