Why did Peter the Great call his new capital city a “window on Europe”?

Why did Peter the Great call his new capital city a “window on Europe”?

A. He wanted St. Petersburg to be a model of European culture.

B. He introduced the first European-style windows to Russia.

C. He wanted to build a city close to Europe but far from the sea.

D. He wanted his capital to be the opposite of all things European.

Answer: A. He wanted St. Petersburg to be a model of European culture.

Peter the Great says that he wanted to transform Russia and make it modern by creating, “a window to Europe,” in Russia which implies St. Petersburg. Thus, creating this new capital city, Peter wanted to create a direct physical and cultural link between Russia and the West to demonstrate his desire and plan to Europeanize and enlighten the Russian Empire.

Like many other aspects, the architecture in St. Petersburg was an intentional imitation of European models. Peter invited architects, engineers, and artisans from across Europe which dictated a rather Western outlook to the city with features of baroque and neoclassical architecture, broad avenues and canals reminiscent of Amsterdam or Venice. This contrast of architecture to Moscow, which compares very much to the traditional Russian style, underlined Peter’s attempts to make Russia a European country.

In addition to its looks, St. Petersburg turned into a hub of European enlightenment goods. Peter with his own hands initiated the process of Europeanization of the Russian nobility in the sphere of clothing and manners. Kremlin for instance formed organizations such as the Russian Academy of Sciences, which was similar to other European academies to encourage the exchange of science and culture with Europe.

They settled it in a strategic point along the Baltic Sea so that it could easily interact with other European states through mutual contracting, among other things. The said “window” made the exchange of goods, ideas and people between Russia and Europe easier, which directly related to Peter’s aim of establishing Russia as the part of European state system.

In making this ‘window on Europe’ Peter the Great aimed to change not only the geography of the Russian empire, but also its cultural mentality, its education, and its political outlook to the Ukrainian model of European civilisation which Peter the Great perceived as being more progressive than that of Muscovy.