Peter the Great, Emperor of All Russia (1682-1725), was also known as the ‘The Carpenter Tsar’ for his interest in advancing building technology in Russia by promoting western European techniques, and for his affinity for commoners, especially clever woodworkers. A man of the people, the young Peter served as “a humble bombardier” in the victorious Russian army that defeated the Turks in 1696. The next year he made his famous ‘Grand Embassy of Europe’, travelling to Germany, Austria, Holland, and England, much of it less than grand and incognito. Living in modest dwellings, he worked with a master shipwright in Zaandam and studied building in Deptford. Peter acquired great knowledge of technology and hired thousands of craftsmen to take back with him to Russia. When he returned to Russia in 1698, he began what is known as ‘The Petrine Revolution’ which promoted modernization in industry and culture.