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Overview of Saint Petersburg
In comparison to other old European capitals, St. Petersburg is a relatively young city, but at the same time, it has gained huge historical and cultural significance in a very little time. Originally the city was built to provide Russia with access to the Baltic sea, which was critical to its economic growth. St. Petersburg was thought to become “the key to paradise” for the country, that is why the name of the city is very emblematic. It was named after Saint Peter, who, according to the Holy Bible, keeps the key from heaven. Nowadays St. Petersburg has become one of the biggest cultural and economic centers in Russia, it’s even considered the cultural capital of Russia by citizens of the country. It also hosts numerous museums, theaters and galleries. A lot of Russian and foreign musicians, poets and writers were astonished by St. Petersburg and dedicated their works to the city.
Historical background of the city
Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Moscow, 5 million people live within its limits. The city was founded in 1703 on Neva River. Its name was changed several times throughout the city’s history: first to Petrograd in 1914, then to Leningrad in 1924 in honor of Lenin.After the fall of the Soviet regime the city was renamed back to its original name. From 1713 to 1728 and from 1732 to 1918 the city served as the capital of the Russian Empire.
Tourist Attractions in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a unique urban reserve of architectural styles that were popular in Europe over the last three centuries. One of the reasons for this was the fact that the capital was moved to Moscow and most of the new Soviet-style buildings were constructed there, allowing St. Petersburg to preserve its unique atmosphere. The city is home to over 200 museums, 2000 libraries, 80 theaters and 50 galleries; plus, it hosts more than a hundred festivals and other cultural events annually. Because of this the city has become incredibly popular with tourists and hundreds of various guided tours, excursions of Saint Petersburg are available to tourists in English, French, German and other languages. Many locals, especially younger people, speak English, so you will never get lost in the city.