On November 3, Gazprom-Media Holding will release an epic half-documentary, half-biopic, titled Peter the Great. The Last Tsar and the First Emperor, produced by 1-2-3 Production. The premiere will celebrate the 350th anniversary of the great ruler’s birth.
This unique historical project was created for a family audience and painstakingly recreates the most momentous events of 17th and 18th century Russia, explaining how Ancient Rus’ became the empire that would later lay the foundation of the modern Russia.
The film is directed by Andrei Kravchuk, also known for Admiral, Viking, Union of Salvation, and Palmyra (Once in the Desert).
The historical figure of Peter the Great, as well as the entire era of his rise to power and subsequent reign, continues to intrigue people all over the world. How do you claim the throne when you are the fourteenth child in your family? How do you wage a war to carve a path to the sea if your country has no professional army or navy? How do you transform your nation from an obscure backwater into a world power in just a few decades? Andrei Kravchuk aims to answer all these question, as well as countless others, in his new film.
Peter the Great is the first-ever attempt to thoroughly analyze the complicated character of the Russian monarch through a modern lens.
The film crew recreated the events of 300 years ago by utilizing both a unique set and the latest achievements in computer graphics. The Battle of Narva, the Battle of Azov, the Siege of Nöteborg, and other military campaigns feature prominently in the film. In addition, the project highlights multiple other historical events: the execution of the Streltsy, the first New Year’s celebration, and the ambitious construction project that would become the city of St. Petersburg.
These reconstruction scenes star theater and film actors Alexey Lukin, Daniil Muravyov, Ivan Kolesnikov, Wolfgang Cerny, Maxim Ivanov, Ksenia Utekhova, Anastasia Mishina, Yulia Bocharova, Roman Konoplev, Alexander Bolshakov, and Vasily Michkov. The narrative will be intertwined with expert interviews. Historians and professionals from other fields will share their evaluations of Peter the Great’s choices and their impact on modern Russia’s urban development, governance, and industrial and economic growth.