Top 10 extraordinary features of St. Petersburg (and reasons you should visit it).
St. Petersburg, a city that is based in western Russia, is the second most popular in the country (after Moscow). Millions of tourists flowing into the city leave with unforgettable emotions and some even decide to stay, not being able to resist the magnetic force of the city on the Neva. But what keeps the tourists coming and why is Petersburg so special? Why should you visit the city or come back if you already have? Well… let’s take a closer look.
The 60th parallel which St. Petersburg shares with places such as Magadan (Russia), Greenland and Oslo (Norway) puts it as the largest northern city. Don’t be afraid of the cold! Although, you can sometimes experience the ‘Russian winter’, most of the time, it is not too cold and the weather can be compared with, perhaps, northern Britain. It is cloudy, rainy and there isn’t a lot of sunshine, however, if you’re well-prepared, the weather will not worsen your experience. The weather isn’t a downside for St. Petersburg- it gives it its own special character.
If you visit in the summer, you will be able to enjoy the hot weather (still don’t forget your raincoat), when the gold of the palaces shines in the rays of the sun, reminding us of the glorious imperial past. The summer’s White nights are an ultimate, free, natural tourist attraction. To feel it - you have to see it.
If you’ve never visited Russia, it might be best to start discovering it from St. Petersburg. The city gives you a taste of Russian life through different epoch’s, but at the same time, it is more familiar to the European culture. This is due to Petersburg’s close location to the Baltic Sea, but also because it was designed as the result of Peter the Great’s time in Europe.
Today, St. Petersburg is a vibrant, modern city and apart from the language and different, little aspects, almost unnoticeable to tourist’s eye, it is hard to see its difference from major European cities.
Venice of the North
St. Petersburg is often compared with Venice. For the most part, this is because of the large number of rivers and canals that flow through the city. It has scored a gold medal in the number of bridges: 800 compared to Venice’s 378. When you come to Saint Petersburg, if you visit between April and late November, do not miss out on the fabulous opportunity of seeing the bridges being drawn at night. The most popular is the Palace Bridge which lights the Neva with blue sparks and is located just on the back of the Winter Palace. Naturally, a large number of canals creates a large number of boats. Not taking the opportunity to explore the spectacular views of the city from the water is a crime (unless the water is frozen and there are no boat tours).
Open-air museum
Young Saint Petersburg is well-known for being a museum of architecture. There is no other place in the world where there is so much preserved architecture of neoclassicism, eclecticism, rétrospectivism which ties in so well into the city as a whole.
Unlike other large European cities, St. Petersburg was bombed much less during the war. This allowed the city to keep its famous architectural masterpieces such as the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Theatre, Admiralty building, Singer House and many other.
There are also many magnificent churches and cathedrals in the city such as Kazan Cathedral, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, Smolny Convent and Trinity Cathedral.
Saint Petersburg is the youngest large European city; it was established by Peter the Great in 1703. The city has kept its youth in the 21st century. Apart from the world-famous museums like the Hermitage, it has a lot to offer for the more energetic holidaymakers. Cultural events, gigs, sporting events, nightlife, master-classes, ice-rinks… Petersburg truly offers something for everyone and tries to keep up with the world’s trends. A number of art spaces (including Sevcabelport and Loft Project “Etazhi”) will immerse you in the dynamic, progressive creativity of the Petersburg’s youth, whilst time-cafes such as Ziferburg allow for some peace in the heart of the city.
There were a lot of major events, which have harmed the city and have almost turned it into a ghost town. Possibly, the most significant was the siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) which has seen more than 2.8 million (82%) of the population die. The memory of the tragedy lives in the city up until today, with several memorials and annual events taking place. Although the memory lives on, the population has recovered and the city has managed to regain its character. The residents treat the city with respect and are proud of how much St. Petersburg has gone through, but don’t let the past overshadow the present.
Dangerous (NB: but not for tourists)
Historically, St. Petersburg has been a dangerous city for the authorities. Listing everyone whose life ended in the city due to political reasons will take a few pages, but here are a few key names: Peter III, Paul I and Alexander II. Prime Minister Stolypin’s cottage went into the air. The “Leningrad case” of 1949. First Mayor A. Sobchak had to leave to Paris but died under strange circumstances after returning to Russia.
One of the key landmarks of Saint Petersburg, Church of Savior on Blood, has been erected on the spot where nihilists have wounded Alexander III.
Ex-capital
Saint Petersburg is one of the largest non-capital cities in Europe. Since 19th century it has been one of the most populated cities in all of Europe, but as it stands today, the city takes the 4th spot in the ratings by population (following Istanbul, Moscow and London).
It would be fair to say, that the size of the city is a direct result of it being a capital. Although throughout history Moscow and St. Petersburg both switched taking the role of being a capital, the latter has managed to maintain its grand past and those who have never visited Moscow might think of Petersburg as a capital.
Saint Petersburg is a must-see destination if you like a thrill. The city is filled with myths and legends which can blow away even the most exacting audience. From secret passages to ghosts or Freemasonry to Rasputin’s apartment - Petersburg has something to offer to everyone. If you would like to see the other side of the city’s life, go on one of the many offered thematical tours around St. Petersburg… if you’re not afraid.
Quadruple renaming
In the last 100 years, the second biggest Russian city has undergone four name changes. All of these have a history and puzzles behind them:
St. Petersburg (1703-1919, 1991-present) – who was the “Peter” the city got named after? Peter the Great? Peter the Apostle? Historians yet have to find a unified answer, but one thing is clear: the roots of the title come from the time the Tsar has spent in Holland.
Petrograd (1914-1924) – the name has emerged as the result of the war with Germany, to make the city sound more Russian by removing the foreign “Sankt” and “burg”. But why were the other German names such as Yekaterinburg kept the same?
Petrograd didn’t last long. Remains of imperial Russia weren’t favoured by the people, so the third change came about quickly.
Leningrad (1924-1991) – Petrograd is where the key events of the Russian Revolution (1917) have taken place, so one could have anticipated that this historic event will be marked by giving V. Lenin’s name to something significant. The choice fell on the city. By the end of the Soviet Union era, people wanted to let go off the communist past, so a referendum has been initiated to rename the city again. The result is well-known: with a 54% vote in favour, Saint Petersburg has returned.
You can still find the tales of the past in the modern-day St. Petersburg, so why not come, touch and feel the history?
Based on Lev Lurie, Bez Moskvy (BHV-Peterburg, 2014)
By Anastasija Olesova (The University of Manchester)
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