|
St.Petersburg (known as Petrograd in 1914-1924 and as Leningrad in 1924-1991),
the northern capital of Russian Federation, the seaport, the administrative
centre of Leningrad region, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, was
founded by Russian tsar Peter the Great on the small Zayachy island in the
mouth of the Neva river as a fortress on May 27, 1703. The city became the
capital of Russia in 1712 up to 1918 when the capital was transfered back to
Moscow. The northern geografical location of St.Petersburg (the same latitude
as Greenland, Alaska and Chukotka) explains the white nights from June 11 up
to July 2 when the sun sets only 9 degrees below the horizon and the faint
twilight gradually turns into the dawn. The city was built by the most famous
Russian and European architects and nicknamed "the Babylon of the Snows" and
"the Venice of the North". The present city is a large industrial, transport,
scientific and cultural centre of Russia with a territory of 620 sq.km and a
population of 5 million. The Petropavlovskaya Fortress is a remarkable,
historical and architectural memorial in
St.Petersburg. The Winter Palace, designed by Rastrelli in the 18th century,
the former residence of Russian tsars, located on the Palace Square, is one
of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in the world. The Hermitage
with its collection of over 2,5 million exhibits is one of the very finest
world art museums. The Russian Museum contains 3 thousand paintings
(10th-20th centuries) of Russian artists. The St.Isaac`s Cathedral (1818-1858)
is an outstanding monument of the late Russian Classicism. The majestic
architectural ensembles in the suburbs are well-known all over the world.
Peterhof or Petrodvorets - the former Russian imperial residence, Pavlovsk
(18-19th centuries), Pushkino (18-19th centuries) - the former country
residence of the Russian tsars, are among them.
|
