The toy army of Peter I (Russian: Потешные войска, Poteshnye voiska, literally amusement forces or fun forces) was initially called Petrovskiy polk, Peter's regiment (Russian: Петровский полк) and was a collection of young Peter's playmates, noblemens' sons and attendants of his father Aleksei's court.
In 1682, when Peter with his mother, Natalia Naryshkina, relocated to the royal lodge in Preobrazhenskoye, he gradually formed a miniature army, ostensibly to school himself in the modern art of war. Besides fellow children, the servants and retainers were being enlisted, with 25-year-old Sergei Bukhvostov recorded in 1683 as the 'first Russian soldier'. Initially, the "play soldiers" were organized as a 100 men strong Company of Bombardiers.
The boys played war, and as they grew, their games became more complex and realistic. Professional military advice was sought, and foreign officers were hired as instructors, eventually becoming part of the permanent officer corps of the Poteshnyi. By 1685 the Poteshnyi numbered 300 and were quartered in specially built barracks near Preobrazhenskoye and as their numbers increased, a second similarly sized group was barracked in neighboring village, Semenovskoe. With further drafts of Streltsy volunteers, the Poteshnyi were organized into the Preobrazhensky and the Semenovsky companies in 1687. At this stage both companies included artillery and cavalry components.
During the 1689 coup attempt by regent Sophia Alekseyevna, the Poteshnyi had been part of the units supporting young Peter, among with most of the Streltsy, and leading members of Russian nobility.
The companies were being expanded and on 25 April 1695 officially became Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Regiments of the Guard. These regiments became the beginnings of the Russian Imperial Guard. As Peter matured, the regiments did as well, and Peter participated fully in the army, joining its ranks as a bombardier, and rising up to colonel and head of the regiments.
Famous quotes containing the words the great, toy, army and/or peter:
“You remind me of a child-friend who once wrote to tell me about her sister being married. “Now I will tell you all about Bessie’s wedding.” Then came a long account of bridesmaids, and breakfast, and everything else, except the name of the bride-groom! That of course didn’t matter: the great thing was to get married somehow.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“The little toy dog is covered with dust,
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And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And the musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,
And the soldier was passing fair;
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.”
—Eugene Field (1850–1895)
“He could jazz up the map-reading class by having a full-size color photograph of Betty Grable in a bathing suit, with a co- ordinate grid system laid over it. The instructor could point to different parts of her and say, “Give me the co-ordinates.”... The Major could see every unit in the Army using his idea.... Hot dog!”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
—Bible: New Testament, Matthew 18:21,22.