About St. Petersburg
Sights and tourism
Independent Traveller -St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest metropolis and certainly one of its largest industrial, analysis, and cultural centres. It is also the world’s northernmost metropolis.
Historic traditions and the city’s distinctive architecture are rigorously preserved here to this day. The historic centre of St. Petersburg is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Every yr, the town attracts tourists from everywhere in the world, who come right here to admire paintings and other treasures of the Hermitage and the Russian Museum, spectacular operas and ballets within the Mariinsky Theatre, the town view from the colonnade of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and the unforgettable parks in the former imperial residences of Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, Pavlovsk, Gatchina, and Oranienbaum.
In 2019, St. Petersburg won the World Travel Awards’ the celebrated international prize within the tourism sector in two categories: World's Leading Cultural City Destination 2019 and Europe's Leading City Destination 2019. The city has now won the title of World's Leading Cultural City Destination for four years working.
St. Petersburg has a well-developed tourism and hospitality trade, with an in depth infrastructure and high-quality service. Many motels are positioned in historic listed buildings in the city centre.
The city hosts round a hundred festivals and competitions in culture and the arts every year, more than 50 of that are worldwide. In 2020, many festivals and contests went online due the unfold of the new coronavirus. This format helps ensure the security of their individuals and visitors.
Accessibility by transport
St. Petersburg is largest transport hub in Russia’s north-west accessible by sea, river, and land. It promotes the city’s economic ties and boosts its industrial potential. St. Petersburg is a 4–5-hour flight away from most European capitals.
The city’s location on the Baltic attracts tourists travelling by sea. St. Petersburg is among the largest Baltic seaports and welcomes the majority of the world’s main cruise and passenger strains. According to the legislation passed in 2009, international vacationers travelling by sea can discover the city visa-free for up to 72 hours if on a guided tour.
Industry in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is considered one of Russia’s largest industrial centres. The city’s business is responsible for over 20% of the gross regional product and a large share of taxes paid to budgets of all ranges. Its output amounts to 9% of the country’s complete manufacturing volume.
Practically all industries are represented in St. Petersburg. There are over 750 giant and medium-sized services, some of them being the country’s main corporations. Over 23 thousand small and micro industrial companies function within the city.
Innovative activity in St. Petersburg is larger than common in Russia. Over 50% of manufacturing amenities (petroleum merchandise excluded) are concerned in high-tech or medium-tech activities.
Shipbuilding market capability is about 50% of Russia’s complete. Local services build varied class atomic and diesel submarines, ships and vessels which are at the core of Russia’s navy strategic nuclear and basic operation forces.
St. Petersburg belongs to the country’s fasted-paced areas when it comes to funding potential. St. Petersburg (together with Leningrad Region) ranks second among Russian areas by method of secured overseas funding and is house to over 1,000 giant and medium-sized companies with international capital.
St. Petersburg and the Arctic
St. Petersburg has played an essential role within the exploration of the Russian North, as the most important expeditions of the previous to the Arctic had been discussed, developed and approved in the capital of the Russian Empire. The Great Northern Expedition set off from here in the first half of the 18th century. Groups of Russian mariners and scientists explored the Arctic coast of Siberia and the coastlines of Northern America and Japan beneath the leadership of Vitus Bering, a Russian naval officer and navigator.
The Expedition explored the entire coast of the Arctic Ocean and prepared an in depth description of its geographical, geological, botanical, zoological, and ethnographical properties.
Mapping of North-Eastern Asia was among the most necessary achievements of the Expedition. The School of Geography of St. Petersburg State University revealed the new map in 1754.
In 1764, Russian mariners set off on a new expedition with the purpose of exploring the Arctic Ocean and take the northern route all the way from Arkhangelsk to the Far East. This expedition was masterminded by Mikhail Lomonosov and led by Vasily Chichagov. Chichagov’s group didn't cross the Arctic ice and had to return to Arkhangelsk in 1766. However, they had been the primary to discover the high-latitude areas of the Arctic and the Island of Svalbard (known as Spitzbergen in Russia).
Exploration of the Northern Sea Route commenced within the early twentieth century, after first icebreakers had been put into operation. First expeditions were led by Stepan Makarov on the icebreaker Yermak, Ivan Sergeev on Vaygach, and Boris Vilkitsky on Taimyr.
As early as in Nineteen Twenties, energetic exploration of the Arctic brought many outstanding polar navigators and students to suggest a everlasting museum of polar analysis. In 1937, the Museum of Arctic and Antarctic opened in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). It continues to be open for visitors and offers exhibitions on the nature of the Arctic and Antarctica and the history of their exploration.
St. Petersburg remains a area that performs an essential role in the analysis of Russia’s Arctic territories: the native authorities established the Committee on Arctic Affairs, whereas the town develops the industries that are essential for the Arctic, similar to shipbuilding, communications electronics, engineering, and petrochemical industry. In 2019, the St. Petersburg Committee on Arctic Affairs ready a list entitled ‘The Arctic Potential of St. Petersburg’, which includes information about eighty five organizations based within the city.
