St. Petersburg

1. Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as "the Window to Europe". St.Petersburg is situated on the Neva River and nearly 100 islands in the northwest part of Russia. Canals and natural channels make St. Petersburg a city of waterways and bridges.

2. For over 200 years (from 1712 till 1917) it was the capital of Russia. The city was renamed several times (St. Petersburg - Petrograd -Leningrad). In 1991 St. Petersburg got its original name back.

3. During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. It was besieged and cut off from the rest of the country. The blockade lasted 900 days. Thousands of people perished and the city was destroyed by the fascists.

4. Now St. Petersburg is an important industrial, cultural and educational centre.

5. St. Petersburg is indeed a wonderful city. It has straight and broad streets, large squares, graniteand granite embankments. St. Petersburg is famous for its architecture. There are many fine buildings, beautiful monuments, rich museums, parks and gardens in the city. The Admiralty, the Winter Palace and the Hermitage, the Kazan and St. Isaac's Cathedrals, the Russian Museum are masterpieces of world architecture.

6. The city began with the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Peter and Paul Cathedral, the first church of the city, is worth seeing: it is an outstanding architectural monument.

7. The historical center of St. Petersburg is the Admiralty. Nevsky Prospect is the main prospect of the city. It begins at the Admiralty and ends at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. If you walk along Nevsky Prospect, you will see the famous Kazan Cathedral with the monuments to the Russian generals Kutuzov and Barklay de Tolli, the monument to Catherine II, the Anichkov Palace and the Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace, facing each other across the Fontanka River. The bridge over the Fontanka is famous for Klodt's sculptural groups of a man taming a horse.

8. There are many theatres in St. Petersburg, such as the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet House, the Musorgsky Opera and Ballet House, the Alexandrinsky Theatre, the Tovstonogov Drama Theatre, the Akimov Comedy Theatre, the Musical Comedy and many others.

9. St. Petersburg's museums house the world's famous art collections. The Hermitage, for example, contains the richest collection of Western European art, classical antiquities and numismatics. The Russian Museum has a wonderful collection of Russian Art.

10. Our city is called Northern Venice because of many rivers and canals. The city is especially beautiful during the White Nights in summer.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY:

ADDITIONAL VOCABULARY