Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava — engraving

Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava.

"Peter der Grosse in der Schlacht bei Poltawa".

Technique, Material: Woodcut / Paper
Artist: ,  Engraver: 
Date, Publisher: "Illustrierte Geschichte", Verlag von Otto Spamer, Leipzig, 1883.
Size: sheet 16x24,8, image  12x20 cm.

This wood engraving depicts an episode from the Battle of Poltava, the decisive battle of the Great Northern War, fought on June 27 (July 8), 1709. This battle became a turning point not only in the war but in the entire history of Russia, marking the birth of a new military power.

At the time of the Battle of Poltava, the young regular army of Peter the Great faced the army of the Swedish King Charles XII, which was considered the best in Europe. The Russian forces numbered 42,000 soldiers with 72 artillery pieces, while the Swedes had about 35,000 men with 32 cannons . Charles XII, wounded shortly before the battle during a reconnaissance mission, observed the fighting from a stretcher.

The battle ended in a complete defeat for the Swedish army: of the 19,000 soldiers who participated, 6,901 were killed or wounded, and 2,760 were captured. Charles XII himself fled with a handful of associates to the Ottoman Empire . This victory forever ended Swedish dominance in Europe and established Russia as a great power.

This wood engraving comes from the German publication "Illustrirte Weltgeschichte" (Illustrated World History). Such editions, published in Germany in the 19th century, were richly illustrated with wood engravings. The artist captured the climax of the battle: Russian troops under the personal command of Peter I pushing back the Swedes. The composition conveys the tension and dynamics of hand-to-hand combat characteristic of a battle scene. The image serves not only as an illustration of a historical event but also as a vivid embodiment of Russia's triumph and Peter's military genius.