Peter the Great felt that Russia lacked the culture of Western European nations like England, France, and Germany. To modernize Russia, Peter implemented revolutionary reforms, including establishing a new capital, St. Petersburg, to be closer to Europe. He hired European architects and artists, brought European paintings to Russia, and founded the Russian Academy of Sciences, the most important reform that allowed Russia to flourish culturally and establish figures like Lomonosov and Trediakovsky. Though some Russians disliked the changes, Peter's influences established Russia as a modern state and laid the groundwork for its future success according to Western standards of culture and science.