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The Federation's second largest city,
715km (444 miles) northwest of Moscow, is known both as a cultural center and for its
elegant buildings. The city is spread over 42 islands in the delta of the River Neva. In
comparison to Moscow, which tended to orientate itself to the East, it has always retained
a European flair and was intended as a 'Window to the West'. It was built by Peter the
Great in 1703 and remained the capital for 200 years of Tsarist Russia.
Known as Petrograd
after the civil war, and Leningrad during the Soviet period, the city reverted to its
original name in 1991 by popular demand. Wide boulevards, slow flowing
canals, bridges and
some of the best examples of tsarist architecture made the city known as the Venice of the
North. Though badly damaged in World War II, much of it is now
reconstructed. In June and
July the city has famous White Nights, when darkness recedes to a brief
twilight, when it
takes on an unusual aura.
Many of the most interesting sites, especially those on the left
bank of the River Neva, can be explored on foot. The Palace Square and the Winter
Palace are the most popular attractions for followers of Russian history. Troops fired
on demonstrators there in 1905 and the Palace witnessed the capitulation of the
provisional government, allowing the Bolsheviks to take the country into eight decades of
Communist rule.
The Hermitage houses the vast private collection of the tsars. The Museum
of the History of the City gives a comprehensive picture of St Petersburg's history.
Exploring the city the visitor will inevitably see the Alexandrovskaya Column. St
Isaac's Cathedral is one of the biggest dome buildings of the world and, like the Kazansky
Cathedral, houses a museum. Also worth a visit is the St Peter and Paul Fortress, a
former prison that is now a popular museum. Members of the Romanov dynasty are buried in
the Cathedral of the same name. The gorgeously-decorated Yusupov Mansion was
built for the Romanovs. Its rooms are sumptously decorated in mid-19th century style. The
mansion's concert hall is now a venue for recitals, theatrical productions, opera and
ballet. A waxwork exhibition commemorates Rasputin, who died in the building. The grand Nevsky
Prospekt, dominated by the spire of the Admiralty Building, is one of the
city's main thoroughfares and is lined by opulent buildings. These include the Kazan
Cathedral and the Church of the Resurrection. The collection at the Russian
Museum covers nearly a thousand years of Russian art history.
Nevsky Prospect crosses
the Fontanka River at Anichkov Bridge, and continues to Palace Square. Further sights are
the Cathedral of St Nicholas (Russian Baroque), still a working church; the Alexander
Nevsky Monastery, the main religious centre in St Petersburg; and the Museums of
Ethnography and Russian Art. The homes of Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Anna Akhmatova
and Rimsky-Korsakov serve as museums dedicated to their former occupants. The cruiser Aurora
is berthed on the Neva. A blank shot was fired from her bow to give a signal to start
the assault on the Winter Palace in 1917. Lenin also announced the victory of the
revolution from here.
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Excursions:
The following palaces beyond the outskirts of St Petersburg are
collectively known as the Summer Palaces. Petrodvorets (Petergof)
is a former summer palace of
Tsar Peter the Great and is known for its beautiful cascades and fountains. It is located
34km (21 miles) from St Petersburg on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. He
designed the initial plans himself, and he appointed European and Russian architects to
realise his grand project which was intended to rival Versailles.
Oranienbaum was
built as the summer residence of Alexander Menshikov, Peter the Great's associate. From
here, he oversaw the construction of the Kronstadt naval fortress on the nearby Kotlin
Island. Thankfully, the palace and its parkland escaped damage during the Second World
War. Its Chinese and Sliding Hill Pavilions are exceptionally
beautiful.
The Grand Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo was built for Peter
the Great's wife. The Scottish architect Charles Cameron designed some of the interiors,
though a greater number by Bartholomeo Rastrelli survive. Pushkin spent his formative
years in the town. Cameron also designed the subtle buildings at nearby Pavlovsk,
which were designed to complement the parkland's beauty. The park itself, designed by the
Italian Gonzago, is one of the finest landscaped parks in Europe. The estate was
originally part of Tsarskoye Selo, but Catherine II gave it to her son Paul. Although she
commissioned Cameron to design the estate, Paul, whose relationship with his mother was
strained, decided to redecorate the palace.
Lake Ladoga, a vast and often turbulent lake, is linked to St Petersburg by the
River Neva. Of the islands in the lake's northern archipelago, Valaam is the most
significant because of its ancient monastery. Its golden domes suddenly rise from the mist
that frequently shrouds visiting cruise ships. The founding religious community frequently
suffered Swedish and Viking attacks during the Middle Ages. The present buildings date
from the late 18th century. As well as being an important pilgrimage centre, the monastery
was a noted centre for innovations in crafts and agriculture. Its missionaries brought
Orthodox Christianity to the shores of Alaska. A religious community was re-established on
the island in 1989, and restoration of the monastery is already under way. Despite years
of neglect, Valaam still retains a mysterious air
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