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ST PETERSBURG, THE CULTURAL CAPTIAL OF RUSSIA
St Petersburgs succession of names mirrors Russias turbulent history. It was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as a window to the West and was for two centuries the capital of the Tsarist Empire. During WWI the city renounced its Germanic sounding name and became Petrograd and as such was he cradle of the revolutions that overthrew Tsars period and brought the Bolsheviks to power in 1917. Later, as Leningrad, it epitomized the Soviet Unions heroic sacrifices in the war against Fascism, withstanding almost nine hundred days of Nazi siege. Finally, in 1991 the year that Communism and the USSR collapsed the change of name, back to St. Petersburg, proved deeply symbolic, infuriating the wartime generation and diehard Communists, but overjoying those who pined for a pre-revolutionary golden age; a dream kept alive throughout the years of Stalinist terror. St. Petersburgs sense of its own identity owes much to its origins and to the interweaving of myth and reality throughout its history. Created by the will of an autocrat, the Imperial capital embodied both Peter the Greats rejection of Old Russia - represented by the former capital, Asiatic Moscow and his embrace of Europe The citys architecture, administration and social life were all copied or imported, the splendid buildings appearing alien to the indigenous forms and out of place in the surrounding countryside. As the last tsar, Nicholas II, once remarked, Remember, St. Petersburg is Russian but its not Russia. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia, with the total area of more than 1400 square kilometers and a population of five million. The city is built on 44 islands, interlaced with some 50 canals and rivers (the River Neva alone has five branches): water makes up a tenth of its total area. Although the city is impossible to understand without some knowledge of its history, it is easy for visitors to enjoy not least for its magnificent architecture. Planned on a grandiose scale, the city center is awash with palaces and cathedrals calculated to impress, their colonnaded facades painted in bold Mediterranean colors and reflected in the dark waters of St. Petersburgs canals and rivers. Its cultural life is equally abundant, embracing the staggering riches of the Hermitage art collection and the Russian Museum, the Marinsky Theatre, all kinds of music and drama, offbeat pursuits and wild nightlife. The people and the seasons provide the rest of the citys entertainment, as visitors are drawn in by the intensity of life at its most intoxicating during the midsummer White nights, when the city barely sleeps and darkness never falls. St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has a great spirit and people who live here are very special. They are open-hearted and kind, and, its easy to communicate with them. This is a city of science, intellectuals and well educated people. Many people here speak English and other languages. And its normal. It is the cultural capital of Russia in many senses and is often called the second capital of Russia. In fact it was the capital of Russia before the revolution. After the revolution in 1917, the city got the name of Lenin and we know the former name of it Leningrad. And now the city is a key guard of Russia, as St Peter is considered a key guard of Paradise. While the city had the name Leningrad hundreds of churches were destroyed here. And now when the historical name of the heavenly patron and protector was again given to the city, many churches were rebuilt and repaired. St. P. is a place where many famous Russian writers and painters lived. Its the city of both Pushkin, and Dostoevsky and easy to find historical dramas and cultural openings. The beauty of the city is indivisibly connected with mystery and history. Here are saved the secrets of ancient Egypt and Greece, the legends of European and Asian countries, the wisdom of Russian tsars and even the cold horror of the communism epoch. THE SPIRIT OF ST PETERSBURG You can see hundreds of churches, temples, and cathedrals in St. Petersburg. Also many different denominations and religions can be found here. St. Petersburg is known for its tolerance toward believers. Having been a capital, St. P. has connected many traditions of all known religions as well as Christians, Muslims, Jew and many others. St. P. is the only city in Russia which saved its beautiful temples during the years of revolution, the Second World War and the years of communism. Orthodox churches are very beautiful and it seems you are already in the golden heavenly city. THE IMAGE OF ST PETERSBURG Its hard to believe that St. Petersburg is only 300 years old. It seems much younger. The city not only has great architecture, but beautiful buildings colored with various colors. St. P is know like a rainy and foggy city, and thats why Peter the Great ordered buildings to be painted into vivid colors, in order to make city more joyful. WHITE NIGHTS AND UNBELIEVABLE WEATHER St. Petersburg lies on the same latitude as the Shetland Islands and Anchorage, Alaska, but its climate is less harsh than youd imagine, being moderated by warm air blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. Summers are hot, and, while winters may be cold by Western European standards, they rarely compare with the ferocious cold in Moscow, let alone Siberia. Summer is the time when city celebrates the famous White Nights (mid-June to mid-July) with a special festival and weeks of partying. Days are baking hot and nights sultry with the occasional downpour providing relief from the humidity. By mid-September autumn is underway with cloudy skies and falling temperatures. October sees the first frosts (and sometimes snowfalls), though its not unknown to have warm and sunny days, when the city looks especially beautiful in the soft northern light. In December the canals and rivers freeze over and a blanket of snow creates enchanting vistas that almost make you forget the cold. Springs arrival is somewhat unpredictable the fabulous sight of the Neva ice-floes breaking up and flowing through the heart of the city may not occur until April or even early May. The citizens of St. Petersburg often joke about there weather. They say that its impossible to guess what weather will be during next hours. Thats why you should always be ready and have all necessary things with you such as umbrella and gloves, sunglasses and bathing suit, raincoat and fur hat. |
