Sankt-Peterburg

I love you, creation of Peter ,

I love your elegant , harmonious appearance ,

broad Neva,

coast of granite,

Your fence design iron ,

Your thoughtful nights.

Transparent twilight , glitter moonless ,

When I was in my room .

I'm writing , I read without the lamps,

, and clear the sleeping masses.

deserted streets, and bright.

Admiralty Needle ,

And , not letting the darkness of night .

In the golden sky,

A charge to change the other.

Hurry up, giving half-hour nights . 2.

I love your brutal winters .

motionless air and frost,

Running sled along the Neva broad

faces brighter Maiden Rose

and glitter and noise, and the voices of balls,

And in the hour of revelry blank .

hissing foam cups .

, and punch the flame is blue.

I love belligerent vitality .

Fun fields of Mars ,

Infantry ratey and horses.

.

painted, City of Peter , and stop .

steadfastly as Russia, the

Yes to pacify the same with you.

and defeated elements ; .

enmity and captured its old .

Let the waves Finnish forget.

and will not be in vain malice .

disturb the eternal dream of Peter the !

A Pushkin. From the poem The Bronze Horseman .

St. Petersburg with administrative subordinates territories covers an area of ​​1439 km2. It is situated at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland .Geographical coordinates of the center of the city - 59 ° 57 'north latitude and 30 ° 19' east longitude.

St. Petersburg , located at the crossroads of sea and river routes and land routes, is the European gateway of Russia , its strategic center, closest to the countries of the European Community.

St. Petersburg - the second ( after Moscow) largest city in the Russian Federation. There are offices of international organizations, consulates of foreign countries, regional offices of federal departments and agencies.

St. Petersburg - the administrative center of the Northwest Federal District, which includes the Republic of Karelia , Komi Republic, Arkhangelsk , Vologda , Kaliningrad , Leningrad Oblast , Murmansk Oblast, Novgorod Oblast , Pskov Oblast , Nenets Autonomous District.

North-West Federal District has a significant natural resource potential , highly developed industry, dense transportation network , and through the seaports of the Baltic Sea and Arctic Ocean provides links to the Russian Federation with the outside world .

One of the symbolic names of St. Petersburg - Venice of the North .Inland waters cover about 10% of the city.

Number of watercourses within the city limits - 40.

The total length of streams - 217.5 km .

Number of bridges in the city - more than 580.

, including drawbridges - 20 ( 7 of them - across the Neva ).

The length of the Neva River in the city - 32 km .

Number of floods in 300 years - 288.

The maximum level of water rise in the city - 4.2 m above the zero tide gauge Kronstadt (November 7, 1824).

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The world-famous palaces and parks .

of the city.

It has long been Izhorsk land - a large area in the Neva River - belonged to Veliky Novgorod and was settled by Russian, Finnish and Swedish. Sweden had a claim to the territory and has repeatedly led out of this war with Russia. In 1616 , the Swedes defeated and retreated to their contract land called Ingria .Protection of the entire flow of the Neva Swedes were two fortresses - built their Nyenskans Noteburg and Novgorod . .

Even when Ivan the Terrible, Russia cherished dream of the Baltic Sea , where the creation of the commercial port.The King Peter I set a goal - to capture in Ingria access to the Baltic Sea ! For this purpose, conducted the Northern War against Sweden. First, the fortress was taken Noteburg and 1st May 1703 and surrendered Nyenschantz.

on the morning of May 6 Nyenskans after the Divine Liturgy with the face svyatitelskim , generals and civilian officers, was pleased to march along the Neva River , Peter King . Began to build a fortress on the island Yannisaari ( in Russian - at the Hare ).

On arrival at the island and the consecration of water, and the reading of prayers at the base of the city, Peter took a shovel and started digging the ditch first . And when his heels dug the pit depth of two feet , in a small box placed Peter , and in it the power of Andrew.Box covered with a stone lid, on which is engraved : From the incarnation of Christ 1703 May 16 deg based reigning St. Piterburh great sovereign , King and Grand Duke Peter A. , Autocrat of All Russia .

