ST.PETERSBURG

1. Compared to other large cities, St.Petersburg is a mere youngster, only 92 years older than Washington. Peter the Great founded the city on the 16th of May, 1703. Ten years later St.Petersburg consisted only of an island fortress and some buildings which stretched out along the banks of the river Neva.
2. Now St.Petersburg is one of the ten largest cities in the world. It is a naval city. It is a major scientific and research centre. It has a university, several academies and more than 300 research institutions. It is also a great industrial centre. Its large factories and plants are no less numerous than its scientific institutions. St.Petersburg is rich in museums. It is even called the “museum city”.

3. Priceless examples of Russian painting and sculpture are exhibited in the Russian Museum. It was built by Rossi and is called a miracle of architecture. The museum contains superb collections of works of art that testify to the greatness of the Russian creative genius.
4. The Hermitage is one of the greatest treasure-houses of world art. At present it occupies the former Winter Palace and three buildings which are traditionally called the Small Hermitage., the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage. Together they constitute an outstanding architectural ensemble. The Winter Palace was built by Rastrelli in the Baroque style between 1754 and 1762.
5. There are many cathedrals in St.Petersburg. The most impressive of them is St.Isaak’s Cathedral. Its dome rises a hundred meters into the sky. It is the largest dome in the world after St.Peter’s is in Rome and St.Paul’s in London. It was Russia’s main cathedral. Not far from St.Isaak’s Cathedral there is the famous Peter and Paul’s Cathedral. For years it was considered Europe’s highest structure. It is situated in the centre of Peter and Paul’s Fortress. Almost from the first day of its existence the fortress served as a prison for political prisoners. The prison cells - dark, cold and lonely - are empty now because the fortress is no longer a prison. It is a well-known museum.
6. St. Petersburg is also known as the City of Bridges. There is every reason for the name, for sixty-eight rivers and canals cross it in all directions and cut it into forty-two islands, large and small. St.Petersburg’s bridges are an integral part of its panorama. It is as impossible to imagine St.Peterburg without its bridges as to imagine New York without its skyscrapers or Egypt without its pyramids. No wonder A.S.Pushkin called St.Petersburg the city “of Northern lands the pride and gem”.

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Why is St.Petersburg called the ”museum city”?

St.Petersburg can sometimes be called "museum city", that is all cause of accumulation of lots amount of world-famous museums, such as "Russian museum" that was designed by Rosso. There is also a Hermitage that is considered to be the greatest treasure-house in the world. "The winter palace" is situated in St.Pet. , it was constructed by Rustrelli. There are also Peter's and Paul's Cathedral. The Fortress that is used to be a prison, however is a Russian famous museum. And the most famous emblem of St.Pet. are bridges.This city is known as City of Bridges.