How did the actions of Peter the Great modernize and westernize Russia?

Peter the Great was known as the great modernizer. He came to power in 1684. He established a Grand Embassy, a delegation of Russian diplomats who visited Western countries to gain an understanding of methods and advances that could be implemented in the Russian state. Using a number of Western advisers, he reformed all facets of Russia society. He established a merchant fleet, strengthened the navy and established two new academies: the School of Mathematical and Navigation Sciences in Moscow and the Naval Academy in St. Petersburg. He modernized the army. He also built a new administrative capital at He also promoted metallurgy as a new Russian industry. He secularized the country promoting secular rather than religious education. Peter modernized communication and foreign and domestic trade.

Peter, the Great, defended the modernization of Russia as a way of preserving the empire, its defense. To this end, he sought to strengthen his power by subjugating the Orthodox Church and instituting a gigantic army whose supreme chief was the Tsar.