The Rise of Peter The Great
2026-11-02
In 1698, a 6’8” Russian giant went on a bender through an English gentleman’s estate. He trashed portraits, burned furniture and drunkenly rammed wheelbarrows through a prize-winning holly hedge. The giant in question was Peter the Great, and this wasn’t just a royal lads' holiday; it was - ostensibly - statecraft.
In this episode, Dan Snow is joined by historian Daniel Beer to unpack the life of Russia’s most ruthless moderniser - from dodging Kremlin bloodbaths to building a brand new capital atop a mountain of human bones.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
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Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit- No. of episodes
- 1,561
- Latest episode
- 2026-11-02
Where can you listen?
Historian Dan Snow journeys across the globe to tell the stories of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum in Rome to the Great Wall of China, the battlefields of Waterloo to the Tomb of Tutankhamun, join Dan as he explores the how and why of the greatest monuments, battles, heroes, villains and events that have shaped our world.
New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays with bonus subscriber only episodes every other Friday.
You can get in touch with us at [email protected]
A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.