Peter I was a grandson of Russian Czar Mikhail Romanov (1596-1645), a founder of the Romanov dynasty, and was proclaimed a tsar at the age of ten. He introduced a series of important reforms, which placed Russia among the major European powers. Peter's main goal was to regain access to the Baltic Sea and in 1700 he started the Northern War with Sweden. The war lasted for 21 years, after which Russia was declared an Empire. This Patent raises Yurii Gein to the Rank of Colonel. It also signed by Alexander Menshikov (1673-1729), Peter the Great's close friend.