Visiting St Petersburg in Russia
Tsar
Peter the Great of Russia founded St Petersburg in 1703. He had a vision
of a great city dedicated to art and culture, providing a 'window on the
west', and decided to build it on what was then a large, Finnish swamp,
the delta of the Neva River, on the edge of the Baltic Sea's Gulf of
Finland.
St Petersburg
is unlike any other Russian city. Dominated by the Winter Palace, which
stretches for 200 meters (660 feet) along the river front, it is imbued
with a sense of Russian imperial history. The Baroque palace was
commissioned by the Tsarina Elizabeth for use by the imperial family
during the winter, and its lavish interior gives an insight into the
opulent lives of the tsars. Catherine the Great added the Hermitage in
1764 to house her private art collection, which has now grown so large
that it is housed in five beautiful buildings and is second only in size
to that of the Louvre's.
There are
dozens of Baroque and Neoclassical palaces within the old centre of St
Petersburg and the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1990. The city is also known for its amazing array of churches, among
which the Cathedral of Peter and Paul in Palace Square contains the tombs
of Peter the Great and his successors, and the astonishing St Issac's
Cathedral's enormous dome is covered with 100 kg (220 lb) of gold. The
Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt is modeled on St Peter's in Rome.
St Petersburg
is a beautiful city, with a rich history, and an absolute must for lovers
of art and architecture.
