Touring St Petersburg
79Russia's Former Capital
September 29, 2010
Located on the Gulf of Finland, St. Petersburg provides Russia with access to the Baltic Sea through the Gulf of Finland.
St. Petersburg is in the far western part of Russia and, culturally, it has always been considered closer to that of Western Europe than the rest of the nation.
Being located at 60ᐤ north latitude, it is the northernmost city in its class (cities with a population over 1 million) in the world. Most large major cities are located further south on the globe.
Tsar Peter the Great captured the area where the city now stands from Sweden in 1703 during what was known as the Great Northern War.
Monument to Alexander Nevsky on Nevsky Prospekt
Belfry of St. Nicholas Cathedral
City Has a Rich History
Peter immediately began building the Peter and Paul Fortress and also began laying out a city around the fortress while still fighting the war with Sweden. Peter the Great named his new city St. Petersburg in honor of his patron saint St. Peter the Apostle.
Peter the Great had a grand vision for both Russia and his new city and he wasted no time in starting his city.
In 1712 Peter moved the capital of Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg. This was nine years before the signing of the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 which recognized the transfer of the territory in which the city was located from Sweden to Russia.
St. Petersburg remained the capital of Russia from 1712 to 1918 when the Soviet government of Vladimir Lenin, fearing that invading foreign forces would capture the city, moved the capital of Russia to Moscow.
In 1924, following the death of Lenin, the city was renamed Leningrad, the name by which it was known during most of the 20th century. Shortly after the collapse of communism in Russia, the voters of the city voted overwhelmingly to restore the city's original name.
On September 6, 1991 the city ceased to be known as Leningrad and again became officially known as St. Petersburg .
Peter the Great spared nothing for his city and started the practice of building large and lavish palaces and churches in the city. This practice was continued by his successors.
The result was a city full of glorious eighteenth and nineteenth century Baroque style architecture.
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I Have Visited St. Petersburg Twice
I have visited this beautiful city twice. The first time as a college student during the Soviet era when it was known as Leningrad.
At that time memories of World War II and the great siege of Leningrad by the Nazis was still vivid in the minds of many of the people I met there. Most of these people either lived through the siege or had family who had been in the city during the siege.
There were still pot marks on many buildings resulting from the buildings being hit by German bullets and shrapnel.
My second visit was a few years ago when visiting my Russian born wife (then my fiancee) in Russia. We took a bus tour from her town of Ryazan to St. Petersburg. That trip was in July and not only was the city vastly improved physically now that it was no longer run by the Soviets but, in addition to being cleaned up, it was summer.
My first visit had been in March and in the northern latitude the sun never rose more than 45 degrees or less in the sky making even cloudless days gloomy. In the summer it is almost daylight around the clock and the mid-day summer sun really brightens up the city.
This is a fantastic city and I am looking forward to my next trip there.
St. Petersburg Sites
Winter Palace - Winter Palace (now part of State Hermitage Museum) in St. Petersburg. Is the former residence of the Russian Tsars.
Mihajlov Palace of Emperor Paul I - Mihajlov Palace built for the Emperor Paul I between 1797 - 1800.
Rostral Columns in Front of Old Stock Exchange and Central Naval Museum - 
Cathédrale Pierre-et-Paul de Saint-Pétersbourg - Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral in the Saints Peter and Paul Fortress. Peter the Great is buried here along with remains of Tsar Nicholas II &
Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas-des-Marins de Saint-Pétersbourg - St. Nicholas Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Monument, Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg - Alexander Nevsky Monument at the head of Nevsky Prospekt
Peterhof Palace Complex, St. Petersburg, Russia - Grand Palace complex started by Peter the Great.
