What makes St.Petersburg unique? -Cultural capital (the city of palaces, museums, churches) -Northern Venice (the city of small rivers, channels, canals) -It is political, educational, historical center -The most “European” Russian city, the most elegant and impressive cities in the world -The most important port at the eastern part -It has the phenomenon the White Nights -It’s the 4 th by population an the 2 nd by geographical size among the cities of Europe

Some Geographical Features St.Petersburg is situated on the eastern shore of the gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. It lies at the mouth of the Neva river, across 42 islands in the flat and marshy delta. The largest island is called Vasilyevsky Island and covers an area of 10 sq.km. The city has over 90 rivers, streams, channels and canals, totaling 282 km.

Map of 1698

The city’s main river is the Neva, which flows from the northeast. It is 74 km long, with 28 km of these are within the city. The Neva flows from Lake Ladoga into the Gulf of Finland and it is the widest and the deepest river in northwestern Russia.

A system of canals connects the Neva to Russia’s major waterways and thus also to the White, Caspian, Black and Azov seas. This makes the river a highly important water transport artery. The major ancient trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” lay across the Gulf of Finland, along the Neva and Lake Ladoga. That trade route linked Northern Russia to Southern and the Baltic lands and Scandinavia to Bizantium.

Some facts: St.-Petersburg is spread over numerous islands of various sizes, it has the nickname “City of 101 Islands”. In fact, there are 42 islands connected by 315 bridges of various types. Our city is the “European champion” for bridges, and a silver medalist in the canal and islands stakes. Including the suburbs, there are 64 rivers, 48 canals, 100 islands and 800 bridges. (Venice has more canals and islands but fewer bridges).

One and a half thousand years ago the territory of today’s St.Petersburg and the adjacent lands were inhabited by different tribes. They were Vod, Izora and Korela. Then in the middle of the 8 th century Slavic tribes came to these lands.

In the 10 th century these lands became part of Kievan Russia. In the 12 th century Kievan Russia broke up. These lands became a constituent of the rich Novgorod Feudal Republic.

From the 13 th to the 16 th centuries Sweden attempted to capture these lands. The Novgorodians tried to protect their lands.

In 1323 they built the fortress of Oreshek. But soon this fortress was captured by the Swedes.

In 1617 the Swedes constructed the fortress of the Nienschanz at the mouth of the river Okhta.

Thus Russia was cut off from the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea was an important waterway leading to the countries of the Western Europe

In 1700 the war between Russia and Sweden for the age-old Russian Lands, for an outlet to the Baltic began. We know this war as the Northern War. The Northern War lasted 21 years. It ended in 1721 with Russia’s victory.

During the course of the Northern War with Sweden, Russia's forces gradually moved from Lake Ladoga down the Neva River to the Swedish fort of Nienchanz.