Saint-Petersburg
(If I were a guide)
St. Petersburg is
the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the
world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the "Window on Europe
St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1712 till 1918.
The city was built
on the swampy land at the mouth of the River Neva. Prominent European and
Russian architects worked here. The new capital grew rapidly in wealth and
beauty.
When World War I
began in 1914, the German-sounding name St. Petersburg was changed to
Petrograd. After the October Revolution the city was renamed in honour of
Lenin. In 1991 the old name of St. Petersburg was returned to the city.
During the Great
Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to
it in 1941, and for the next two years and a half the city was cut off from the
rest of the country. No food could be brought in, and people died of
starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city. Thousands
of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.
If I were a guide I would
try to show all greatness and beauty of this city. As
Now St. Petersburg is an industrial, cultural and scientific centre, there are
a lot of places to show. Saint Petersburg is sometimes called a
huge historical monument and museum, where every stone is linked with an
outstanding name or event.
There are over 80
museums, more than 20 theatres, a lot of exhibitions, clubs, universities,
colleges, schools and parks. The Alexandrinski Drama Theatre, the Bolshoi Drama
Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are pearls of the Russian
art.
In St. Petersburg there
are a lot of parks and gardens where citizens spend their free time. The
Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and
flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by Italian sculptors and a
famous cast iron grille decorate the Summer Garden. There is a bronze monument
to the prominent Russian writer of fables Ivan Krylov (by sculptor Klodt) in
the Summer Garden.
St. Petersburg is
famous for its magnificent architectural ensembles of the 18th and 19th
centuries. The city began with the Peter and Paul Portress built to protect the
Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later Domeniko Trezzini, the famous Swiss
architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison. Now it is a museum.
Trezzini erected the Peter and Paul Cathedral here, and Russian tsars were
buried in it.
The most famous
square in the city is the Palace Square with its magnificent ensemble. Here one
can see the Winter Palace built by Rastrelli. Till the revolution it was the
residence of the Russian csars. Now the Winter Palace and four other buildings
are occupied by the Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia. There
one can see masterpieces of outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael,
Rembrandt, Velazquez and other unique works of art.
The Russian Museum
is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Rossi. Marvellous paintings
by the famous Russian artists: Tropinin, Repin, Bryullov, Fedotov, Surikov,
Serov; the works of sculptors: Rastrelli, Shubin, Antokolsky are exhibited
here.
The streets and
squares in St. Petersburg are very beautiful. Nevsky Prospect is the main
street of the city, where there are amazing buildings, shops, hotels and the
remarkable Kazan Cathedral (by Voronikhin) with a colonnade and monuments to M.
Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. Here in the prospect one can see the magnificent
building of the Admiralty (by Zakharov) and the ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky
Lavra. Famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors were buried in
the Lavra.
Majestic palaces,
cathedrals, churches and other buildings, built by famous architects, such as:
palaces of Stroganov, Menshikov, Anichkov, and St. Isaac's Cathedral, erected
by Montferrand, decorate St. Petersburg.
The city is often
called the Venice of the North because there are 65 rivers and canals with
artistically decorated cast iron bridges. One of the most beautiful is the
Anichkov Bridge.
Citizens and tourists
enjoy visiting the suburbs of St Petersburg: Petergof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk with
their wonderful palaces, parks and fountains.
St. Petersburg
inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and
actors. Much of the life and work of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Repin
and Kramskoi was connected with the city.
This city have everything
for tourists. As I have experience in tourist sphere, I know that nowadays
there are special programs for all tastes. If I were a guide I wouldn’t change
anything. I told you about main tourists attractions, which should be shown to
foreigners. The only thing is white nights – its poetic should be seeing by
everybody. Tourists have wishes when they come to our city, you shouldn’t
discover America, just give a chance to see it and they will come again.
Оставьте свой комментарий
Авторизуйтесь, чтобы задавать вопросы.