1. Saint Petersburg
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Founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703, it was capital of the Russian Empire
for more than two hundred years. Ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian
Revolution of 1917.
The city's other names were: Petrograd (1914–1924) and Leningrad (1924–1991)
Russia
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Санкт-Петербург – São Petersburgo
Республика Федерального России – Russian Federation
Санкт-Петербург – Saint Petersburg
St. Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter I, the Great, in 1703. In 1721 the same tsar - coming
from the Romanov House - proclaimed the Russian Empire, which became known as Russia and
St. Petersburg was its capital for more than two hundred years. The city also had the names of
Petrograd (1914-1924) and after the 1917 revolution, Leningrad (1924-1991).

2. Peterhof Palace - the summer palace - in fact consisted of a series of palaces and gardens,
and was intended to house the founder of the city - Tsar Peter the Great.

3. Peterhof Palace –Built between 1714 and 1725, the magnificent palace had its construction
planned since 1705, two years after the founding of St. Petersburg, the "City of Saint Peter."

4. Peterhof Palace – “Samson” , one of the many garden’s fountains, and the
canal overlooking the Gulf of Finland - an arm of the Baltic Sea.

5. Peterhof Palace - The Blue Drawing Room

6. Peterhof Palace - a sleeping room

7. Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography
the oldest museum in Russia - 1727

8. The Catherine Palace, rococo style, with over 300m facade, was the summer residence of Russian
tsars, located in the district of Tsarskove Selo (now Pushkin). The great Catherine Palace was named
for Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great - 1718.

9. Catherine Palace in Pushkin - amber room

10. Catherine Palace - banquet hall. The Palace is located in the city which
was later renamed Pushkin, in honor of the great Russian poet.

11. Statue of Alexander Pushkin in front of the Academy of Fine Arts ( 1757) - the poet
whose vast knowledge of Russian language and richness in its use influenced authors
such as Gogol, Lermontov and Turgueniev .

12. Winter Palace
built and continuously
changed since the late 1730s
until 1837, was the official
residence of Russian monarchs
from 1732 to 1917.
Conceived with the intention
of reflecting the strength and
power of Imperial Russia - not
only by the immense area as
well as by the magnificence of
its 30m high, it was from here
that the Tsar ruled 22,400,000
km2
(almost one sixth of Earth’s
lands) and more than 125
million individuals by late
nineteenth century -
176.4 million at its apogee.

13. The Winter Palace has a 250m long facade, 46,516m​​ 2
built area, with 1,057 rooms, 1,786
doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases.

14. Hermitage Museum as seen from the Neva River.
Founded in 1764 and inaugurated in 1852, the Museum occupies five adjoining palaces,
the largest being the former Winter Palace - official residence of the tsars.
.

15. Dvortsovaya Square - Alexander Column and General Staff building, seen from the
Winter Palace which houses the Hermitage Museum.

16. Hermitage Museum – white and green Rococo, and epoch’s coaches.

17. Hermitage Museum seen from the side facing the Dvortsovaya Square with
the Alexander Column.

18. Catherine II, the Great,
, wife of Peter III, was
the first imperial occupant
of the palace that is now
the Hermitage Museum.
Its collection exceeds
three million works, and
one of its first major
acquisitions took place in
1865 - The Madonna and
Child (Madonna Litta),
Leonardo da Vinci.
Painting of Catherine II by Ivan Argunov

19. Alexandra’s Bedroom - In 1825, ascended to the throne Nicholas I who, despite having been
married for convenience of families, fell in love and was fully reciprocated by his wife Alexandra
Feodorovna.

20. Winter Palace
Alexandra’s
toilette suite.
Despite the
sophistication that
still can be seen in all
its rooms, Alexandra
prioritized simplicity
and privacy.

21. One of the rooms of Alexandra’s suite – She has always been closely linked to her home family,
devoted and loving mother, perfect in her role as Consort Empress, but always made it clear that​​
for her, Russia was resumed in the person of her beloved husband .

22. Hermitage Museum – interior balcony

23. The main or Jordan Staircase of the Winter Palace, now Hermitage Museum.

24. Hermitage Museum – architecture and chandeliers.

25. Hermitage Museum – the old royal library

26. Hermitage Museum – the great room of Italian Arts

27. One of the Throne Rooms - there are a much bigger throne room, but this one is the more attractive.

28. Hermitage Museum - Raphael Loggias – a Catherine II's wish, is a copy of the famous Gallery
created in the 16th century in the Vatican Palace. There are 13 arches forming a gallery of 65 by 4 m.

29. The Bronze Horseman – in the Senate Square was erected a monument on a stone pedestal with
about 1,500 tons - the largest ever moved by man - carved during its transport to the present place.
The equestrian statue of Peter I, the Great, was commissioned by Catherine II and only after 12
years it was completed - 1782. The name Bronze Horseman comes from the poem by Aleksandr
Pushkin, from 1833, considered one of the most significant works of Russian Literature. The statue
is now one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.
(click)

30. Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (1810-1811) – the main cathedral of the
metropolis of St. Petersburg.

31. Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan - in neoclassical style exterior, architectural detail.

32. The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange building – 1811 – and the south Rostral Column are
examples of Greek Architecture revival. A sculptural group similar in form to a quadriga featuring
Neptune and symbolizing maritime commerce is mounted above the building’s portico.

33. Neva River and the Twelve Colleges of the University of St. Petersburg, in continuous operation
since 1819 as the successor to the university established in January 24, 1724 by a decree of Peter, the
Great, together with the Academic Gymnasium and the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg.

34. Mikhailovsky Palace, built in 1819-1825, houses the State Russian Museum since 1895.

35. Yusupov Palace - The most sumptuous non-imperial palace was built in 1760; in 1830 was bought
by the Duke NB Yusupov. On a visit to Italy the eccentric Duke fell in love with a white marble
staircase and bought the whole palace only to transport its stairs to St. Petersburg.
Today this palace is a museum.

36. The construction of a church in St. Isaac Square was already ordered by Alexander I. This was the
origin of the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Isaac, which took 40 years to build – from 1818 to 1858.

37. St. Isaac's Cathedral - the main dome reaches 101.5 meters high and is all gold plated. It
is also decorated with 12 statues of angels.

38. Mariinsky Theatre - Opened in 1860, is a historic orchestra, opera, and
ballet theater (Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 1935 until 1992). The
name Kirov is now used by the Ballet Company only in its excursions outside of Russia.

39. Mariinsky Theatre – interior and royal box

40. Nevsky Prospekt, or Neva - (Prospekt, in Russian, means the street or avenue in a straight line) is
still the main avenue of St. Petersburg, planned by Peter the Great to be the beginning of the road to
Novogorod and Moscow. This city’s proud milestone was cut through nearly 4.5 km of forest (c1718)
and its width varies between 25 and 60 meters.

41. Grand Hotel Europe - a five star hotel situated on the famous Nevsky street. It was opened in
1875 and is registered in the architectural heritage of the Northern Capital – St. Petersburg.

42. In a summer night with the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood in background…

43. … the same place... at a winter’s day...

44. ... and the colors of Spring
returning to St. Petersburg,
enhance the beauty of the
Church of the
Resurrection of Christ,
better known as the
Church of Our Savior
On the Spilled Blood,
built between 1883 and
1907.
This marvelous Russian-
style church was built in
honor to the Emperor
Alexander II and in the
place where he was
assassinated in 1881.

45. Architectural details of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ,
or the Church of Our Saviour On the Spilled Blood.

46. Egyptian Bridge – intersection of Lermontov Avenue over the Fontanka River.
"Sphinx" by sculptor Pavel Sokolov - 1825-1826.

47. Bank Bridge - pedestrian bridge over the Griboyedov Canal, decorated with four mythological
golden-winged griffons, sculpted by Pavel Sokolov - nineteenth century.

48. Dostoyevsky Memorial Museum - Fyodor Dostoyevsky, writer whose works - including "Crime
and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov" - have had profound and lasting effects on
intellectual thought and literature, wrote in this house "Crime and Punishment," published in 1866.

49. Aurora Cruiser – launched in 1900, participated in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905,
and directing cannon fire against the Winter Palace, has initiated and became a symbol of
the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Today, a docked museum.

50. Troitsky bridge - a landmark of Art Nouveau, was completed in 1903, in time for
the bi-centenial anniversary of Saint Petersburg.

51. "Singer" Building – created in Art Nouveau (1902-1904) at the corner of Nevsky Prospect with
Griboyedov Canal and in front of Kazan Cathedral, it is officially recognized as historic-cultural
heritage of Russia.

52. Facade of the "Singer” building, where the first bookstore of Soviet Russia was
installed - Dom Knigi

53. The authorization for the construction of this bridge by Nicholas I was part of a development
plan for the city. However it was built much later and inaugurated in 1911 with the name of
Peter the Great Bridge.

54. At the will of History in March 15, 1917, the aggregation of political opposition forces (liberals,
bourgeois, and socialists) depose Tsar Nicholas II, starting the Russian Revolution.
The Tsar was later murdered along with his family.
St. Petersburg, that at that time was already called Petrograd, lost its title of capital of the Empire
to Moscow - capital of Russia.

55. Петроград
(Petrogrado)

56. (click)
Images – from Internet, with credits to authors, or from
Wikipedia’s site www.wikipedia.org
Music – Tchaikovsky – Waltz of the Flowers from the nutcracker suite
Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Seiji Ozawa
AlexanderAlexandrov – Russian National Anthem
with the Red Army Choir
Creation, research and formating: Delza Dias Ferreira
delzadfer@gmail.com
English version – Flavio Musa de Freitas Guimarães
Revision: Claudia Ricci
www.culturesandart.com
Brasil – São Paulo – VIII – 2007
reedited in VI - 2012

57. The End