Absorbing and implementing the knowledge of the West was one of Peter the Great’s most ardent passions, and to that end he embarked on a tour of Europe in 1697. Hoping to avoid all the ceremony that would normally be due his rank as a visiting sovereign, the tsar traveled incognito. And though his identity was hardly a secret, he did manage to utilize his time learning rather than enduring endless cycles of hospitality.
Peter was entranced by all the scientific, mechanical, and artistic wonders at his disposal. But at one point, during an anatomical lecture in Holland, he became infuriated at the squeamishness of his companions when a human corpse was dissected. In retaliation, he made each man march up to the dead body and take a bite out of it.
Source:
Farquhar, Michael. “Chapter 2 – Peter I (1696-1725): The Eccentricities of an Emperor.” Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014. 35-6. Print.
Further Reading:
Peter the Great (Russian: Пётр Вели́кий); Peter the Great
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