ST. PETERSBURG

Saint-Petersburg is an attractive city for conducting business, living ones life, for studies and for relaxation. It is quite a cosmopolitan city in Russia, and is viewed as being safe and tolerant, with a cultural and night life. The city has about 8 thousand sights of interest and more than a thousand cultural establishments, including museums, theatres, concert-halls, exhibitions and cinemas.

Saint-Petersburg has been rightfully included among the most beautiful cities of Europe. Its historical centre, palaces and park ensembles in the suburbs have been included in the list of the objects protected for world heritage by UNESCO. The city of the White Nights, one built on abundant waters and with many bridges, occupies the first place among Russia cities and one of the first of those in the world. All of this makes for an attractive tourist centre which is highly appreciated by guests from all over the world.

Location:
Eastern Europe, the Eastern shore of the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland)

Time Zone:
GMT +3, Eastern +8

Founded:
16 (27) May 1703

Population:
4 million 750 thousand (as of January 1998)

How does St. Petersburg compare?
The most Northern city in the world with a population over 1 million

Area:
1400 square kilometers

Main river:
Neva. The city is located in the delta of the Neva River on numerous islands, a fact which prompted some observers to call it "The City on 101 Islands"

Main natural phenomena:
White Nights, Floods

Origin of the name:
Named in honor of St. Peter and not Peter the Great, the founder of the city. The name can be translated as "The City of St. Peter". St. Petersburg, FL was named in honor of St. Petersburg, Russia by Russian-born railroad builder Piotr Dementyev (Peter Demens)

Name changes:
May 1703 – August 1914                      St. Petersburg
August 1914 – February 1924              Petrograd
February 1924 – July 1991                   Leningrad
July 1991 – Present                              St. Petersburg

Nicknames:
  ● "The Venice of the North" (referring to St. Petersburg's many rivers and canals)
  ● "The Palmyra of the North"
  ● "The Northern Capital of Russia" (referring to the centuries-old rivalry between St. Petersburg and
      Moscow)

Symbols:
  ● the Angel with a Cross (weather-vane on top of the Peter and Paul Cathedral)
  ● the Little Ship – Korablik (weather-vane on top of the Admiralty tower)

The Seal:
  ● A sea anchor and a river anchor with a scepter – a symbol of royal power – on a red field.

Main cultural attractions:
  ● The Hermitage Museum
  ● The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater
  ● The Imperial palace and park ensemble at Peterhof

St. Petersburg history

During the course of the Northern War with Sweden, Russia's forces gradually moved from Lake Ladoga down the Neva River to the Swedish fort of Nienchanz. After an 8-day siege on 1 May 1703, the Swedish garrison surrendered. To protect the newly conquered lands on the Neva delta Peter the Great needed a fortress, but Nienchanz was small and badly damaged. Looking for a site for his new fortress Peter the Great chose the Island of Enisaari, which was known to the Russians as Hare's Island. The first structure to be built in the new city was the Peter and Paul fortress. Although it was originally designed to protect the area from possible attacks by the Swedish army and navy, the fort did not actually take part in any fighting. On 16 May 1703 (27 May by the modern calendar) St. Petersburg's fortress (the Peter and Paul Fortress) was founded and that day became the official birthday of the city.

For its first few years the St. Petersburg of Peter the Great was limited to a small town around the fortress, but by 1712 it had grown enough to become the new Russian capital.