Quotes

Since New Year's celebrations vary across Russia, from this day forward, stop fooling people and start celebrating New Year's everywhere on January 1st. As a sign of goodwill and joy, congratulate each other on the New Year, wishing them prosperity in their work and family. In honor of the New Year, decorate the Christmas tree, entertain children, and go sledding. Adults should avoid drunkenness and physical violence - there are plenty of other days for that.

A lost weapon is returned, but a broken promise is irrevocable.

I wish to transform the secular goats, that is, the citizens, and the clergy, that is, the monks and priests. The former, so that without their beards they would resemble Europeans in goodness, and the latter, so that even with their beards, they would teach Christian virtues to parishioners in churches, just as I have seen and heard pastors teaching in Germany.

The earth, our inhabited one, is a closed book; travel unfolds its pages; and these pages are states, in which, to the attentive eye, people and nations appear like letters, syllables, and lines.

Less baseness, more zeal for service and loyalty to me and the state - this honor is proper to the Tsar.

I treat my body with waters, and my servants with examples; in both cases, I see the healing as slow; time will decide all; I place my hope in God.

You are mistaken if you think I seek to conquer new lands. I have too many of them as it is. What I need is (simply) more water.

Can I order anyone to move forward if I am not at the very front myself?

While hoping for peace, one must not slacken in military affairs.

A supreme commander is like the soul within a human body, without which the mind cannot stir; he must be as a father to his subordinates, caring for their well-being, listening to their grievances, and rendering just judgment in their affairs; likewise, he must closely oversee their conduct, praising and rewarding the good while punishing the bad.

Rejoice in the little things, and the big things will follow.