2022 is declared the year of Peter the Great in Russia. I performed a historical study in order to find out information about Peter the Great's visit to our city of Saratov in order to choose the most interesting and unusual facts.
Peter visited Saratov during his Persian war campaign in 1722. This visit to Saratov is described in detail in the travel journal, so we have accurate and reliable information. Peter with a fleet of 117 arrived to Saratov on June 13th 1722. After meeting with the Governor, Peter met the Kalmyk Khan Ayuka (the Kalmyks were subjected to Russia since the 17th century). Peter wanted to get support from Kalmyks, some cavalry for the Persian campaign. The Khan was ready to give him a certain part of his army.
The travel journal tells about Peter's meeting with Ayuka. The Khan with his son and grandson were transported to the royal ship at three o'clock in the afternoon. The meeting lasted for about two hours, after which the Tsar took the Khan for a ride along the Volga on a glider-boat (this is a type of a small sailing vessel that can sail against the wind). In the journal it is said that the Khan was "much wondered" how the ship could go against the wind. This little-known historical fact about how Peter the Great personally took the Kalmyk Khan for a sailing trip seemed to me interesting and worthy of attention. The image of this joint sailing trip allows showing the beauty of the Volga, the city of Saratov as it looked in 1722, the character of Peter the Great and friendship of the peoples of the Russian state.
I decided to depict this very moment in the drawing, and I hope that it will make such an interesting fact from the history of my hometown more well-known for the public.