10 interesting facts about St. Petersburg – the cultural capital of Russia

St. Petersburg is a unique, incredibly beautiful city located in the north-west of the country. “City over the free Neva” captivates at first sight, its guests dream of returning here again, and the indigenous people are proud that they were born here.

Why is St. Petersburg so famous? It is a city with a rich past, but it is known not only for historical events. White nights, drawbridges, special romantic atmosphere, architectural monuments, museums, theaters…

The city is called mystical; at different times, many unusual and even creepy stories happened here. It is full of mysteries and secrets. There is a belief: St. Petersburg fulfills wishes. You just need to find the “right” place.

If you also love this city or just want to know as much as possible about it, pay attention to our article. Below is a rating of interesting facts about St. Petersburg.

10 Got its name in honor of Saint Peter

Most people are sure that the city owes its name to the founder Peter I, and received such a name in his honor. This is not entirely true. It is named after Saint Peter, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ.

During the Northern War, the Neva river valley – Ingermanlandia – was recaptured from the Swedes. Peter I decided to build a city. The Peter and Paul Fortress was laid, the first buildings appeared.

The original title was “Saint Petersburg“. This is an imitation of the Dutch pronunciation. After 17 years, the city began to be called St. Petersburg.

9. The city has changed many names

Over its more than 300-year history, the city has changed its name many times.. Peter I originally wanted to call it petropolis, but the name didn’t stick.

When the fortress was founded and the name was invented, no official acts followed. Some time was spent searching for harmony. Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg… For a long time they could not decide: burh, burg or burk; Peter or Peter.

In 1724, the name was decided. In 1914 it was renamed (anti-German sentiment) to Petrograd. In 1924, a new name was coined – Leningrad, in honor of Vladimir Ilyich. In the 90s, the city was given back its first name.

St. Petersburg has many unofficial names, some of them are very popular, others are known only to a narrow circle of people:

• Peter,
• Northern Venice,
• Red Leipzig,
• Northern Palmyra.

8. Center of Three Revolutions

Another unofficial title: City of three revolutions. In a short time (1905 – 1917) 3 coups took place here:

• Revolution of 1905 – 1907,
• February bourgeois-democratic (1917),
• October (1917).

Now everyone can go along the tourist “Red Route” and learn more about these events. It includes architectural objects and buildings, one way or another connected with the coups. The guide will tell about other memorable places, about the victims and heroes of the three revolutions.

7. Wooden house of Peter I – the oldest building in the city

The very first building built in the city was a wooden house, the summer dwelling of the king. Its area is 60 m². The house was built in record time, in three days. As soon as the Summer and Winter Palaces were founded, they were abandoned.

Surprisingly, the house has survived to this day almost in its original form. Now it has been given the status of a historical and memorial museum. Many restorations were carried out, a heating system was installed. At the moment, the house can be visited both in winter and in summer. There you can see not only the personal belongings of Peter I, but also other household items typical of that time, information about the founding of St. Petersburg and the Northern War.

6. World record holder for the number of trams

St. Petersburg holds the record for the number of trams. The length of the network is 231 km, the length of the routes is 500, their number is 42. The “Birthday” of the tram network is September 16, 1907.

Already by 1980, the system received the status of the largest in the world. At that time, Peter even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Unfortunately, after a while he lost the “palm” to Melbourne.

In the 90s, the tram network began to be reduced, the tracks were dismantled. Now St. Petersburg is in 4th place in the rating formed by the length of the tram tracks.

5. The deepest subway in the world

Petersburg metro differs from others in its depth. The average mark is 57 meters, the deepest (Admiralteyskaya station) is located at a depth of 86 meters. The reason is simple – difficult geological conditions.

In the process of adapting construction to the conditions of the city, specialists had to face difficulties. Innovative methods were used, without which the St. Petersburg metro would not exist.

4. Ranks 2nd in Russia in terms of population

St. Petersburg is a millionaire city, it ranks second in terms of population. It is easy to guess that only the capital managed to get ahead of him. At the moment, the population is 5 people. The density is 383 people/km890. There are much more women than men, 3764,49% and 2%.

Also, a large number of unregistered employees (guest workers) live in the city. According to some reports, their number can reach up to 1 million. 85% of the total population of St. Petersburg are Russians, representatives of more than 200 nationalities also live in the city.

3. There are 93 rivers and canals in the city

On the territory of the city there are 93 rivers and canals, with a total length of up to 300 kilometers.. More than 160 km are artificial canals, in total about 20 of them have been created.

The main waterway of St. Petersburg is the Neva. Other well-known rivers and canals: Fontannaya, Moika, Griboyedov Canal, etc. Rivers and canals, drawbridges amaze with their beauty. There is nothing like it in any other Russian city.

2. Nevsky Prospekt – the warmest part of the city

There are legends about the climate of St. Petersburg. Moderate, transitional from continental to maritime. Cloudy weather is a common occurrence. But there is a place in the city where you can always warm up. This is Nevsky Prospekt. Surprisingly, this is the warmest part of the city limits. Differences in temperature with other parts of the city can range from 2°C to 12°C.

Because of this trend, Nevsky Prospekt is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Residents of St. Petersburg say that there are two reasons for the high temperature – lighting and a large number of warm-hearted people.

1. Economic, scientific and cultural center of the country

St. Petersburg is the largest industrial center of Russia. The following industries are developed here: mechanical engineering, automotive industry, IT and telecommunications, energy, etc. The city has a good location, so it has become an important transport and trade center.

Great cultural and scientific potential. There are a lot of museums, architectural monuments, theaters, concert halls. St. Petersburg is called the center of business tourism. This city is often chosen to host global events (Summits, International Economic Forums, etc.).

Many people come here to relax and get positive emotions. In 2018, the city was visited by 8,5 million tourists.