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Saint Petersburg: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Saint Petersburg
On the 27th of May 1703, a wooden fortress named Nyenskans was captured by Russian forces and immediately replaced by the laying of a new citadel on Zayachy Island. This was not merely a military victory but the birth of a city that would defy the very geography of the region. Tsar Peter the Great chose this swampy delta of the Neva River to build a capital that would serve as a window to Europe, a bold declaration of Russia's intent to become a maritime power. The construction was a nightmare of human cost, with tens of thousands of conscripted peasants and Swedish prisoners of war dying in the marshes to raise the city from the water. Peter did not issue a formal naming act; instead, he used diverse spellings in his own letters, emulating German and Dutch forms, before the name was eventually russified to Sankt-Peterburg. The city was named after the apostle Saint Peter, whose name day falls on the 29th of June, the same day the small wooden church in the fortress was consecrated. This act made Saint Peter the heavenly patron of the fortress and the eponym of the entire city, a decision that would echo through centuries of renaming and political upheaval.
The Architecture Of Power
The architectural history of the city is a story of shifting styles that mirrored the political ambitions of its rulers. In the early 18th century, the Swiss Italian Domenico Trezzini developed a project where the city center would be on Vasilyevsky Island, shaped by a rectangular grid of canals, though this plan was never fully completed. The style of Petrine Baroque, developed by Trezzini and others, became prominent with buildings like the Menshikov Palace and the Peter and Paul Cathedral. By the 1760s, Baroque architecture gave way to neoclassical architecture, a shift that was enforced by the Commission of Stone Buildings of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, which ruled that no structure in the city could be higher than the Winter Palace. This height restriction, in place until the early 21st century, preserved the city's unique skyline, preventing the construction of skyscrapers in the historic center for over two hundred years. The city became a showcase for the greatest architects of the era, including Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who designed the Winter Palace, and Auguste de Montferrand, who built Saint Isaac's Cathedral. The result was a city of granite embankments and neoclassical facades that earned it the nickname Venice of the North, a title that reflects its intricate web of canals and waterways.
The City Of Three Revolutions
The political history of the city is defined by three major revolutions that reshaped the nation. The first was the Decembrist revolt of 1825, which took place on Senate Square a day after Nicholas I assumed the throne, a suppressed uprising that left a mark on the city's revolutionary legacy. The second was the February Revolution of 1917, during which Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, ending over three hundred years of Romanov dynastic rule. The third was the October Revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, stormed the Winter Palace, transferring all political power to the Soviets and marking the rise of the Communist Party. Following the October Revolution, the city was renamed Petrograd in 1914 to remove the German words Sankt and Burg, and then renamed Leningrad in 1924 after Lenin's death. The city became known as the city of three revolutions, a descriptive name that referred to the three major developments in the political history of Russia of the early 20th century. The renaming of the city was not just a change of name but a shift in the eponym and the patron of the city, from Saint Peter to Peter the Great, and then to Lenin.
Saint Petersburg was founded on the 27th of May 1703 when Russian forces captured the wooden fortress Nyenskans and began constructing a new citadel on Zayachy Island. Tsar Peter the Great chose this swampy delta of the Neva River to build a capital that would serve as a window to Europe.
Why is Saint Petersburg called the Venice of the North?
Saint Petersburg is called the Venice of the North because it is built on swamp and water with an intricate web of canals and waterways. The city features granite embankments and neoclassical facades that reflect its unique hydrology and architectural history.
How many days did the siege of Leningrad last during World War II?
German forces besieged Leningrad for 872 days from the 8th of September 1941 to the 27th of January 1944. More than one million civilians were killed during this period mainly from starvation and the population dropped from 3 million to less than 600,000.
When was the name of Saint Petersburg officially restored after the Soviet era?
The name of Saint Petersburg was officially restored on the 6th of September 1991 following a city-wide referendum held on the 12th of June 1991. During that referendum 55% of voters supported restoring the original name while 43% supported keeping the name Leningrad.
What is the White Nights phenomenon in Saint Petersburg?
