Saint Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city and its cultural capital, built on 42 islands at the mouth of the Neva River. Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703, it served as the imperial capital for over two centuries and is home to some of the world's greatest museums, palaces, and architectural masterpieces.
Saint Petersburg was founded on May 27, 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great as Russia's 'window to Europe', built on swampy delta islands at the cost of hundreds of thousands of forced laborers' lives. The city served as the imperial capital of Russia for over two centuries, witnessing the Decembrist revolt, the Russian Revolution of 1917, and the catastrophic 900-day Nazi siege in World War II (known as the Siege of Leningrad). Renamed Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, it reclaimed its original name after the Soviet Union's collapse, and today stands as one of the world's great architectural and cultural treasuries.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Saint Petersburg.
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1
Foundation by Peter the Great
Tsar Peter the Great founds Saint Petersburg on May 27, 1703 on the delta islands of the Neva River, declaring it Russia's new capital and 'window to Europe'
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2
Imperial Capital
Saint Petersburg officially becomes the capital of the Russian Empire, replacing Moscow. Peter moves the imperial court and government to the new city.
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3
Death of Peter the Great
Peter the Great dies without a designated heir, beginning a period of palace coups. His legacy of Westernization shapes Russia for centuries.
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4
Catherine the Great
Catherine II (the Great) seizes power and begins her 34-year reign. She transforms Saint Petersburg into a European cultural capital, founding the Hermitage collection.
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5
Napoleon's Invasion
Napoleon invades Russia and reaches Moscow but fails to take Saint Petersburg. The resulting Russian victory fuels a surge of national pride reflected in the city's architecture.
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6
Decembrist Revolt
The Decembrists — liberal army officers — stage an uprising on Senate Square (now Decembrists' Square) against Tsar Nicholas I, the first organized political revolt in Russian history.
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7
Alexander II Assassinated
Tsar Alexander II is assassinated by revolutionaries on the Griboedov Canal — the site where the Church on Spilled Blood would later be built in his memory.
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8
Bloody Sunday
Tsarist troops fire on peaceful protesters marching to the Winter Palace on January 22, 1905 — 'Bloody Sunday' triggers the first Russian revolution.
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9
Renamed Petrograd
At the outbreak of World War I, the city is renamed Petrograd — a Slavic form replacing the German-sounding Sankt Peterburg.
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10
Russian Revolution
The February Revolution overthrows the Tsar; the October Revolution led by the Bolsheviks seizes power. The cruiser Aurora fires the signal shot from the Neva River.
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11
Capital moves to Moscow
The Bolshevik government moves the capital to Moscow; Petrograd loses its political primacy.
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12
Renamed Leningrad
After Lenin's death, the city is renamed Leningrad in his honor.
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13
Siege of Leningrad
German forces besiege Leningrad for 872 days — one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history. Approximately 800,000–1.5 million civilians die from starvation, cold, and bombardment.
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14
Hero City
Leningrad is awarded the title of Hero City for its extraordinary resistance during the siege. The city rebuilds in the postwar decades.
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15
Renamed Saint Petersburg
Following the Soviet Union's collapse, citizens vote to restore the original name Saint Petersburg. The city reasserts its European identity.
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16
300th Anniversary
Saint Petersburg celebrates its 300th anniversary with massive restoration projects across the historic center, welcoming world leaders for the tercentenary celebrations.
Historical eras
The chapters of Saint Petersburg's past.
Foundation and Early Imperial Period
Peter the Great founds the city and transforms Russia into a European power. The Peter and Paul Fortress, Summer Palace, and early Hermitage buildings date from this era.
Golden Age — Catherine the Great
Catherine II's reign sees Saint Petersburg reach its cultural zenith. The Hermitage is founded, Nevsky Prospekt developed, and the city's architectural character firmly established.
High Imperial Period
The height of Russian imperial power, with Palace Square, Saint Isaac's Cathedral, and the Church on Spilled Blood defining the city's grandeur. The Decembrist revolt and the Emancipation of Serfs both occur in this period.
