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The image of Peter the Great casts a long shadow in modern Russian thought and culture. As important to modern Russia as the French Revolution is to France and the Reformation is to Germany, the image of this militaristic ruler, founder of St Petersburg, and czar of all Russia from 1689-1725 has been central to Russian history, literature, and art since the early 1700s.Riasanovsky, one of the foremost historians of Russia, traces the development of this image from 1700 to the present. Drawing examples from Russian historical accounts, literature, folklore, and the arts, he shows how the use of the image of Peter has reflected the changing cultural and political values of the Russian people.

In this scholarly study, the author examines the way in which Peter the Great has been perceived over the years by artists, writers, intellectuals, and other historians, and what his image has meant to Russian culture during various historical periods since Peter's death in 1725.