North War. The outcome of the war is ambiguous and assessed in different ways. A number of authors point out that it did not take 20 years at all to defeat Sweden, especially as part of a large coalition (Denmark, Saxony, Rzeczpospolita) and to ensure Russia access to the Baltic. Most authors admit that it completely changed (in favor of Russia) the balance of power in the Baltic; at the same time, the war did not resolve the situation in southern Russia (where it was opposed by Sweden's ally, the Ottoman Empire), which only worsened by the end of the war.
As a result of the war, Ingria (Izhora), Karelia, Estland, Livonia (Livonia) and the southern part of Finland (up to Vyborg) were annexed, St. Petersburg was founded. Russian influence was firmly established in Courland as well. However, according to the Treaty of Nishtad, these territories were not ceded, but were sold by Sweden to Russia for a huge amount of money - 2 million thalers (efimks), which laid a heavy additional burden on the country.
The key task set by Peter the Great was solved - ensuring access to the sea and establishing maritime trade with Europe. At the same time, the combat-ready army that had developed over the years of the war, after its end, fell into complete decline, and the fleet turned out to be of poor quality and after the death of Peter, it quickly rotted away. St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, as a naval base and the Russian fleet based there, could not provide the solution of naval military-strategic tasks, since it was literally locked in a bay surrounded by unfriendly states. This was confirmed by subsequent World Wars.
In addition, all the advantages gained by Russia as a result of the war are canceled out by huge economic and demographic losses. As historians point out, the war turned into a real ruin of Russia. The amount of taxes collected from the population from 1701 to 1724 (due to their unprecedented increase) increased 3.5 times, which, according to the historian N. A. Rozhkov, was achieved "at the cost of the ruin of the country." According to the results of the census of 1710, the total population of the country decreased by 20%, and, in the regions adjacent to the main theaters of military operations, the population decline reached 40% [30]. As the historian V. O. Klyuchevsky wrote about the results of the Northern War, "The decline of the overworked payment and moral forces of the people … would hardly have paid off if Peter had conquered not only Ingria with Livonia, but all of Sweden, even five Sweden."
Interesting fact: After the Battle of Krasny Kut on February 22, 1709, when Charles XII almost died or was not captured (but before the Battle of Poltava), the Swedish king for the first time agreed to discuss with Peter the Great the possibility of peace. The negotiations ended in nothing, since Karl not only did not want to give Petersburg, but also demanded an indemnity. After the completion of the negotiations, the Swedish representative conveyed to the Russians Karl's personal request: “his troops cannot provide themselves with food, many soldiers are sick, and the allied Poles ask for supplies that are prohibitively expensive, and therefore he would be grateful if the Russians could find an opportunity to sell to Swedish foragers grain, wine and necessary medicines, and as much gunpowder and lead as possible, but at a reasonable, reasonable price. " (!) [33] The Russian tsar, of course, did not arm the enemy, but fed and watered him:immediately sent to the Swedes free of charge three grain wagons, a wagon train and "three rattle cars of different pharmacies, … in the name of the people to the sick, condolences and the Lord's alms"
Nishtad peace
The war with Charles XII and military successes in the Baltic ends with the conclusion of the Nishtad Peace and the surrender of many Baltic territories conquered by Russian blood to neighboring states in return for recognizing Russia’s rights to part of these territories, providing access to the Baltic Sea, although human lives, financial and material resources spent on this for more than 20 years was more than enough to buy out not only the Neva lands, but also these territories. The subordination of Russian politics and even the armed forces of Russia to the interests of Western European countries according to the Patkul plan, despite its proclamation as an Empire, for many years, almost two centuries, becomes a brake on the economic development of Russia.
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As an example, the implementation of such a policy can be cited the victorious wars that Russia, at its own expense, waged in the Baltic States, Italy and Switzerland for almost the entire 18th century on allied obligations and in the interests of European states, despite not fulfilling their own obligations and systematic betrayal. The allies avoided military clashes, were late to the battle site, or interpreted the agreements in their own way. The participation of the allies in these wars reached the point of absurdity, when they demanded, by the right of an allied treaty, to give them cities and fortresses conquered exclusively by Russian troops for plunder and looting, after which they had to defend these conquered fortresses from these marauders.
The liar performed a strange and inexplicable act of common sense in 1722, celebrating the first date of the conclusion of the Nystadt peace with Sweden. Peter with his own hand set fire to the wooden Transfiguration Palace, in which Tsar Peter spent all his childhood and in which, in fact, New Russia was born. True, there is an explanation that the reason for this was the conclusion in this palace in 1699 of an enslaving treaty with Saxony, and the conclusion of the Nystad peace was deliverance from it.