Not every city with three hundred years of history boasts such a variety of architecture and culture as St. Petersburg. And he owes his wealth to one person, whose common sense, due to the absurdity of ideas, was often called into question. Museums, theaters and libraries, palaces and gardens, romance, art and uniqueness - all this is the center of the Leningrad region, which annually attracts guests from different countries. Today we will talk about a glorious city with a rich history. You will learn many interesting facts about St. Petersburg.
The territory of myths
The city of St. Petersburg is shrouded in many interesting and extraordinary legends. One of them talks about its foundation. According to the official version, the great emperor Peter the Great understood that the country needed a seaport. This would help establish a connection with Europe. That is why it became necessary to create a point that would become the center of the flotilla and at the same time provide protection to the northwestern territories of the country. A place that meets the above criteria was chosen on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.
May 16, 1703, on the feast of the Trinity, the emperor arrived on Hare Island. He got this name due to the fact that during the tide one of the rabbits hid from the water and jumped on the king’s boots, thereby saving himself.
Inspecting the territories that the monarch won from the Swedes, he suddenly stopped and said that there would be a large and glorious city of St. Petersburg. Then he took a shovel and began to dig a moat. Later he laid the first stone for the future fortress. At that time, the area was impassable swamps and wilderness. While the ruler was walking, he was accompanied everywhere by an eagle - a symbol of success, strength and prosperity.
Refutation of folk tales
In fact, almost all legends are fictitious. This also applies to the myth described above. Researchers have completely criticized such a tale. Nevertheless, the history of St. Petersburg is still inseparable from these stories, and for a long time people perceived them as the truth.
The first fiction is the presence of Peter on Hare Island in May 1703. At this time, the emperor monitored the construction of ships in Lodeynoye Field, which was 200 kilometers from the future capital. Moreover, the sovereign father generally rarely visited these parts. And it’s not a royal thing to dig holes, lay the first stones and run through the provinces.
There was no beautiful eagle, because they are not found in this area. However, in some places the forests were really wild. For example, on Elagin Island, where the park named after them is located today. S. M. Kirov, inhabited by brown bears.
By the way, these animals did not take too well the fact of being close to people and constantly attacked the builders, which led to quite large human losses. Ultimately, it was decided to exterminate the bears.
Jungle with settlements
Interesting facts about St. Petersburg do not end there. Tales of impassable, uninhabited swamps are also fiction. In fact, these lands were inhabited by primitive people who were relatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples. In the VIII-IX centuries, the Slavs settled here. In the 1600s, these territories were conquered by the Swedes during the war and belonged to them until 1721. At the time the construction began, there were about forty busy settlements with churches, fortresses, houses. By the standards of the Middle Ages, these were fairly large settlements. But the authorities demolished the old buildings and built new objects in their place.
Historians reject the version that the king was guided in his policy by the interests of the people. Its main goal was the creation of a new, European country, which Russia was to become in the near future. St. Petersburg was built from scratch due to the fact that the monarch was not happy with the then life of society. The new capital was to become not only the political, but also the cultural center of the state.
The mystery of the name
In addition to well-known legends that tell about the founding of the city, the people formed the wrong stereotype about the name of the city. Many people believe that it is a direct reference to the name of its founder - Peter the Great. In fact, the emperor has nothing to do with this fact. The city is named after St. Peter. Even before the foundation of the city, the king dreamed of paying tribute to the martyr, whose name he bore, and to name some land in his honor.
The history of St. Petersburg also tells that the Peter and Paul Fortress, which was laid down by the emperor, served as the so-called gate to the country. But it is this heavenly patron who is responsible for entering heaven.
It is worth noting here that the citadel itself under the tsar was not only a military facility, but also a kind of town with apartments, pharmacies, shops.
The first steps to the ruler’s dream
The world-famous engineers and architects invited from abroad worked on the implementation of the emperor’s plan. But the construction work was carried out by slaves who were "invited" from all over the country.
While the tsar was building a city of dreams, Russia suffered. St. Petersburg was planned according to the European model, and a large number of stones were needed for its construction. Therefore, at the time of work on the Neva, the ruler forbade building houses from this material elsewhere. In addition, each worker was obliged to bring with him not only tools, but also raw materials. From all those who arrived empty-handed, they collected a tax. The project involved not only slaves, but also soldiers (in their free time from the war), prisoners and even prisoners.