That was the beginning of the beautiful city - the northern capital, which foreigners are enthusiastically called Venice of the North or North Palmyra . .

18th Century .

This day , May 16, 1703 (New Style 27 May ) and is considered the official birthday of the city, although there was only founded the fortress of Saints Peter and Paul, and in fact the city began to grow under its protection on the neighboring island of Birch , and later on Vasilevsky .Admiralty Shipyard, Tapestry , the Alexander Nevsky Monastery , the Senate and Synod, 12 boards , founded the first Russian museum - Curiosities , laid such a unique architectural and park ensemble , as Peterhof , Tsarskoe Selo , Oranienbaum , Summer Garden, founded Maritime Academy - the first the school of St. Petersburg,then the Academy of Sciences , in luxurious palaces were built , was laid Neva pershpektivy ( now the main street of St. Petersburg - Nevsky Prospekt) , built the first bridges,For the first 15 years, the city emerged:

In 1712, in St. - Petersburg from Moscow, he moved the royal court , it is assumed that from that moment the Russian capital moved to the shores of the Neva River , even though the new capital called St. Petersburg Peter began much earlier.

In a very short period of time have been based most important political , social, religious and industrial structures .Peter was invited to the new capital of the best European architects such as Trezzini , Leblon and Braunshtayn , engineers, artists and artisans, shopkeepers, and European merchants have deployed in a lively trade.

By order of the king began to pursue the famous and the Assembly - the first evening lay in the manner of reception , with music , refreshments , and entertainment, but without the alcohol .

In 1725, die Peter I, and two years later and his wife Catherine, who ascends to the throne young Peter II - grandson of the great emperor.Cunning nobles , who left in the old capital of inhabited palaces, and lure the young emperor and the court back to Moscow and St. Petersburg comes to 2 years to complete desolation . Only after the death of Peter vnezanoy II, with the ascent to the throne of Anna Ivanovna , the northern capital is experiencing a revival.

The foreign travelers who visited the Russian capital during the reign of Anna Ivanovna, acknowledged that St. Petersburg is becoming more beautiful, solemn and well-equipped European-style city.

In 1741, as a result of another palace coup, the Russian Empress was the youngest daughter of Peter I Elizabeth .Many contemporaries perceived the accession to the Russian throne of Elizabeth as a guarantee of returning to the traditions of domestic and foreign policy of her father. The country has entered a new stage of development of culture, science and art.

The capital of Russia experienced a period of real prosperity.The city was built quickly , there were new official residences , palaces , churches and theaters. Time of Elizabeth's reign - the period of dominance in the European architecture sumptuous Baroque style.In St. Petersburg at this time is a talented architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli , and that it is the creation of masterpieces of Russian Baroque style , which reflects the idea of triumph and power of the country , which became one of the major world powers.

When Elizabeth founded the Academy of Fine Arts , the Smolny Convent , founded the first Russian theater , built the Winter Palace, Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, the Amber Room has been set .

After the death of Elizabeth in Russia not long reigned her nephew - Peter III, who was killed by a political conspiracy and the throne for a long '34 ascended his wife Catherine , who in the history of Catherine the Great.It was during the reign of Catherine II , St. Petersburg became a city that can rightfully compete with major European capitals.

Time of Catherine II - the flowering of Russian classical architecture.If in the first half-century of existence Petersburg architectural masterpieces became mostly palaces , now the best architects engaged in designing and building government and public buildings, educational institutions , shopping complexes , private residences , supervised buildings streets and quays .During the reign of Queen founded the Smolny Institute for Noble Ladies , Free Economic Society , founded Arcade, clad in granite embankments of the Neva River and its tributaries, built Tauride and Marble Palaces, the Hermitage was founded , created City Council , set grille of the Summer Garden and Bronze statue of Peter I rider .And it is in the second half of the 18th century, the Russian capital has acquired a unique strict, slender look .

