Destinations - Scandinavia & East Sea - St. Petersburg

Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, this beautiful city is proud to celebrate her 300th anniversary in 2003. Visitors from all corners of the globe will descend on St. Petersburg during the main Jubilee Festivities in the last week in May. But all through the year visitors can enjoy the city’s refurbished buildings and marvel at the re-opened Amber Room in Catherine’s Palace at Tsarskoye Selo.

From 1712 to 1918 St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia, and it has remained the country’s cultural capital. The tsar’s brainchild was built according to his plans after draining swampland on the Gulf of Finland. His friends were required to construct their palaces along these newly created canals. The result was a gateway to the West and a distinctly European metropolis with baroque and neo-classical mansions. St. Petersburg’s new cultural life attracted such great figures as Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky and Tolstoy.

At the start of World War I, the city’s name was changed to Petrograd; in 1924, it was renamed Leningrad in honor of the USSR’s first premier, Vladimir Lenin. During World War II, Leningrad heroically endured a siege by the Nazis for 900 days during which nearly one million people perished. The remaining brave but battered population did not fully recover until the 1960s.

Following 75 years of communist rule, the political upheaval and subsequent changes in 1991 truly astonished the world and brought a new outlook to this city. In the wake of the ensuing events, Leningrad reclaimed its original name, St. Petersburg, and started an ambitious project to restore the city to its former glory.

St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city and the country’s principal seaport. It boasts opulent palaces, fine theaters and ballet companies, as well as some of the world’s finest art museums. Many of the city’s monuments represent an important facet of the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage. The legendary Hermitage contains some of the world’s most magnificent art treasures, including a unique collection of jewelry in the Golden Rooms.

Strolling down Nevsky Prospect, you will realize the pride of St. Petersburg’s citizens as the former glamour and opulence of its stately buildings can be seen once again.

View all the cruises that call at St. Petersburg, Scandinavia & East Sea cruise destination

Companies: Hapag Lloyd Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Cunard Line, Peter Deilmann Cruises , Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Amadeus Waterways, P & O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Swan Hellenic, Holland America Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Classic International Cruises, Costa Cruises, Fred.Olsen Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Noble Caledonia Limited, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Transocean Tours, Viking River Cruises, Voyages of Discovery,

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