"the Venice of the North" Saint Petersburg by seagoingJLW

Tsar Peter I laid the first stone of the fortress St. Petersburg (named after St. Peter) on May 16, 1703. Across the river from the fortress he built the Admiralty. Then he decided to build a city around the little fortress and shipyard.

During the initial construction of the city thousands of peasants and workers died of malaria and scurvy. Others fell victim to wolves. Thus St Petersburg was called “the city laid on bones.”

Peter and Paul Fortress

In 1712 Peter made St. Petersburg the capital of Russia. By the end of the 18th century culture and art flourished.

Peter was followed by Catherine I in 1725 and by Peter II in 1727. In 1730 the throne went to Anna who named Ivan VI (two months old) to succeed her. Ivan’s mother (another Anna) was given the Regency after a three week period under Ernst Bьren. One year later (1741) the Grand Duchess Elizabeth seized power and had the one year old Ivan VI locked up in Schlьsselburg Fortress.

Elizabeth had no children and left the throne to her nephew Peter III (1762.) His wife, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst (another Catherine), had Peter III arrested and forced him to abdicate in her favor. She became known as Catherine the Great. Under her Russia grew into the great European power that Peter the Great had wanted.

Her son, Paul I, assumed the throne in 1796 but was deposed in 1801 by his son, Alexander I. when Alexandre died in 1825 his younger brother, Nicholas I, became Tsar.

Alexander II assumed the throne in 1855 when Russia was involved in the Crimean War with France and Britain. There were peasant uprisings which led to the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The 1860s saw the rise of the nihilists. In the 1870s it was populism. Anarchists and terrorists were also around and they assassinated Alexander II on March 1, 1881. Nicholas II was the last Tsar. The four hunder year Romanov dynasty ended during his reign.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is located on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). The time zone is GMT +3. It was founded on the 27th of May, in 1703.

The population is close to 5 million. It is the most northern city in the world with a population over 1 million. Its area is 1400 square km.

The city is located on the delta of the Neva River on many islands. There are several rivers and many canalas.

The city is named after St. Peter and not after Peter the great. The name of the city has changed many times. From May, 1703 to August, 1914 it was known as St. Petersburg. From August 1914 to February 1924 it was known as Petrograd. From February 1924 to July 1991 it was known as Leningrad. From July 1991 to date it is once again St. Petersburg.

In addition to being known as the Venice of the North, it is also referred to as the Palmyra of the North.

Twenty administrative districts including satellite towns are under the jurisdiction of St. Petersburg.

A tourist visa for a US citizen will cost about $110.

• Pros:This is a fascinatingly beautiful city.
• Cons:Getting a visa is expensive
• In a nutshell:You will love it once you get there.