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St. Petersburg (Russia)

St. Petersburg was still Leningrad when the partnership began officially in 1961. Over the years since then, the calendars have been packed with school and student exchanges, encounters between musicians and scientists from the two cities and the most varied concerts and exhibitions. More recently, typical craft arts from St. Petersburg have even been represented on the Striezelmarkt, Dresden's famous Christmas market.

Population: 4,582,000

Geographical location: Russia's "Gateway to the Baltic", in part on 42 islands in the Neva delta

Profile: St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703, as a fortress on a small island in the River Neva. Peter the Great was determined to develop Russia in a major sea power and to open new routes to the rest of Europe. On account of the favourable location of the city, he decided in 1712 that St. Petersburg was to become the capital of Russia. The city grew at a rapid pace and established itself as the intellectual centre of the new European Russia. The development into a city of European rank continued during the 20-year reign of Empress Elisabeth. Petrine Baroque reached an absolute zenith with the erection of some of its finest buildings, among them the Winter Palace. In 1762, with Catherine the Great, a worthy successor to Peter the Great acceded to the Russian throne. At the end of the 18th century, St. Petersburg held a reputation not only as Russia's political and economic centre, but also as its cultural hub. With the victory over Napoleon and Alexander the First's march into France, Russia was at last recognised as a European power. The following decades were characterised by revolutions and industrialisation, but at the same time equally by achievements in art and science (Pushkin, Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky). As an outcome of the October Revolution supported by Lenin, the former Tsarist empire became the Soviet Union, and the seat of government moved to Moscow. Lenin died in 1924 and was succeeded in power by Stalin; St. Petersburg was renamed Leningrad. During the Second World War, the city was besieged by German troops for almost 900 days between 1941 and 1944. Over a million civilians died during this blockade. After a further 45 years of Communist rule, the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991. Leningrad regained its old name St. Petersburg. It is today the second-largest industrial city in Russia after Moscow. Alongside shipbuilding, machine tools, tractors and turbines, the most important industrial branches are textiles, chemicals, automobile manufacture and the food industry. The IT branch has also acquired a strong position. The overseas port with canal links to the Caspian and White Seas, is the most important in Russia. St. Petersburg is furthermore a significant centre of culture, science and research, with over 120 universities and colleges.

Tips: The face of the city is characterised by magnificent palaces, golden domes and spires, ornate bridges and canals. One particularly impressive boulevard is the Nevsky Prospect, with its many bridges over the city's canals. St. Petersburg was built on 42 islands and it was not without reason that it received the epithet "Venice of the North". Great architects such as Bartolomeo Rastrelli and Carlo Rossi have left their radiant marks. The most important ensembles include the Winter Palace, the Hermitage Museum, the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, Alexander Square, the Kazan Cathedral on Nevski Prospect, and the Church of the Resurrection - the only church in St. Petersburg with typical Russian onion domes. Music lovers can be recommended a visit to the renowned Mariinsky and Mussorgsky Theatres. With its countless museums, most notably the famous collections of the Hermitage, the city is one of the most beautiful and important cultural centres in the world. Here, you can admire the originals of old and new masters such as Rembrandt, da Vinci, Rubens or Monet. The "White Nights" are another annual magnet for visitors.