Люблю тебя, Петра творение,          
Люблю твой строгий, стройный вид,
Невы державное течение,                      
Береговой ее гранит...                            
А.С. ПУШКИН  

 Our city was found in 1703 by the great Russian Tsar Peter I. The aim was to return Russian lands and give to the vast country the natural outlet to the Baltic Sea. From the very begining of the construction of the city Peter I - decided to make St. Petersburg a new capital of Russia. The dream was - to create a real brilliant  European capital.
          In May, 1703 Peter and Paul Fortress was laid in Zayachy Island. The architect was  D.Trezini. Fortress is of a hexagon shape with six  bastions which  defenced with the artillery   fire the waterways to the city. In the center of the  Fortress there is St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. The gilded spire of the Cathedral is crowned with the angel. The legend says this angel is guarding the city. The heart of the city is the Palace Square on which the Winter Palace, the building of the General Staff

      In 1710 the Capital of Russia was transferred to St Petersburg from Moscow, while   in 1712 the Tsar Family and households together with the major Governmental Bodies moved to St.Petersburg.  Among the most magnificent architectural monuments is the St.Isac’s Cathedral which was erected according to  O.Monferan’s drowings and which was being built during 40 years. The building strikes the imagination with it’s sizes: its length 111,5м; width 97,6м; height 101,8м.

The very popular place for the rest of the  tourists and cityzens is the square in front of the  Kazan Cathedral. The  architect of this great Cathedral is a famous Russian architect Voronichin. The work upon the construction of the Kazan Cathedral started in 1801 and was finished in 1811г. The Cathedral is made in a shape of  the extended cross, the height of it is 71,6м. The Cathedral of our Lady of Kazan is dedicated to the victory of the Russian Army in Napoleonic Company of the 1812. In 1837г. in front of the Cathedral there were erected two monuments devoted to the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 - Fieldmarshal  M.I.Kutuzov and  M.B.Barklay De Tolly.
      The well-known monument to Peter The Great - "The Bronse Horseman" was constructed in 1782 on the Senate Square.  Falcone is the sculptor of the monument, the model of a head was executed by the Falcone’s pupil Maria Kollo.
 One of the most  beautiful places in the city is the Square of Arts. The design of this Square was done by the famous architect Karl Rossi. This name is a very important one in our city because a lot of the nice places, squares and palaces were created according to his drowings.  On the Square of Arts there are the Russian Museum, the Musorgskiy’s Theatre, the Philarmonic Society, the Museum of Ethnography.  In 1819 the Tsar Alexander I commissioned to Karl Rossi to construct the palace on this territory.  Alexander I wanted to present it to his junior brother   Mickael  - hence the name of the Palace - Mickael’s Palace.  Now in the Palace there is  the Russian Museum. On a display here the works of the Russian fine arts  from the icon paintings to the works of avant-guard. .
Neva and its numerous cannels make the organic unity with the architecture of the city.         In the city there are  86 rivers,  cannels, more than 100 lakes and ponds. May be because of this reason  St. Petersburg sometimes is called - the  Northern Venice. During the constructing of the  city  the river was connected with the cannels, as a  result the new islands were formed. A century and half ago in  the city there were  101 islands, but later on  the rivers and cannels were filled with earth and today in St. Petersburg there are 42 islands. These islands are connected with the numerous of  bridges which are the symbols of the city as well.
     The Spit of Vasilevsky Island subdivides the Neva river into two sleeves: the Big and the Small Nevas. In 1810 on the territory of the Spit of Vasilevsky Island two Rostral columns were  established in front of the  building of the Stock Exchange. The sculptural figures at the foundation of the columns symbolize the great Russian Rivers the Neva, the Volkhov, the Volga and the Dniper. On the top of the columns there are the  fires which were the beacons in the previous centuries.      The Stock Exchange building nowadays accommodates the  exposition of  the Central Naval Museum.