SAINT PETERSBURG
S.P. is the second
largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It
was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the “Window in Europe”. S.P.was the
capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918. The city was built on the swampy land at
the mouth of the Neva River.The prominent Russian and European architects
worked here.
When the World War
I began in1914, the German sounding name St.Petersburg was changed to
Petrograd. After the October Revolution the city was renamed after Lenin. In
1991 the old name St.Petersburg was returned to the city,
During the Great Patriotic War
the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941and
next two years and a half the city was cut off from the rest of the country. No
food could be brought in and people died of starvation. Daily shelling air
raids destroyed parts of the city. Thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding
took years.
The city is famous
for its magnificent architectural ensembles of 18th and 19th
centuries. The city began with the Peter and Paul Fortress built to protect the
Neva banks from Swedish invasion. It became a prison. Now it’s a museum. The
centre of S.P. is Palace Square with the Hermitage. It was designed by
Rastrelli and was built on the left bank of the Neva River. In the centre of
Palace Square there is the Alexander Column (48 meters high). The column is
devoted to the victory over Napoleon in 1812 and was design by Monferrand.
Among the historical monuments around the Hermitage there is Bronze Horseman in
the centre of Senate Square. This monument was designed by Falconet and devoted
Peter the Great. Visitors can also admire the Admiralty, the Kazan Cathedral
and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. They are the masterpieces of the world architecture.
The city is often called the Northern Venice because there are 65 rivers, arms
and canals with artistically decorated iron bridges. One of the most beautiful
is the Anichkov Bridge.
ST. Petersburg
inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and
actors. Much of the life and work of
Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Repin and Kramskoi was connected with
the city.
My favourite place
in the city is the Summer Garden. It’s the oldest and most fascinating park.
Rare trees, bushes and flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by
Italian sculptors and a famous cast iron grille decorate the Summer Garden. I
like walking or reading a book here. It seems to me that in this romantic place I feel the spirit of the city.
