St. Petersburg The bronze tsar and the tsarina!

About, Peter's hailstones, me to heart the darling,
You of imperial whim a whim.
You are nicknamed by St. Petersburg,
Peter a favourite Paradise!

Plan
1. Introduction
2. Geographical position
3. Climate
4. Population
5. Sightseeing
6. Peterhof
7. The Fountains of Peterhof
8. Conclusion
9. Questions
10. Resources

Introduction
St. Petersburg is rightly regarded as one of the finest cities in Europe. The city, often called the "northern capital" of Russia is not only open-air museum, but simply the embodiment of the last three hundred years of Russian history. Surviving 11 emperors, dozens of floods, revolution, a three-year blockade and economic reform Petersburg is able to surprise even the most sophisticated traveler.

Geographical position
The city area is 606 square km, and with the suburbs -1439 sq. km. The main waterway of the city is the Neva river. The length of the Neva River is 74 km (in the city - 32 km), the average width of the river in the city, is about 600 m, depth up to 24 m. The water surface is one-tenth of the city area. Besides the Neva significant influence in shaping the city have numerous rivers, streams and canals. The city is situated on 47 islands of the Neva delta. The biggest of them isVasilevsky and Petrograd.

MAP of St. Petersburg

Climate
The climate of the city is typically marine, moderate, with considerable humidity, frequent fog and precipitation in the form of rain and snow.

Population
Saint Petersburg is the 4th on the population city in Europe (after Istanbul, London and Moscow), the second on the population city in Europe, being not the capital of the state, and the most northern city with the population more than million persons. The population of Saint Petersburg in 2008 was 4 568 047 inhabitants.

History
The history of St. Petersburg has begun on16 (27) May 1703, when Tsar Peter I laid the fortress of St. Peter Burh on lands won from the Swedes, subsequently the city received the same name.
In 1720-s the name of St. Peter Burh changes to St. Petersburg.
In 1712 the capital of the Russian Empire was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
To this day St. Petersburg is often informally referred to as the northern capital.

Also he thought:
From here we will threaten the Swede,
Here the city will be put
To spite of haughty to the neighbour.
The nature here it is fated to us
To Europe to open a window…

The coat of arms
The first arms of the city of St. Petersburg appeared in 1712 at the red banners of St. Petersburg regiments.
In 1878 the arms of Saint-Petersburg province with the same symbols, but with a standard frame of a shield, typical for a provincial town have been confirmed: in dark red shield, a gold imperial scepter in silver, placed crosswise indirectly anchors and cats (the anchor of three teeth). Shield is crowned with an imperial crown, and surrounded with golden oak leaves, joined with Andrew’s ribbon.

And before the junior capital
Old Moscow grew dark,
As before a new tsarina
King’s widow.

Sightseeings
ADMIRALTY
The Admiralty ship-building
shipyards were laid by Peter
I on the left bank of the
Neva River in autumn 1704.

Alexander Nevsky Lavra
The foundation of one of the oldest architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg Alexander Nevsky Lavra was laid in 1710 on the site on the Neva, where according to legend there was an important battle with the Swedes.

Copper Horseman
The most famous and, by the way, the first on creation time, is the Copper Horseman, depicting Peter I on a horseback, was casted under the project of sculptor Etienne Falconet.

Here, in the Senate, is seen as clear
Tsar Peter the work of Falconet.
He inspects his city
Mounted on a rearing horse.

Peter and Paul Fortress
The first construction of the new Russian capital, St. Peter and Paul Fortress occupies the central place in the architectural composition of St. Petersburg. Fortress was founded on May 16, 1703.

Here Peter and Paul Fortress ...
With all the ferocity of the enemy shot down -
Russia is not terrible adversary.

Nevsky Prospect
In 1710, from shipyard to the Novgorod road a direct path was cut, and it was covered with rocks and named as a great perspective road. It was the first name of Nevsky Prospect.

Nevsky, Nevsky. Bulks of columns.
Shine of palaces. On a chariot gate.

SUMMER GARDEN
In Peter time the Summer garden was tsar's residence, where the court life of Petersburg proceeded. Today the Summer garden is open for all comers.

… Slightly for pranks scolded
And in the Summer garden to walk drove …

White nights of Saint Petersburg
It is considered that in Saint Petersburg white nights proceed from June, 11 till July, 2; the period of very light nights lasts from the end of May to the middle of July. The White nights are an original symbol of Saint Petersburg : various actions are dated to this time.

And, keeping out darkness nightly
On gold skies,
One sunset to change other
Hurries, giving nights of half a hour.

BRIDGES
Saint Petersburg is a city of bridges. The Petersburg bridges are the major components of its architectural shape, giving a unique romantic color to the city. The longest bridge on the Neva is Alexander Nevsky’s bridge(909 m, taking into account ramps), the widest is Dark blue bridge on the river Moika (99, 16,40 feet).

There is has put on Neva in granite;
Bridges hung above waters;
By rifle-green gardens
Her islands were covered…

MUSEUMS
Saint Petersburg, conceived and put up by an emperor by Peter the Great as “the Window to Europe", has tercentennial history which was reflected in the numerous museums of the northern capital.
Russian museum

Museum of history of religion

The Hermitage
A.V.Suvorova's museum

Military –medical museum
Artillery museum

Cruiser "Aurora"
Museum of Academy of arts

PETERHOF
Peterhof is a suburb of Saint Petersburg, a state “memorial estate”, a vivid example of beauty of architectural complexes, parks, gardens of Russian tsar’s times. Building of Peterhof began in 1709 under Peter I decree, deciding to create a summer residence with a palace, park and fountains, reminding Versailles.

In Peterhof there are one of the most considerable in Russia complexes of architecturally-park ensembles of 18-19 centuries. Its kernel is a parade residence of Peter I, to which the basic idea of its composition belongs.

Again blest Peterhof
To the rains rules to flow
And bronze heroes and gods
The infantile washes persons …

… About Peterhof, your gardens are fresh!
Still a dawn, in the shadow of a tree,
Exulting and without knowing a trouble,
On a breast Adam's the person is declined by Eve …

Big palace
The big palace, erected on brink of natural ledge on border of the Top garden and the Bottom park, is the most considerable architectural building of all Peterhof ’s ensemble.
In the palace and buildings connected with it “behind the arms" were available over 50 smart premises.

These elegent large halls and living rooms were situated mainly on the first floor which was named as a dress-circle.

The Fountains of Peterhof
… diamond fountains Fly
With cheerful noise to clouds;
Under them shine idols
And, it is thought, are live; Fidi,
Pupil Feba and a Pallada,
Admiring them, at last,
The fascinated cutter
From hands would drop from
disappointment.

…Being split up about marble barriers,
Pearl, fiery arch
Fall, splash falls;
And streamlets in a shade wood
Hardly curl sleeping a wave.

Fountains of Peterhof

Conclusion
Now Saint Petersburg is a huge city, one of the most beautiful cities of the world; major industrial, scientific and cultural center of Russia, large center of transport, sea and river port.

Questions
How is St. Petersburg named informally?
Where has Peter the Great “opened the window”?
How many islands does St. Petersburg occupy?
What is the main waterway of the city?
In what year has the capital been transferred from St. Petersburg to Moscow?
List the most known sights of St. Petersburg?
What is Peterhof well known for?

Resources:
1. http://yandex.ru
2.http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki
3.http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80