This northern city on the Neva River is a city of magic beauty sung by poets and painted by artists. I love you, citadel of Peters, I love your elegant austerity of line. A. S. Pushkin

The city was founded on the Neva River in 1703 by Peter the Great. It takes its name from its patron, St Peter.

The Peter and Paul Fortress The legend says: Peter I marked the place for the fortress gates with 2 birch-trees. An eagle sat down on these gates. This was interpreted by everybody as a good sign and the eagle was taken and put on the arm of the tsar.

The Hermitage The State Hermitage is the largest museum in our country and the second largest in the world (after the Louvre). It comprises 5 buildings: the Winter palace, the Small Hermitage, the old Hermitage, the Hermitage Theatre, the New Hermitage.

Palace Square This is the largest central square of the city. In the centre of the square there is the Triumphal Column which is 47,5 m high. The figure of an angel crowning this column was made by the sculptor B. Orlovsky. The angel has a cross in his hand treating upon a snake.

The Smolny Cathedral The name Smolny comes from Smolyanoy Dvor, meaning tar yard. It was built soon after S- Pb was laid. Tar was necessary for the ships built at shipyards. It is situated in Rastrelli Square and is one of the most beautiful ensembles of the city.

Saint Isaacs Cathedral St Isaacs Cathedral is the main cathedral of St Petersburgs Eparchy. It is 101,5 m high, 111 m long, 98 m wide. It was opened in May Its interior strikes by its wealth of decoration.

Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God It is situated in Nevsky Prospect. It was built between 1801 and the Kazan Cathedral strikes by its rich décor, magnificence, huge forms. It has 96 columns in 4 rows. Each column is 12,37 m high.

The Saviour on Split Blood This church was built between 1883 and it is situated on the place where Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded by the bomb. The walls are decorated with fashioned bricks, colourful ceramic plates. The cupolas have bright colourful coverings.

The Kunstkammer The word Kunstcammer comes from the German words Kunst meaning art and kammer meaning room. It was the private collection of Peter the Great. He brought exotic things from abroad. This building housed the countrys first public library.

St Petersburg is often called the Northern Venice. Today the city stands on 42 islands. The main water-way is the Neva River and it adds much to the beauty of the city. It is impossible to imagine S-Pb without its bridges, canals and embankments.

There are 539 bridges in the city. One of them is the Anichkov Bridge. It is situated where Nevsky Prospect and the Fontanka river intersect. It was named after an Admiralty engineer Major Mikhail Anichkov. It is 54m long and 37 m wide. Its main decorations are 4 tamed horses.

The Split of Vasiliyevsky Island Vasiliyevsky Island is the largest of those 42 islands on which the city is situated. Strelka is the name given to the eastern part of the island. There are many historical buildings and museums there. This island is famous for the two Rostral Columns, decorated with models of ships bows