Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Upon his return, Peter began implementing the reforms that would give his Russia
a fresh start. He refashioned Russia's army to resemble Western models, and he foun-
ded the Russian navy. He started the Great Northern War with Sweden to ensure
that Russia would have access to the Baltic Sea for trade and strategic purposes. He
built an entirely new capital in St. Petersburg and established a shipbuilding industry
there. He reorganized the government and introduced new taxes to support his foreign
policy.
Despite his cruelties, Peter left a large imprint on Russian history. When Peter took
the throne, Russia was a backwater, stuck in the Middle Ages. When he died, his coun-
try had become a European powerhouse.
▲Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery (ПискарёвскоеМемориальное
Кладбище)
This is a memorial to the hundreds of thousands who died in the city during the Nazi
Siege of Leningrad in World War II. The cemetery, with its eternal flame, acres of mass
grave bunkers (marked only with the year of death), moving statue of Mother Russia, and
many pilgrims bringing flowers to remember lost loved ones, is an awe-inspiring exper-
ience even for an American tourist to whom the Siege of Leningrad is just another page
from the history books.
