Those who happen to be in Saint Petersburg once, will keep in their hearts for ever this splendid city of pompous palaces, romantic canals and drawbridges, old small courtyards where one can still meet hereditary chimney-sweepers.

Northern Venice – that’s another name of St. Petersburg. The city is situated on the coast of the beautiful Gulf of Finland. It is the second largest city of Russia with 4.7 mln inhabitants.

Due to its advantageous geographical location the city has become a major sea and river port of Russia through which the Baltic Sea is connected with the Black Sea, the White Sea and the Caspian Sea. Petersburg has 86 canals and rivers, over 580 bridges, 23 drawbridges, 42 islands. The biggest river is the Neva, it is 32 km long within the city limits.

St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in the course of the Northern War against Sweden for Russia’s access to the high seas. The city situated at the intersection of sea, river and land routes became Russia’s peculiar “window to Europe”. The city’s patron is apostle Peter. By comparison with Moscow Petersburg is rather young: in 2003 it was only 300 years old.

Saint Petersburg has a special place in the history of Russia. For more than 200 years – from 1712 to 1918 St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia. The city changed its name three times: in 1914 it was renamed into Petrograd in connection with the increased anti-German sentiments during World War I. After death of the revolution leader Lenin in 1924 the city was renamed into Leningrad and finally in 1991 the city got its initial name – Sanct- Petersburg.

The worst ordeal came during World War II, when the city known as Leningrad – withstood a 900-day siege and blockade by Nazi forces. Common graves in Piskarevskoye Memorial Cementery hold the remains of 470,000 Leningraders who died of hunger and cold or were killed by shells.