St. Petersburg is a unique, incredibly beautiful city located in the north-west of the country. "City over the free Neva"Fascinates at first sight, its guests dream of returning here again, and the indigenous people are proud that they were born here.
What is St. Petersburg so famous for? This is a city with a rich past, but it is known not only for historical events. White nights, movable bridges, a special romantic atmosphere, architectural monuments museums, theaters ...
The city is called mystical, at different times there have been many unusual and even eerie stories. He is full of mysteries and secrets. There is a belief: St. Petersburg fulfills wishes. You just need to find the “right” place.
If you also love this city or just want to learn about it as much as possible, pay attention to our article. Below is a ranking of interesting facts about St. Petersburg.
10. Got its name in honor of St. Peter
Most people are sure that the city owes its name to the founder Peter I, and received such a name in his honor. This is not entirely true. It is named after St. Peter, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ..
During the Northern War, the valley of the Neva River - Ingermanlandia was recaptured from the Swedes. Peter I decided to build a city. They laid the Peter and Paul Fortress, the first buildings appeared.
The original name sounded like "St. Petersburg". This is an imitation of Dutch pronunciation. After 17 years, the city began to be called St. Petersburg.
9. The city has changed many names
Over its more than 300-year history, the city has changed its name many times. Peter I originally wanted to call him Petropolis but the name did not take root.
When the fortress was founded and the name was invented, no official acts followed. Some time was spent searching for harmony. Saintpetersburk, Saintpetersburk... For a long time they could not decide: Burkh, Burg or Burk; Peter or Peter.
In 1724 they decided on a name. In 1914 it was renamed (anti-German sentiment) to Petrograd. In 1924, a new name was invented - Leningrad in honor of Vladimir Ilyich. In the 90s, the city was returned to its first name.
St. Petersburg has many unofficial names, some of them are very popular, others are known only to a narrow circle of people:
- Peter,
- North Venice,
- Red Leipzig,
- North Palmyra.
8. The center of the three revolutions
Another unofficial name: City of Three Revolutions. In a short time (1905 - 1917) 3 coups took place here:
- The revolution of 1905 - 1907,
- February bourgeois-democratic (1917),
- October (1917).
Now everyone can go along the tourist "Red Route" and learn more about these events. It includes architectural objects and buildings, one way or another connected with the coups. The guide will tell about other memorable places, about the victims and heroes of the three revolutions.
7. The wooden house of Peter I - the oldest building in the city
The very first building built in the city was a wooden house, the summer home of the king. Its area is 60 m². The house was built in record time, in three days. As soon as the Summer and Winter Palace were founded, it was abandoned.
Surprisingly, the house has survived to this day almost in its original form. Now he is given the status of a historical and memorial museum. Many restorations were carried out, a heating system was installed. At the moment, the house can be visited both in winter and in summer. There you can see not only the personal belongings of Peter I, but also other household items characteristic of that time, information about the founding of St. Petersburg and the Northern War.
6. World record for the number of trams
St. Petersburg is the record holder for the number of trams. The length of the network is 231 km, the length of routes is 500, their number is 42. The birthday of the tram network is September 16, 1907.
By 1980, the system received the status of the largest in the world. At that time, Peter even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Unfortunately, after a while he lost the “palm” to Melbourne.
In the 90s, the tram network began to be reduced, the tracks were dismantled. Now St. Petersburg is on the 4th place in the ranking, formed by the length of the tram tracks.
5. The deepest underground in the world
Petersburg metro differs from others in its depth. The average mark is 57 meters, the deepest (Admiralteyskaya station) is located at a depth of 86 meters. The reason is simple - complex geological conditions.
In the process of adapting the construction to the conditions of the city, specialists had to face difficulties. Innovative methods were used, without which the St. Petersburg metro would not exist.
4. Takes 2nd place in Russia in terms of population
St. Petersburg is a millionaire city, it ranks second in terms of population. It is easy to guess that only the capital managed to get ahead of him. Currently, the population is 5,383,890 people. Density 3,764.49 people / km2. There are much more women than men, 54.6% and 45.4%.
Also in the city lives a large number of unregistered employees (migrant workers). According to some reports, their number can reach up to 1 million. 85% of the total population of St. Petersburg are Russians, and representatives of more than 200 nationalities also live in the city.
3. The city has 93 rivers and canals
The city has 93 rivers and canals, with a total length of 300 kilometers. More than 160 km are artificial channels, in total about 20 of them are created.
The main waterway of St. Petersburg is the Neva. Other famous rivers and canals: Fontannaya, Moika, Griboedov Canal, etc. Rivers and canals, drawbridges amaze with their beauty. No other Russian city has anything like it.
2. Nevsky Prospect - the warmest part of the city
There are legends about the climate of St. Petersburg. Moderate, transitional from continental to marine. Cloudy weather is a common occurrence. But there is a place in the city where you can always keep warm. This is Nevsky Prospect. Surprisingly, this is the warmest part of the city. Differences in temperature with other parts of the city can range from 2 ° C to 12 ° C.
Because of this trend, Nevsky Prospect is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Residents of St. Petersburg say that there are two reasons for fever - lighting and a large number of warm hearted people.
1. The economic, scientific and cultural center of the country
St. Petersburg is the largest industrial center of Russia. The following industries are developed here: engineering, automotive, IT and telecommunications, energy, etc. The city has a good location, so it has become an important transport and trade center.
Great cultural and scientific potential. There are a lot of museums, architectural monuments, theaters, concert halls. St. Petersburg is called the center of business tourism. This city is often chosen for events of global scale (Summits, International Economic Forums, etc.).
Many come here in order to relax and get positive emotions. In 2018, the city was visited by 8.5 million tourists.