Saint-Petersburg - the best city of
Russia St. Petersburg (Leningrad from 1924 to 1992) was founded in 1703 by
Russian Tzar Peter the Great to bring an unwilling Russian nation into the fold
of Europe. Unlike some cities, it was not created by a process of gradual,
graceful development but was forcibly constructed, stone by stone, under the
force and direction of Peter the Great, for whose patron saint the city is named.
When it was nine years old it became the capital of Russia and retained this
status till 1918. Even now it is referred to as the "Northern capital"
of Russia. World class architects participated in the building of the city and
today it remains an Imperial city of golden spires and gilded domes, of pastel
palaces and candlelit cathedrals... St. Petersburg is a fascinating place which
dazzles the eye of a visitor with numerous architectural landmarks, museums,
palaces, parks, wide avenues, spectacular
bridges and stylish monuments. Born in the heart of an emperor, St. Petersburg
is Russia's adopted child. So unlike the Russian cities that came before it, St.
Petersburg - with its strict geometric lines and perfectly planned architecture
- is almost too European to be Russian. And yet it is too Russian to be European.
St. Petersburg is situated on 44 islands in Neva river's delta and is famous for
its bridges, embankments, museums, and, of course, for its magical White Nights,
which begins in the beginning of June and lasts up to the middle of July. During
the season of White Nights St.Petersburg undoubtedly is the most beautiful city
in the world. The space needed to describe all the beauty of this city, known as
the "Venice of the North", would fill unaccountable page.
The world
famous "Hermitage" museum, "St. Isaac's Cathedral" - the
second largest basilica in the world - and "Peter and Paul Fortress"
resting place of the last Russian Tsar Nicolas II - are only three of the main
architectural beauties to be seen and admired. In the summer - especially during
the White Nights - you can enjoy the wonderful parks and gardens in the city
with their statues and fountains. There are 313 bridges in St.Petersburg,
some of them are considered to be quite unique architectural constructions. The
Population of St.Petersburg is about 5 million people. This is the second
largest city in Russia (after Moscow) and the 19th in the world. For two
centuries St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia. The Russian Navy, the
Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Arts, the first museums and the first
theatres were all built on the banks of Neva. St. Petersburg is one of the
biggest cultural and scientific centres in the world, the city with very rich
history, traditions and promising future.
There
are about 120 museums, 40 theatres, 50 universities. Saint-Petersburg is also
the home of the world-famous ballet-school. Their theatre performances will
satisfy the highest of expectations. "The most abstract and intentional
city on earth"- to quote Fyodor Dostoyevsky - became the birthplace of
Russian literature, the setting for Dostoyevsky's Raskolnikov and Pushkin's
Eugene Onegin. From here, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and
Rimsky-Korsakov went forth to conquer the world with Russian music. It was here
that great architects were summoned by 18th-century empresses to build palaces
that transformed the city into a symphony of marble, malachite, and gold. St.
Petersburg is not just about its fairy-tale setting, however, for its history is
integrally bound up in Russia's dark side too - a centuries - long procession of
wars and revolutions. In the 19th century, the city witnessed the struggle
against czarist oppression. Here the early fires of revolution were kindled,
first in 1825 by a small band of starry-eyed aristocratic officers, the
so-called Decembrists, and then by organized workers' movements in 1905. The
full-scale revolutions of 1917 led to the demise of the Romanov dynasty, the
foundation of the Soviet Union, and the end of the city's role as the nation's
capital. But the worst ordeal by far came during World War II, when the
city-then known as Leningrad-withstood a 900-day siege and blockade by Nazi
forces. Nowadays, St. Petersburg is a modern city, with a population of over 5
million, plays a very important role in Russia's political, scientific, and
cultural life. It is really worth visiting it.
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spectacular
bridges and stylish monuments. Born in the heart of an emperor, St. Petersburg
is Russia's adopted child. So unlike the Russian cities that came before it, St.
Petersburg - with its strict geometric lines and perfectly planned architecture
- is almost too European to be Russian. And yet it is too Russian to be European.
St. Petersburg is situated on 44 islands in Neva river's delta and is famous for
its bridges, embankments, museums, and, of course, for its magical White Nights,
which begins in the beginning of June and lasts up to the middle of July. During
the season of White Nights St.Petersburg undoubtedly is the most beautiful city
in the world. The space needed to describe all the beauty of this city, known as
the "Venice of the North", would fill unaccountable page.
The world
famous "Hermitage" museum, "St. Isaac's Cathedral" - the
second largest basilica in the world - and "Peter and Paul Fortress"
resting place of the last Russian Tsar Nicolas II - are only three of the main
architectural beauties to be seen and admired. In the summer - especially during
the White Nights - you can enjoy the wonderful parks and gardens in the city
with their statues and fountains. There are 313 bridges in St.Petersburg,
some of them are considered to be quite unique architectural constructions. The
Population of St.Petersburg is about 5 million people. This is the second
largest city in Russia (after Moscow) and the 19th in the world. For two
centuries St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia. The Russian Navy, the
Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Arts, the first museums and the first
theatres were all built on the banks of Neva. St. Petersburg is one of the
biggest cultural and scientific centres in the world, the city with very rich
history, traditions and promising future.