French envoy at the Russian Imperial Court Count Segur summed up the peculiar development of the city during the reign of Catherine : St. Petersburg at the forefront among the capitals of the educated world , and ascended to the throne chredu sees the most powerful and significant .

After the death of Catherine , her son , Emperor Paul I, in his brief reign had not done much for the city . Perhaps the most notable building in the years of his reign was the Mikhailovsky Castle - the most romantic and mysterious of all the palaces of St. Petersburg, shaded by sinister tragedy - the murder of Paul.

19th Century .Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum , Kazan Cathedral , the Imperial Public Library , the ensemble arrows Vasilevsky Island , the reconstruction of the Admiralty, the barracks of the Pavlovsky Regiment, the Campus Martius , and Alexandrinsky Mariinsky Theatres, St. Isaac's Cathedral , Mikhailovsky Palace , the ensemble of Palace Square , the Egyptian sfinky at Academy of Fine ArtsPulkovo Observatory , Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof g / d , M \\ g Petersburg-Moscow , Anichkov Foundry and bridges , the trading house Passage , a monument to Catherine II, St. Petersburg Conservatory, Circus Ciniselli , Russian Museum, the Savior on the Blood, Architect Rossi Street , the first telegraph station and much moreOf the most important architectural and engineering facilities of this century are the following:

The nineteenth century in St. Petersburg can be called not only the age of cultural enlightenment , but also the continuation of traditions. Actively developing Russian science , art, trade at the international level . The last quarter of the 19th century was marked by a number of high-profile terrorist attacks and political acts.

20th Century .

In the early 20th century in St. Petersburg, built the best examples of Art Nouveau style , such as the Hotel Astoria, building a trading company Singer and others. The architectural ensemble of the city can be regarded as fully formed .Turn of the Century shakes political changes , 3 revolutions against the background of World War I led to a change of government and seize its Bolsheviks. In Yekaterinburg, the royal family was executed . Not just for Petersburg, but also for the whole country begins a difficult time .In the first days after the revolution the Bolsheviks looted all the palaces of the nobility , which lost many cultural and artistic values. In 1918 he transferred the capital to Moscow , and the city becomes known as Petrograd, even after 6 years after the death of Vladimir Lenin, the former capital was renamed Leningrad.After a relatively democratic years of the NEP with the murder of Kirov in 1934 , the year the city comes to the Great Terror , which lasted until the beginning of World War II. The war brought new challenges - a massive attack by fascist army led to the siege of the city , which lasted 900 days and claimed the lives of one million people.Leningrad suffered as a result of air and artillery bombardments .

In the postwar years by millions of people reviving the architectural appearance of the city and its suburbs, rebuilding the destroyed industries, attention is paid to the development of art , literature and sports.In the 60- 70s became world-famous Mariinsky Ballet , known dissidents (eg Joseph Brodsky) emigrate from the country. In terms of architecture prevails more standardization , all the forces thrown into the same concrete construction of residential areas , these poorly funded architectural values ​​.

Only with the advent of perestroika attention is paid to the masterpieces of construction , which has attracted the attention of many tourists. Architectural ensembles acquire a second life.

In 1991, the city returned to its historical name .

Today, St. Petersburg - a multi-million metropolis , the second largest city in Russia , a major industrial and commercial center , known for its seaport. St. Petersburg is still not only the cultural and intellectual capital of our country, but also the city of the world, famous for its unique architecture .And his story (including the blockade of Leningrad ) - not just part of the city's history , and Russia. It's part of world history, you should know .

Petersburg gradually ceases to be Leningrad. There are fewer meetings and more involved in business .There are still due to each corner of the face tries to hit the spiky vortex in the Hermitage still hang with Rembrandt Titian , in a candy store \and in the June light night taxi drivers continue to abuse than light is diluted over the Neva bridgesNow living here for almost five (and according to unofficial data , all eight ) million people of different nationalities and faiths. It is said that over the past three hundred years , little has changed here .

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