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SAINT PETERSBURG
Cathedral of the Resurrection |
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Saint Petersburg, or yesterday’s Leningrad (1924-1991) or still before Petrograd ( 1914–1924), is a city of Northwestern Russia. The city sits on the delta of the river Neva at the extreme east of Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea and is also the northernmost city of the world. The city derives its name from its founder Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. The ‘Window to Europe’ was the capital of Russia throughout the Imperial period. Currently a residence to 4.7 million people, St. Petersburg is Europe's fourth largest city and the most important Russian-Baltic Sea port.
St. Petersburg’s variety of architectural details include long, straight boulevards, vast spaces, gardens and parks, decorative wrought-iron fences, monuments and decorative sculptures. Added to these, the granite embankments of the Neva River and its several canals have marked the city as the Venice of the North. Other attractions of the city are its Palaces, Churches and the Public buildings, of which, the Summer Palace of Peter I, Menshikov Palace, St Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of the Savior of Blood are the most luminary; however, the huge building with dazzling, luxurious interiors known as the Winter Palace is the most prominent one and is house to the Hermitage Museum.
The position of St. Petersburg places it on the same latitudes (60 degrees N) similar to Helsinki, Stockholm and Oslo, thus allowing a night-long twilight during May, June and July. White Nights, as the phenomenon is known as, is another feature of the city the tourists find interesting.
Undoubtedly, St. Petersburg is home to many a scintillating experience, be it in terms of theatres like the Alexandrine or the Mariinsky or the accommodation range. St. PETERSBURG B&B (Griboedova channel) is a famed Bed & Breakfast arrangement and so is NILS' & MARINA'S B&B under German-ownership). Other forms of accommodation include the star-rated hotel range: from Astoria, Baltic Star and Corinthia Nevskij to the cheaper varieties like Hotel Arkadia, Hotel Austrian Yard and the Brothers Karamazov hotel. Those with a preference towards a more homely atmosphere may find the apartment-for-rent arrangements better; Moiki Reki, Millionaya Ulitsa and Griboedova are good options. For backpacking groupies, it’s better to reside at St. Petersburg Hostel, 3rd Sovetskaya, 28 – close to the city center and a hub to the city’s prime attractions.
Cabinet of Curiosities
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Kazan Cathedral
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Peterhof Palace
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