| The city of St. Petersburg is celebrating its 303 | | | | the Peter and Paul Fortress was built as a |
| anniversary this year. | | | | fortification construction, it was never used as |
| Nowadays it is a megapolis with a population of | | | | such: never since the 1704 St. Petersburg lands |
| more that 5 million people, a city with a fascinating | | | | were under the threat of Swedish invasion.For |
| history and culture.However, if we could look at | | | | almost two centuries it served as a main political |
| these lands back in the year 1703, we would find | | | | prison of the country. One of the first convicts |
| vast marshy lands and small villages scattered | | | | became Tsarevitch Alexey, the son of Peter I, |
| here and there. | | | | who was against the politics of his father.Among |
| The foundation of the city dates to the time of | | | | the famous prisoners of Peter and Paul Fortress |
| the first construction at this place - Peter and Paul | | | | were Dostoevsky, Gorky, Trotsky and Lenin's |
| Fortress.Peter and Paul Fortress was founded in | | | | older brother Alexander.The special place in the |
| May 1703. After the series of successful military | | | | fortress ensemble belongs to the Cathedral of |
| actions against Sweden, Russian troops pushed | | | | Peter and Paul. It was built in 1713-1733 by |
| the border far northwest, thus reconstructing the | | | | architect Tresini on the place of a wooden church, |
| original boundaries of 1613 and gaining the outlet | | | | founded in honor of apostles Peter and Paul. The |
| to the Baltic sea.Peter the Great, then 31-year-old | | | | cathedral is decorated with gilded spire about 404 |
| Russian emperor, had decided to protect the new | | | | ft high, topped with the weather vane shaped as |
| conquered lands by constructing a fortress and | | | | an Angel, who is said to watch over and protect |
| by building a city - port, which very soon has | | | | the city. The Cathedral of Peter and Paul served |
| become known as St. Petersburg.The Fortress | | | | as a royal burial-vault. The founder of the city, |
| was named after St. Peter and St. Paul, two | | | | Peter the Great died, while this cathedral was still |
| highly worshiped saints in Russia. The place that | | | | unfinished. His body was temporally placed in the |
| was chosen for the fortress was a small island in | | | | specially constructed chapel and then reburied in |
| the delta of the Neva river called the "Hare" island. | | | | the new cathedral.The last burial ceremony in the |
| The construction works started on May 28, 1703 | | | | Cathedral of Peter and Paul took place in the |
| and this date is considered to be the birthday of | | | | summer of 1998, on the eightieth anniversary of |
| St. Petersburg.The hexagonal shape of the | | | | the execution of Nicolas II, his wife Alexandra |
| Fortress made it possible to build in the whole | | | | Fedorovna, their children, and servants. The last |
| territory of the island. First constructions were | | | | Russian Emperor and his family are buried in the |
| made of earth and wood, but already by 1706 all | | | | St. Catherine chapel of the cathedral. |
| wooden parts were replaced with stone. Although | | | | |