On May 27th 2021, St. Petersburg turns 318. This is the city where Educa school is situated and the city we live in and love! Here some interesting facts about one of the most famous Russian cities.
“Window to Europe”
Peter the Great, Russian Tsar and the founder of the city, wanted Russia to have access to the Baltic Sea. Because of that, the city is usually called the Russian “Window to Europe”. St. Petersburg is 400 km away from Helsinki, 370 km away from Tallinn, and 570 km from Riga. So if you are planning a trip to St. Petersburg, you can think about the nearby countries too, just check the visa requirements.
St. Petersburg used to be the Russian capital
The city was founded in 1703 during the Great Northern War. Just 10 years later it became the Russian capital and used to be one for a bit more than two centuries. Only during the Revolution of 1917 Moscow regained its capital status.
The city has had 3 names
The original name of the city is Saint Petersburg and it hadn’t changed until the 20th century. During World War I due to the patriotic sentiments in Russian society, the city gained a more Russian-style name – Petrograd. Then, during the Soviet Period, after Lenin’s death, the city was renamed again and until 1991, its name was Leningrad. And then the city got its first name, we all know it by – Saint Petersburg.
And if you think, it’s named after Peter the Great… no! The city is named after the apostle Saint Peter.
Nevsky Prospect is busy
Nevsky Prospect is the central and the most famous street of St. Petersburg, where many beautiful historical buildings are located. It is a very popular street among both locals and tourists. It’s about 5 km long and each day about 2 million people go through it. Also, Nevsky is famous for its heavy traffic, it has 6 driving lanes and traffic jams are not a rare thing here.
St. Petersburg knows its exact birthday date
Most cities in the world have some date that is considered to be their birthday. But St. Petersburg has an exact date when It “was born”. Its the 27th of May 1703 when Peter and Paul Fortress was founded. Each year there are celebrations dedicated to the city’s birthday, like concerts, performances, festivals. St. Petersburg is not that old in comparison with some other European and Russian cities but has a rich history and fascinating architecture that attracts many visitors each year.
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