The Lakhta depression can be seen as a 'test area' for the effects of St. Petersburg on the natural landscape from the moment of its foundation (draining the marshes, felling the forests, peat digging, changing the drainage system, building up new areas, construction for homes and industry, recreation etc). The processes underlying the distinctive natural history and history of this region are analysed. The problem of preserving this distinctiveness has implications extending well beyond the boundaries of the Neva inlet in the Gulf of Finland.