My Wife in Front of Winter Palace
Mihajlov Palace, Home of the Emperor Paul I
Statute of the Emperor Paul I in Front of his home the Mihajlov Palace
Rostral Column in Front Old Stock Exchange Building & Naval Museum
Tomb of Peter the Great inside SS Peter & Paul Cathedral located inside Peter & Paul Fortress
Chapel in SS Peter & Paul Cathedral Containing Remains of Russia's Last Tsar Nicholas II and Family
Fountains in Front of Peter the Great's Grand Palace in Peterhof Outside of St. Petersburg
The Orangery in Peterhof
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Russia in general has always seemed to be an awesome country to me.
Knowing that so many people fought and died for so many reasons is history in and off itself.
Excellent Hub!!!!
Touring St Petersburg is an awesome experience because of its great diversity, historical aspects and great heritage. The geographical location as mentioned in the hub such as it is located on the Gulf of Finland, St. Petersburg provides Russia with access to the Baltic Sea through the Gulf of Finland, is in itself a great experience to explore. Thanks a lot for sharing such an incredibly valuable peace of text. Keep on hubbing.
Chuck, Wonderful concise hub! What a beautiful metropolis St Petersburg is; Great illustrations! Thank you for sharing, Peace & Blessings!
I really want to visit this place someday!....
Thanks for sharing. St. Petersburg is a beautiful city. I've always wanted to travel to russia with a camera, backpack and rail pass.
Very nice post Chuck, Saint Peterburg is my home town and it is one of my favorite cities in the world. Thank you for writing you post and educating us about this beautiful place. As far as crime and Russia I can say that over all country is very corrupt but they mostly bother other Russian citizens they are scared of harassing Tourists (Miliciya/Police) As far as street crime goes it is best not to be flashy and advertise that you are not a local there a many pocket picking and stealing of purses that occurs often times local homeless youth will steal something from you when you enter the metro and when you go to the metro attendant they will not help you because most of the time they work together with those homeless children for %. Something like that happened to a friend of mine who is a professor, as he was entering the metro a group of youngsters we exiting from the wrong door at the same time surrounded him there for he didn't feel them taking his wallet. When he went to talk to the attendant the guy didn't want to help until my friend began speaking Russian and asking him to call the police. As soon as that happened a young boy appeared pointing to the ground asking my friend if he dropped his wallet. Of cause the walled had no money in it but at least all of his CCs and other important things were there. All I am saying is that you have to be careful the metro in Moscow especially is extremely crowded and if someone bumps into you you might loose a wallet. These are petty crimes but if you loose your CCs and/passport you will have an unpleasant experience. Don't walk alone, don't speak too loud about being a tourist, only go to Banks to change your currency and don't flash your cash. Don't walk late at night either. I never had any problems being in Russia but then again I'm fluent in Russian, even though I left my country when I was only 11 years old I speak very well and unless I say no one would guess I am not from there.
Thanks for sharing those photos!
This place must be in my wish list to see.
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Phamzy Macas
www.eco-bodylife.com
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Great hub! I've always wanted to visit St. Petersburg.
Great hub! Fantastic pictures, and very informational.
Oh, you make me long for Russia again! I have been to Russia four times, but have never gotten to St. P. I want to visit it so much. I love the Russia culture, food, and people. It is a great place to visit. Great HUB!
Love the pictures great hub
nice hub! I can't wait to visit a place like this.... Thanks for touring me with your good pictures...
great hub!
I have been there when my grand-aunt was still alive and the city had the name Leningrad, as it was when my older sister was born there who lives now in Milano, Italia.
They may have changed the name of the city, but the region retains it's name as Leningradskaja Oblast and many Russians still celebrat the October Revolution even today as the event in history which brought the country out of feudalism and aristocratic serfdom. It was the beginning of a long and hard path towards being a modern and well educated nation.
I've also visited Sait Petersburg many times. I have as well about air views landing in St. Petersburg and about Kronshtadt. These are the links:
I know some people from this city but have never seen their city. Nice hub!
i love this hub,please follow me
Incredibly lovely Hub, Chuck! I had an uncle-in-law from Ukraine and a teacher from near St. Petersburg/Leningrad and I miss hearing about those regions of the world.
great hub,great place,great picture.
visit my hub 2...
