| The city of St. Petersburg is celebrating its | | | | replaced with stone. Although the Peter and |
| 303 anniversary this year. | | | | Paul Fortress was built as a fortification |
| | | | construction, it was never used as such: |
| Nowadays it is a megapolis with a population | | | | never since the 1704 St. Petersburg lands |
| of more that 5 million people, a city with a | | | | were under the threat of Swedish invasion.For |
| fascinating history and culture.However, if | | | | almost two centuries it served as a main |
| we could look at these lands back in the year | | | | political prison of the country. One of the |
| 1703, we would find vast marshy lands and | | | | first convicts became Tsarevitch Alexey, the |
| small villages scattered here and there. | | | | son of Peter I, who was against the politics |
| | | | of his father.Among the famous prisoners of |
| The foundation of the city dates to the time | | | | Peter and Paul Fortress were Dostoevsky, |
| of the first construction at this place - | | | | Gorky, Trotsky and Lenin's older brother |
| Peter and Paul Fortress.Peter and Paul | | | | Alexander.The special place in the fortress |
| Fortress was founded in May 1703. After the | | | | ensemble belongs to the Cathedral of Peter |
| series of successful military actions against | | | | and Paul. It was built in 1713-1733 by |
| Sweden, Russian troops pushed the border far | | | | architect Tresini on the place of a wooden |
| northwest, thus reconstructing the original | | | | church, founded in honor of apostles Peter |
| boundaries of 1613 and gaining the outlet to | | | | and Paul. The cathedral is decorated with |
| the Baltic sea.Peter the Great, then | | | | gilded spire about 404 ft high, topped with |
| 31-year-old Russian emperor, had decided to | | | | the weather vane shaped as an Angel, who is |
| protect the new conquered lands by | | | | said to watch over and protect the city. The |
| constructing a fortress and by building a | | | | Cathedral of Peter and Paul served as a royal |
| city - port, which very soon has become known | | | | burial-vault. The founder of the city, Peter |
| as St. Petersburg.The Fortress was named | | | | the Great died, while this cathedral was |
| after St. Peter and St. Paul, two highly | | | | still unfinished. His body was temporally |
| worshiped saints in Russia. The place that | | | | placed in the specially constructed chapel |
| was chosen for the fortress was a small | | | | and then reburied in the new cathedral.The |
| island in the delta of the Neva river called | | | | last burial ceremony in the Cathedral of |
| the "Hare" island. The construction works | | | | Peter and Paul took place in the summer of |
| started on May 28, 1703 and this date is | | | | 1998, on the eightieth anniversary of the |
| considered to be the birthday of St. | | | | execution of Nicolas II, his wife Alexandra |
| Petersburg.The hexagonal shape of the | | | | Fedorovna, their children, and servants. The |
| Fortress made it possible to build in the | | | | last Russian Emperor and his family are |
| whole territory of the island. First | | | | buried in the St. Catherine chapel of the |
| constructions were made of earth and wood, | | | | cathedral. |
| but already by 1706 all wooden parts were | | | | |