The White Nights phenomenon in Saint Petersburg occurs from mid-May to end-July when it does not get darker than nautical twilight due to the city's northerly location at approximately 60 degrees north latitude. This natural phenomenon arises from the city's closeness to the polar region.
During World War II, German forces besieged Leningrad for 872 days, from the 8th of September 1941 to the 27th of January 1944, making it one of the longest, most destructive, and most lethal sieges of a major city in modern history. The siege isolated the city from food supplies except those provided through the Road of Life across Lake Ladoga, which could not make it through until the lake froze. More than one million civilians were killed, mainly from starvation, and there were incidents of cannibalism, with around 2,000 residents arrested for eating other people. The population dropped from 3 million to less than 600,000, as people died in battles, starved to death, or were evacuated during the siege. The city was named a Hero City in 1945, and the Hero-City Obelisk bearing the Gold Star sign was installed in April 1985. The siege left a deep scar on the city's psyche, and the Museum of the Blockade and the Museum of Political History stand as testaments to the suffering and resilience of the population. The Leningrad Symphony, dedicated by Dmitri Shostakovich to the city, was premiered in the besieged Leningrad at the Bolshoy Philharmonic Hall, lifting the spirits of the surviving population.
The Return Of The Name
On the 12th of June 1991, a city-wide referendum was held, and 55% of voters supported restoring the original name Saint Petersburg, while 43% supported keeping the name Leningrad. The change officially took effect on the 6th of September 1991, marking the end of the Soviet era for the city. The referendum was held simultaneously with the first Russian SFSR presidential elections, and Anatoly Sobchak, who became the first directly elected mayor of the city, won 66% of the total count of votes. The economic conditions started to deteriorate as the country's people tried to adapt to major changes, and for the first time since the 1940s, food rationing was introduced. The city received humanitarian food aid from abroad, and the dramatic time was depicted in photographic series of Russian photographer Alexey Titarenko. The renaming of the city was a significant moment in the city's history, as it marked the return of the city to its pre-Soviet identity. The city's name was restored, but the legacy of the Soviet era remained, with many streets and other toponyms still bearing names in honor of communist figures.
The White Nights And The Water
Due to its northerly location at approximately 60 degrees north latitude, the day length in the city varies across seasons, ranging from 5 hours 53 minutes to 18 hours 50 minutes. A period from mid-May to end-July during which it does not get darker than nautical twilight is called the white nights, a natural phenomenon that arises due to the closeness to the polar region. The city is often described as the Venice of the North or the Russian Venice due to its many water corridors, as the city is built on swamp and water. The Neva River within the city limits usually freezes in November to December and break-up occurs in April. From December to March, there are 118 days on average with snow cover, which reaches an average snow depth of 30 centimeters by February. The climate of the city is close to that of Helsinki, although slightly more continental because of its more eastern location, while slightly less continental than that of Moscow. The city has a humid continental climate, with mild to hot, humid, short summers and long, moderately cold, wet winters. The city's terrain has been raised artificially, at some places by more than 3 meters, making mergers of several islands, and changing the hydrology of the city.
The Cultural Capital Of Russia
The city is home to more than two hundred museums, many of them in historic buildings, including the Hermitage Museum, which features the interiors of the former imperial residence and a vast collection of art. The city has 221 museums, 2,000 libraries, more than 80 theatres, 100 concert organizations, 45 galleries and exhibition halls, 62 cinemas, and 80 other cultural establishments. The musical life of the city is rich and diverse, with the city now playing host to a number of annual carnivals. Ballet performances occupy a special place in the cultural life of the city, and the Petersburg School of Ballet is named as one of the best in the world. The city has been home to the newest movements in popular music in the country, with early Soviet jazz bands and student rock-groups pioneering a series of unofficial and underground rock concerts and festivals. The city is also home to the oldest and largest Russian foundry, Monumentskulptura, which made thousands of sculptures and statues that now grace the public parks of the city and many other cities. The city's cultural heritage is preserved in virtually unchanged form, and the city has become a unique reserve of European architectural styles of the past three centuries.