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Table of Contents
Next to Moscow, the city of Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia. Saint Petersburg functions as an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. Saint Petersburg is home to 5 million inhabitants (as of 2012).
See the fact file below for more information on the Saint Petersburg or alternatively, you can download our 23-page St. Petersburg worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
GENERAL FACTS
- Saint Petersburg was established on May 27, 1703.
- As a federal city of Russia, it belongs to the Northwestern Federal District.
- It is governed by the city governor and one legislative chamber.
- The acting governor of Saint Petersburg is Alexander Beglov.
- The city is divided into 18 districts.
- Saint Petersburg has a total area of 556 square miles.
ETYMOLOGY AND NICKNAMES
- Peter the Great established and named the city Sankt-Peterburg.
- On September 1, 1914 at the onset of the First World War, the Imperial Government named it Petrograd, which means “Peter’s City,” to remove the German Words “Sankt” and “Burg.”
- Shortly after Vladimir Lenin died, the name of the city was changed to Leningrad on January 26, 1924.
- Leningrad means “Lenin’s City.”
- When it comes to Saint Petersburg’s various nicknames, the Russians call it Window to the West and Window to Europe.
- Saint Petersburg is the northernmost metropolis in the world and often called the Venice of the North or Russian Venice due to the city’s many water corridors, as Saint Petersburg is built on swamp and water.
- Saint Petersburg is also known as The City of White Nights because of a natural phenomenon which arises due to the closeness to the polar region, and ensures that during the summer, the nights of the city do not get completely dark for a month.
- Couples value these white nights, making Saint Petersburg associated with romance like Venice.
GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE
- Saint Petersburg is located along the Neva River.
- Saint Petersburg was founded by Peter The Great on May 27, 1703.
- Saint Petersburg was the capital of Imperial Russia during the periods 1713-1728 and 1732-1918.
- Saint Petersburg is often considered Russia’s Cultural Capital.
- The historic core of Saint Petersburg is called the Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments, a UNESCO world heritage site.
- The Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the world, is found in Saint Petersburg.
ORIGINS AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- In 1611, Swedish colonists built Nyenskans.
- Nyenskans is a fortress at the mouth of the Neva River.
- The fortress stood on the ground of a land that was called Ingermanland, a land inhabited by Finnic Tribe of Ingrians.
- A small town named Nyen developed around the Fortress.
- Peter the Great, interested in seafaring and maritime affairs, wanted to take control over Russia to gain a seaport to trade with the rest of Europe.
- At the end of the 17th century, Peter the Great needed a seaport better than Arkhangelsk, the country’s main seaport on the White Sea, and was closed go shipping during winter.
- On May 12, 1703, while the Great Northern War was happening, Peter the Great seized the Nyenskans and replaced the fortress.
- On May 27, 1703, Peter the Great laid down the Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachy Island, the first brick and stone establishment of the new city.
- This new city was built by the labor of serfs from all over Russia.
- Also, a number of Swedish prisoners were involved in city construction, under the supervision of Alexander Menshikov, generalissimo of the Russian Imperial Army.
- Sadly, tens of thousands of serfs and prisoners died during the construction of the city.
- Later, this city became the centre of Saint Petersburg Governorate.
- In 1712, Peter the Great moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.
- Saint Petersburg became the capital or seat of government as early as 1704.
ST. PETERSBURG POLITICS
- On June 12, 1991, the city authorities arranged for the mayoral elections to be held at the same time with the first Russian presidential elections.
- The first mayor of Saint Petersburg was Anatoly Sobchak.
- Economic conditions of Saint Petersburg started to improve at the beginning of the 21st century.
- When Vladimir Yakovlev replace Sobchak, the title was changed from mayor to governor.
ST. PETERSBURG LANDMARKS
- St. Petersburg is famous for its palaces, such as the Summer Palace, the Winter Palace, and the Catherine Palace.
- St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the biggest in the world and it took 40 years to complete this beautiful cathedral.
- A popular monument to see in St. Petersburg is the Horse Bronzeman which serves to commemorate Peter the Great.
- The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is a unique and impressive landmark, resembling St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. It was named as such because it was built on the murder site of Emperor Alexander II.
- Other notable landmarks in Saint Petersburg are the Peter and Paul Fortress, the State Russian Museum, and the St. Michael’s Castle.
St. Petersburg Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about St. Petersburg across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use St. Petersburg worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the city of Saint Petersburg which is the second largest city in Russia. Saint Petersburg functions as an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. Saint Petersburg is home to 5 million inhabitants (as of 2012).
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Saint Petersburg, Russia Facts
- Facing the Facts
- Peter the Great
- Make A Timeline
- St. PeterScramble
- City Flag, Logo, and Slogan
- Russian Cities
- Sorting Landmarks
- Political News
- From Russia With Love
- Roaming Russia
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Link will appear as Saint Petersburg Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 4, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.