Interesting details concerning the city
* St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Russia’s first Emperor Peter I. In 1712–1918, it was the capital of Russia. In 1914, town obtained the name of Petrograd, whereas in 1924 it was renamed as Leningrad. It obtained its historic name again solely in 1991. Nowadays, it is Russia’s second largest city after Moscow by way of inhabitants.
* The Neva is among the most affluent rivers within the European part of Russia. When it involves average annual move, it's only behind the Volga, the Pechora, the Northern Dvina and the Kama. The Neva flows out of Lake Ladoga. Over 30 rivers move into this lake, however it is only the Neva that starts there.
* St. Petersburg is positioned almost exactly at 60°00′N and 30°00′E. The primary astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Science is situated in Pulkovo, a suburb of St. Petersburg, and bears its name. The meridian upon which the observatory is locates is eponymous with the suburb and was used as a zero meridian in the Russian Empire, as a substitute of the Greenwich.
* St. Petersburg is the world’s largest, most northern city: the 60th parallel, on which the town lies, passes via Greenland, Anchorage, Alaska, Magadan, and Oslo, the capital of Norway. The city is famed for its white nights, a serious vacationer attraction. However, geography-wise the white nights latitude is north of 60°34′, which is kind of a whole diploma away from St. Petersburg.
* The Blue bridge over the Moika River is the widest in the world. It was constructed in the 19th century by William Heste, a Russian architect. The width of the bridge is 97.three metres. It got its name from its wood predecessor, which was painted blue. This bridge is all but invisible, as it became an integral half St. Isaac’s Square and barely stands out.
* The subway in St. Petersburg is the deepest on the planet, with tunnels located 70–80 metres below the bottom. The deepest station is Admiralteiskaya, with a document of 86 metres.
* St. Petersburg is 317 years old, however its oldest artefacts are Egyptian sphynxes within the University Embankment. Their approximate age is 3,500 years. The pink granite sphynxes had been found during archaeological excavation in the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III in Thebes. The sphynxes were dropped at St. Petersburg through the efforts of Aleksandr Murav’ev, a traveller and member of the Academy of Sciences. He set off on a pilgrimage and saw the sphynxes in Alexandria, which had been brought there on the market.
* The Lakhta Center skyscraper (462 m) turned the tallest building in Europe as of October 2017. The earlier report setter is the Federation Tower in Moscow (374 m). Construction of Lakhta Center is accomplished. At this moment, works on its interiors and décor are beneath way.
* Peter and Paul Fortress is St. Petersburg’s oldest architectural structure. It was based on 27 May 1703, which is used because the city’s basis date. The Fortress was never concerned in any battle, although its garrison was on high alert for centuries and was initially created to defend the lands Russia acquired within the Northern War. At the same time, it has been perfectly preserved and now may be a really distinctive historic monument.
* St. Isaac’s Cathedral (constructed in 1818–1858 by Auguste de Montferrand) is the most important cathedral in Russia and the fourth largest in the world (it’s the world’s third largest among the single-domed ones). Its colonnade is a popular viewpoint, one of the tallest in St. Petersburg.
* Nevsky Prospekt is the city’s major road and its warmest half. Compared to suburbs, its temperature is 2–3 degrees larger in summer time and 10–12 levels larger in winter.
* Architect Rossi Street (Ulitsa Zodchego Rossi, previously often known as Teatralnaya Ulitsa) is exclusive due to its proportions: it’s 22 m extensive, whereas its buildings are 22 m tall. The length of the road is precisely 10 instances bigger (220 m). Besides, it looks like there’s only one building on both sides of the street, while in actuality it’s five totally different buildings with the same design and a shared façade.
* Alexander Column within the Palace Square weighs 613 tonnes. It stands under its personal weight and took lower than 2 hours to get installed. The Column was put in the square in 1834 to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon and was purposefully designed to be taller than the Vendôme Column in Paris. This is the world’s tallest monument amongst those out of strong granite and third tallest victory column. The column shaft is the tallest and heaviest strong block ever installed as a column or an obelisk and one of many greatest monoliths ever displaced by folks (the fifth greatest of all times and the second greatest in modern age – after the Thunder Stone beneath the Bronze Horseman).
Information portal for tourists
Visit Petersburg is St. Petersburg’s official online information for tourists, created with the help of the city authorities. The portal’s News, Events, and Leisure sections characteristic details about festivals, theatre productions, live shows, and exhibitions in St. Petersburg, as nicely as the most recent events in the lifetime of the city. These sections are regularly up to date and include information about the city’s cultural life online), which helps vacationers get higher ready for their journey to St. Petersburg.
The Routes section consists of ideas for themed walking and water excursions, as nicely as routes for tourists who prefer to discover by car or bike. In the Audioguides section yow will discover guides to a few of St. Petersburg’s hottest sights.
Visit Petersburg, a free mobile app is on the market in Russian and English in App Store and Google Play.
Twelve data centers are situated throughout the centre of St. Petersburg and close to main transport hubs, with employees on hand to provide useful information about the town, sightseeing, and upcoming events. Here vacationers also can find reference materials and brochures about St. Petersburg, in addition to tourist maps, and obtain postcards and souvenirs.