Female characters (Tsarina Evdokia, Anna Mons, Alexandra Volkova) and national upheavals in A. N. Tolstoy's novel “Peter the First”

The analysis focuses on A.N. Tolstoy's novel “Peter the First”. The vast scope and complexity of this artistic canvas still offer rich opportunities for study. Special attention is given to the topical theme of the confrontation between the Western European tradition and the Russian patriarchal order. This issue is explored through the poetics of revealing female characters. The focus centers on the young Tsarina Evdokia and the newly minted noblewoman Alexandra Volkova. The study examines the heroines' life vicissitudes, their relationships with their husbands, the psychological depth of their personalities, their internal struggles and emotions, and the formation of their worldviews—whether oriented toward embracing innovations or resisting fashionable trends. Parallels are drawn with 19th-century classical literature. Particular emphasis is placed on the continuity of connections with L.N. Tolstoy's epic novel “War and Peace” and D.S. Merezhkovsky's novel “The Antichrist: Peter and Alexei”.