Visually appealing hub! Now I want to make St Petersburg my next travel destination.
Would you be willing to let me know what the weather condition is like out there. I mean from a visitor's point of view at the times when you visited.
Thanks for a very informative article
I just loves to travel, I like to travel various places in the world, i think travel is the only way to refresh yourself..
Very informative hub, Id love to go there one day!
I have wanted to travel there for many years. This has renewed my desire. Thank you for the fresh photos and this very informative hub.
Excellent Hub !
Some day I want to travel to different places and this looks like one to be nice to visit !
Excellent hub. Fantastic pictures and descriptions, it's making me want to go and visit.
though it's a city a have visited for more than 15 times (mostly used as a pit stop) but the hub gave some interesting information on it i never knew. Thanks a lot
low thank for sharing me in your blog..
sandun81 - like any large cities anywhere in the world, Moscow and St. Petersburg have their share of crime. However, I have visited both cities on a couple of different occasions and have never had any problems. Use common sense and normal safety precautions that you use at home and you should be ok.
I also like to visit Russia, specially St Petersburg and Moscow. But some people says it's not safe place for foreigners to visit. Is that true ?
job well done! always wanted to have a glimpse of this place for it is most talked and visited place in the world. now me well knowledged about it.great work and imoressive too.
Haven't been there but I have heard so much about the place. I am very well convinced that the place is awesome. Wanted to visit the place soon. Nice pictures.
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for this great hub!
great info - thanks for sharing!
I have not yet visited ST. Peterburg but now reading this hub and looking all the amazing photos. I will definitely visit this amazing city.
GREAT WONDERFUL PHOTOS I LIKED IT
Great to see a hub about St. Petersburg! I love the pictures, thanks chuck... it is dream now to visit ST. Peterburg.
great work sir
Great to see a hub about St. Petersburg! In fact, I'm visiting it right at this moment. It's a very interesting city.
Great hub very well written thanks for sharing this.
I wish I had more of an ability to travel! Very nice.
Hello,
Great hub....:)
wonderful and beautiful photos
I vote it up and useful. Thanks so much for sharing
Gorgeous photographs - they really make a travel hub like this come alive! My grandparents went to St. Petersburg years ago and it was one of their favorite trips.
Super job.
After Barcelona this will be the next city that I will visit this month.usefull review
Hi, Chuck, wonderful photos. St. Petersburg is great
Very nice, thanks for this.
Great history and tour of the city. I love your pictures.
A beautiful Hub Chuck, I thoroughly enjoyed the story about Peter the Great.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
AJ..
I really enjoyed this, Thanks so much. Really beautiful pictures to.
Good information and of course it makes me want to go. Traveling and seeing new places is important and learning where to go is helpful. Thanks for the article.
nice hub and great pictures.
thx for sharing.
The city has got rich history and so much to offer to travelers.You have really done a great work by putting entire picture of St Petersburg in one small hub. Good work.
A great place to visit indeed. I wonder, how is the security there ?
very nice photos
God bless you
nicola
Great architecture and would enjoy visiting. Thanks for sharing!
A well-told hub with the most important points mentioned. You are fortunate to have visited twice! I look forward to reading your other hubs on Russia. Catherine the Great has always fascinated me; so, am thinking of writing about her.
yeah... I totally agree with you. Its a city full of monuments and nice buildings... I live in Ukraine and I am hoping very very soon, I will be there..
Wonderful photos of this beautiful city and I enjoyed the history lessons as well. A very professional job as usual. Great hub!
Peter the Great's Grand Palace in Peterhof looks beautiful! Great hub, and thanks for sharing the photos too!
Good hub. This is one of these cities that one always runs across in the news or in literature but I have never known much about it. Very informative.I vote it up and useful.
c521 18 months ago
I would love to visit St. Petersburg some day! This Hub was great - a lot of tips of sights to see and beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing!