Peter the Great’s inspiration from successful western education and ideas helped him to create a period of progress and prosperity for Russia. First of all, according to the account of John Perry, before the time of Peter the Great, the country of Russia was sheltered and only familiar with their own language and culture. They were “void of learning” (doc 8) and did not make an attempt to aid their own ignorance. He also describes the Russian people as “wary and cautious to keep out all means that might bring [learning] in, less their ignorance should be discovered” (doc 8). The document conveys how isolated and uneducated Russia was before the time of Peter the Great. However, as shown in Alexander Chubrov’s The Fragile Empire: A History
