The image of Rome in Russian political culture

Ivan III and Ivan IV based their state construction not only upon the religious legacy of Byzantium (the Second Rome), but also upon its state and political legacy. In the 17th century during the rule of the first tsars from the Romanov dynasty the concept of “Moscow as the Third Rome” carried the “implication” of the absolute monarchy getting stronger. The first Romanov tsars embarked on reforms based upon European models, however, the process was very slow. The situation was drastically changed by Peter I. The young tsar took energetic efforts to transform Russia in the image of Europe, which had been built on the foundation of the First Rome. Due to his successful efforts, Russia not only became a European country, but ranked among Europe’s leading states. Rome served as a major historical, state, political and religious model when Peter I devised Saint-Petersburg as Russia’s new capital. As a result, Saint-Petersburg came to symbolize a new unity between Russia and Europe, a successor to the legacy of Rome, which was the centre of the Empire and Christian World.