The Peter and Paul Fortress is the focus point in the history of St. Petersburg: the city started growing from this very place. The fortress, first made of wood and earth, was laid by Peter the Great on May 27, 1703 on the Hare Island. It was first named St. Petersburg, which meant the City of St. Peter. Then the fortress is rebuilt in stone and a cathedral was erected within its walls, dedicated to apostles Peter and Paul. People called the cathedral Petropavlovskiy and in time this name gradually passed on to the Fortress, while the name St. Petersburg was bestowed upon to the city.

The SS Peter and Paul Cathedral was designed by the Italian architect Domenico Trezzini in the early Russian baroque style, unusual for traditional Russian architecture. Its gold-painted spire, which is 122.5 meters in height, dominates the city, embodying Peter I’s dream of the rapid rise of St. Petersburg.

The history of the Cathedral is inextricably linked with the royal family. It was built as a place of worship, but since its early days became the imperial burial vault. Here, all Russian emperors, from Peter I to the last emperor, Nicholas II (with the exception of Peter II and John IV) are buried. At the present time the Peter and Paul Fortress serves as a museum of the history of the city.

A tour around fortress — the heart and center of St. Petersburg — will help you feel the magical atmosphere of this amazing place.