Truth and lie
Interesting facts about St. Petersburg can tell a story. Thus, many sources indicate that working conditions were terrible, paid little and the cruel regime reigned. Indeed, the emperor kept his subjects in a fist. Peasants came to construction forcibly. The families of those who fled were taken to prison and not released until the workers returned.
But their salary was paid and amounted to 1 ruble (the average earnings of that time), only three (subsequently two) months worked, after which they could return home. There is information on accidents: according to various sources, the figure is from 1 to 5%, that is, given the age, quite low.
Planted Fashion
The layout of St. Petersburg with respect to the location of buildings at that time was closely linked to maritime traditions. All objects are built almost on the coast. Constant floods and severe climate did not attract people. But since 1712 the city has been declared the capital. The day before, officials, the Senate and the embassy moved here. The royal court also settled here.
There were few people wishing to live in a wild city. To a greater extent, the population arrived at the whim of the monarch. In 1725, about 25-30 thousand people lived in the Northern capital, while in Moscow eight times more. Then the houses of St. Petersburg were inhabited by peasants and workers who were engaged in the construction of new facilities.
But after the death of Peter, in 1725, development stopped. The capital was again transferred to Moscow. The city on the Neva was empty. There were no locals, since the population was made up of peasants who returned home. The previous place of residence and the intelligentsia. This is also confirmed by the fact that the first stationary cemetery was founded only in 1738.
City of Emperors
The houses of St. Petersburg were destroyed. Two fires and annual floods added problems. It should be noted that those architectural pearls that the city is proud of today were not there. Peter emphasized the military side. The buildings were well fortified and ready to attack the enemy.
The work of the great reformer was continued by Tsarina Anna Ioannovna. By decree of 1737, a committee is created whose goal is to restore the city’s development plan. A dozen educational institutions are opening. They will later lead to the city becoming a cultural center.
Interesting facts about St. Petersburg are also associated with the aforementioned Peter and Paul Fortress. The view that tourists today admire is not the work of the first emperor, but his daughter Elizabeth Petrovna. It was she who made this architectural object a real architectural miracle.
Catherine II put a lot of effort. In fact, it was she who built the Northern capital. Thanks to her, one of the most famous sculptures appeared - the Bronze Horseman. This name was given to the figure by the poet A.S. Pushkin. In fact, the sculpture is cast from bronze.
Story corrector
The city that Peter left behind was poor and simple. The only thing that Catherine II took from the first project is the scheme of St. Petersburg. The man built wooden and clay huts clearly along a line that was strange and incomprehensible to the then people.
Statistics show that during the life of the monarch, only one stone house was built per year. But the empress made a work of art from a provincial town. It was she who created dozens of artifacts that supposedly belonged to Peter the Great. During her reign, the best palaces were built and the lush gardens of St. Petersburg were planted. Fountains and quays grew.
Pushkin launched many legends into the people. Through his works, the crowd learned about the city.
The development did not stop during the changes in the ruling regimes. Even before the outbreak of World War I, there were more than two million people in the village. Residents of the Northern capital had to survive three revolutions.
Courage and strength did not change them during the Great Patriotic War. The blockade of Leningrad proved that the Petersburgers are true patriots of their land.
Country record holder
Today, the city can offer a lot of entertainment even for the most spoiled tourist. Capture not only the palaces, houses and gardens of St. Petersburg. Guests come for the atmosphere that these places are rich in. The second Venice (as this metropolis is called) is one of the most romantic cities in the world.
There is a fact that the former Leningrad is the champion in the number of bridges per meter. In fact, even though 10% of the territory is water, this information is a hoax. The championship belongs to the German Hamburg, there are 2300 of them. In St. Petersburg, according to various calculation systems, there are more than 1000 of them.
According to statistics, this center is visited by 2 million tourists a year. Each of them considers it an honor to walk and see St. Petersburg at night. This time of day is especially popular from late May to mid July. It is then that evening merges with the morning and the city plunges into a white glow.