Revolution and Early Soviet Period
The Russian Revolution transforms the city. The Bolsheviks move the capital to Moscow and the city loses its political primacy. Cultural institutions continue to flourish despite political repression.
Siege of Leningrad
872 days of German siege bring unimaginable suffering. The city holds out at enormous human cost, and its resistance becomes a defining moment of Russian national identity.
Post-Soviet Renaissance
The city reclaims its name and reasserts its European identity. Major restoration of historic palaces and museums; growth of a vibrant contemporary cultural scene.
Historical sites
Places where Saint Petersburg's past comes alive.
Peter and Paul Fortress
The original citadel of Saint Petersburg, founded in 1703. Contains the Peter and Paul Cathedral where all Russian emperors from Peter I to Alexander III are buried.
Where: Petropavlovskaya Krepost, 3, Saint Petersburg
Admission: $7
Decembrists' Square (Senate Square)
The site of the 1825 Decembrist revolt, dominated by the magnificent Bronze Horseman — Falconet's monumental equestrian statue of Peter the Great, one of Saint Petersburg's most iconic symbols.
Where: Senatskaya Ploshchad, Saint Petersburg
Admission: Free
Winter Palace / Hermitage
The official winter residence of Russian tsars for nearly 200 years, now home to the State Hermitage Museum. The palace's lavish state rooms offer a vivid glimpse into imperial life.
Where: Palace Square, 2, Saint Petersburg
Admission: $10
Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery
The most significant memorial to the Siege of Leningrad, where approximately 500,000 civilians and soldiers who died during the siege are buried in mass graves. A deeply moving and sobering memorial.
Where: Nepokorennykh Prospekt, 72, Saint Petersburg
Admission: Free
Cruiser Aurora
The historic cruiser whose blank shot signaled the storming of the Winter Palace in October 1917 — one of the most famous moments in world history. Now a naval museum.
Where: Petrovskaya Naberezhnaya, 4, Saint Petersburg
Admission: $3
Yusupov Palace (Rasputin's murder site)
The magnificent private palace of the Yusupov princes, famous as the location of Rasputin's murder in December 1916 by Prince Felix Yusupov. The basement murder room is preserved.
Where: Naberezhnaya reki Moiki, 94, Saint Petersburg
Admission: $10
Museums
Curated collections that tell Saint Petersburg's story.
State Hermitage Museum
Three million items spanning world history from ancient Egypt to the 20th century in five connected buildings including the Winter Palace
Hours: 10:30AM–6PM (Thu until 9PM), closed Monday
Admission: $10
Russian Museum
World's largest collection of Russian fine art spanning medieval icons to Soviet and contemporary works
Hours: 10AM–6PM (Mon until 5PM, Thu until 9PM), closed Tuesday
Admission: $8
Museum of Political History of Russia
The history of Russian political life from the 19th century to today, housed in the historic Kshesinskaya Mansion — Lenin addressed crowds from this balcony in 1917
Hours: 10AM–6PM, closed Thursday
Admission: $5
Artillery Museum
Vast collection of Russian military hardware from medieval cannon to Cold War rockets, in the Historic Artillery Arsenal
Hours: 11AM–6PM, closed Monday and Tuesday
Admission: $5
Central Naval Museum
700,000 items telling the story of Russian naval history from Peter the Great's first boat to contemporary warships
Hours: 10AM–6PM, closed Monday and Tuesday
Admission: $5
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Walking tours
Free walking tours depart daily at 10:30AM from the Church on Spilled Blood (tip-based)
Day tours
Full-day historical tours covering the Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress, and Church on Spilled Blood from $45–$80
Private tours
Private English-speaking guides from $80–$150 per half day; highly recommended for Hermitage visits
Night tours
Night walking tours along the embankments and bridge raising observation from $30 in summer