Peter the Great sought to modernize and westernize Russia through educational, cultural, and architectural reforms. He established the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg to promote education based on Western models. Peter also mandated cultural changes like requiring men to shave their beards to look more western. Architecturally, Peter commissioned grand buildings like the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg inspired by foreign styles to symbolize Russia's opening to Western ideas. Through these reforms, Peter transformed Russia and left a lasting legacy still visible today in St. Petersburg's historic monuments and museums.