Peter the Great’s Dwarf Weddings
Russia’s reforming tsar Peter the Great adored extravagant entertainments, none more bizarre than orchestrating mock weddings between court dwarfs. He forced dozens of little people into miniature nuptials—complete with tiny carriages, pint-sized banquets, and a full orchestra playing comically oversized instruments. Guests were commanded to laugh, and anyone withholding mirth risked royal displeasure.
While Peter touted these spectacles as harmless fun, diaries reveal participants were humiliated props for the tsar’s amusement. The weddings symbolized his absolute power: even love and marriage were stage sets under his control. It’s a chilling reminder that historical “parties of the century” often hid cruelty behind the confetti. Next time your boss suggests a forced team-building exercise, be glad it doesn’t involve a czar, tiny tuxedos, and the threat of Siberia.
