PETER THE FIRST AND ALEXEY: DEMOCRATIC HISTORICAL IDEAS AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DEATH OF PRINCE

The article deals with transformation of public consciousness and the image of Peter the First and the death of Tsarevich Alexey in the context of the abolition of serfdom and other reforms. With the reference to a number of historical sources, the author demonstrates how important the issue of Tsarevich Alexey's death was. Free Russian Publisher House of Alexander Gertcen and Nikolay Ogarev touched upon it in the Polyarnaya Zvezda almanac. Adopting the version of Tsarevich Alexey's death as presented in Captain A. Rumyantcev's letter to D. Titov, propagandizing and disseminating this version in the Polyarnaya Zvezda almanac, Gertcen was far from viewing Peter the Great as tyrant and killer of his son. Gertcen's opinion of the Russian Emperor was much more controversial and corresponded with his ideas about Russian history in general. In his analysis of of Russian revolutionary ideas development A. Gert-cen found place for Peter the Great. As Gertcen considered, there was nothing paradoxical in that fact. Historical position of Peter the Great fully corresponded with general development of Russian history. At the same time, as the author argued, revolutionary role of Peter the First was connected with the fact that thanks to the reforms people were freed from the old traditions but not from oppression itself. Previous repressions were replaced by new oppression. As result, the author emphasizes that the topic about Peter the First was important for revolutionary ideas of 1850s and 1860s. It is evident that democrats of this period positively evaluated the tsar and his reforms. The reforms were recognized as useful for the country and for future development of the society. The author clarifies, that in in the view of democrats, Peter's Russia was a new stage of historical development of the country because of traditional 'byzan-tinism' of Moscow state was destroyed. As author argues that revolutionary democrats believed that revolution did not bring freedom to Russian society.

historical consciousness, Russian Empire, Peter the Great, Russian monarchy, Tsarevich Alexey

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