Peter's efforts to strengthen the Church were to expand their schools and to establish almshouses, which are welfare institutions. The reformation aspect of Peter's reign really showed how interested he was in enlightening the Russian people to an intellectual world of reason.
Before Peter the Great's reign began, Russia had a very antiquated system of government compared to its Western European counterparts. Russia was not that backwards, more traditional if anything. The system was very inefficient and was overdue for a change. Peter created governorates which split Russia into eight different administrative districts. Each district had its own governing council of elites. Inside of these provinces each city was allowed to elect their own officials, to collect revenue, and stimulate trade. The local government was granted this power in order to keep the provincial government honest and to not let them overpower the smaller towns. Peter had a group of men that helped carry out the tasks of the central government, but often some tasks would overlap each other and cause for inefficiency. The Russian government under Peter the Great faced many reforms, but none were effective. Confusion, fear, and inadequate performance were widespread throughout the country and Peter contributed to that by using terror to complete his tasks. In terms of government, Peter the Great did not change Russia but to his credit it paved the way for change.
Once considered a barbaric nation, Russia's educational standards changed drastically under Peter the Great. Peter was very interested in learning about new things. Whether it was mathematics, navigation, science or technology, Peter had a burning desire to learn about it. This is where Peter impacted Russia the most. Throughout his life he saw many schools in Russia open their doors. Peter brought in professors from all over Europe to help teach Russians. The leader made it necessary for his people to learn a certain amount if they wanted to serve in the military.
