Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
placed him was in turn dislodged by the Bolsheviks' October Revolution—kicking off 75
years of communist rule.
• As you face the Hermitage, turn 90 degrees to your left and cross the busy street at the
crosswalk.
The
AlexanderGardens
(Alexandrovsky Sad), with benches and jungle gyms, are a fa-
vorite place for families. It's the backyard of the
Admiralty
building—the stately structure
with the golden spire. When Peter the Great was laying out his new capital, he made the
Admiralty its centerpiece—indicating the importance he placed on his imperial navy. From
here, three great avenues
(prospekts)
fan out through the city; of these, Nevsky Prospekt is
the
main drag.
St. Petersburg's History
The Neva River delta around St. Petersburg has been strategically important for cen-
turies. Scandinavians, who had important trade routes running down to the Black Sea,
settled throughout the area and were influential in Russia's early history. At the height
of its world power in the 1600s, Sweden controlled both shores of the Baltic and built
a fort and settlement called Nyenskans where St. Petersburg is today (Nyen is the
Swedish name for the Neva River).
By and by, the Slavic-speaking Russians organized their own state around Kiev
and Moscow. Seeing the advantage of having a Baltic seaport, in 1700, Russia (under
