Peter and Leibniz: How the Moscow Tsar Sought 'Useful Fools' in Europe

While analysing another Russian "duck" in the authoritative Western media, launched by different authors and under different "sauce", I came across an interesting historical topic of the use of "useful idiots" by Muscovy, even before it finally became Russia. 

Several times I have come across Russians' claims that foreign intellectuals were used in their interests "even by Peter I". For them, he is like a "world in a window" - the founder of everything from the New Year's holiday to PR.

But it is worth noting that for them, he is "the first", while for the rest of the world he is just the first in the list of Peters. In this context, Peter I was also the first Moscow ruler to travel abroad in this status.  His predecessors were largely uninterested in the West's opinion, and their subjects were not asked about anything at all. 

But Peter I had better advisers than his predecessors. In particular, the Ukrainian Feofan Prokopovych, rector of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, a polymath and polyglot who was well acquainted with European culture and understood the importance of influencing public opinion, is often mentioned.

 Photo: Theophan Prokopovych. Source: wikipedia.org

On the other hand, Peter I was largely forced to become interested in Europe - he needed to strengthen his power and fight his neighbours, Turkey and Sweden. That is why the so-called "Great Embassy", which included the Moscow tsar himself, went to Europe.

However, it would be a clear exaggeration to say that at that time Peter I had any plan to use the intellectuals there to promote Muscovy. During this trip, he mainly held talks with monarchs and government officials and got acquainted with Western industry, because, after all, he really needed ships and cannons.

The only "cultural figure" to whom the "guest from the east" devoted relatively much time was the English singer Letitia Cross. But Peter I was not so much interested in her singing as in satisfying his own, completely mundane needs. For which he thanked her with five hundred pounds. The singer hoped for more, but Peter grumbled something like "she didn't earn that either".

Photo: Letitia Cross. Source: museu.ms

As a result, European public opinion was largely indifferent to the Moscow tsar. Even Gottfried Leibniz, one of the few scientists with whom Peter I managed to communicate, still wished Charles XII a speedy victory over Muscovy. 

So in the end, Peter I was forced to reconsider his priorities.

Photo: Wilhelm Leibniz. Source: library.si.edu

After the Battle of Poltava, on the advice of his advisers, he even organised a whole information campaign to tell Europeans about his victories. And the next time he travelled to Europe, he tried to communicate more with the "rulers of thought" and visit the Academies.

For example, the tsar granted the same Leibniz the title of "Privy Counsellor" and promised him a rather large pension of 2000 guilders. And a miracle happened - Leibniz quickly saw Peter I as an "outstanding educator and reformer". And, according to Leibniz, Bernard Fontenelle, the secretary of the French Academy, whose influence on European thought was no less, also began to praise the Tsar of Muscovy.

Photo: Bernard Fontenelle. Source: wikipedia.org

So if Peter I discovered anything, it was a recipe for "taming Western intellectuals". 

The first component is to spare no expense. At least at the level of promises. 

The second is to try to meet their dreams. At least in words. 

For example, Leibniz's dream at the time was to create a properly organised, "regular state". At least somewhere in the world. So the Moscow tsar demonstrated a desire to build his empire according to his recipes. Even if, instead of a state that worked like a clock, Peter I created a state organised like an army, and a Russian army at that, which is in absolute disarray and is still "compensated" only by unrestrained violence.

By the way, the Moscow ruler never paid Leibniz the full amount he had promised. Apparently, in his opinion, the scientist "did not earn it either".

Photo: Peter I. Source: britannica.com  

But after that, Peter I decided to include his entire Muscovy in the European cultural heritage and proclaimed the Moscow Kingdom the "Russian Empire" and Muscovites "Russians". According to the idea of the Kyivan adviser Prokopovych, Peter I simply appropriated the name of the ancient ethnic group of Kyivan Rus - Russia.

But this is a completely different story.