Pausing from the messiness of Plantagenet England, Alicia takes us on a trip to the east to visit Mother Russia, circa 1700, where the Romanov Tsar Peter the Great was busily acquiring lands, founding cities, and reforming the institutions of a country that – largely through his efforts – would become a major player on the world state for centuries to come. But with those accolades and accomplishments, it’s important to recall that the dude was really, really trashy – as his two wives, many mistresses, and romantic rivals would attest to. At least, those whose heads didn’t end up in jars.
