The territory of modern St. Petersburg, the former capital of the Russian Empire, has never been distinguished by a favorable climate and soil fertility. But it was precisely this territory that the Russian Tsar Peter I chose for the construction of his capital. As far back as the Middle Ages, a trade route passed down the Neva River from the Gulf of Finland through Lake Ladoga, which went down in history as the way from the Varangians to the Greeks. The desire to develop international trade made Peter I conquer these lands from the Kingdom of Sweden in 1703. The geographical factor played a decisive role. The opportunity to enter the Baltic Sea, strengthen trade relations with the Hanseatic cities, and respond promptly to events in Western Europe became the main reasons for the construction of the new capital of Russia on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Finland. The urban space of modern St. Petersburg compares favorably with thoughtful planning. This city was the first capital in Europe, built taking into account the requirements of capitalist technology. In other European capitals, capitalist tendencies developed based on the destruction of medieval-type urban infrastructure. Urban communications of St. Petersburg formed with a large scale for the future. This was reflected in an unprecedentedly large scale of construction, the width of roads, squares, territories allocated for the creation of manufactories and storage facilities. During the construction, Peter I took into account the experience of many capitals of Western Europe, but primarily the experience of Amsterdam. In particular, he was attracted by the idea of protecting Amsterdam from the rivers and canals surrounding the capital of Holland. The experience of building Amsterdam initially pushed Peter I to try to build a new Russian capital on the island: first on the island of Kotlin, then on the Losiev (Vasilievsky) island, which is located in the east of the Gulf of Finland. Understanding the prospects for the upcoming urbanization of St. Petersburg forced Peter I to abandon the idea of building capital in the island space. As a result, Vasilievsky Island became only one of the 18 districts of modern St. Petersburg. Frequent floods caused damage to the city throughout the entire period of its existence. The construction of the dam at the beginning of the XXI century protected St. Petersburg from floods but complicated the environmental situation. St. Petersburg is traditionally multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Over 200 national associations are registered here, as well as about 270 religious denominations and associations. The origins of multinationality and multiconfessionality lie in the events of the beginning of the XVIII century. The first inhabitants of the city were not only Aboriginal people, but also people from other regions of Russia who arrived for the construction of St. Petersburg. Also, the city attracted residents of Europe and Asia with the opportunity to establish successful trade relations and the prospect of career growth. As a result, St. Petersburg absorbed the cultural traditions of the peoples of two continents. The authors conclude, that from its inception to the present, St. Petersburg is a multinational home where representatives of different nations find their happiness.
Язык оригиналаанглийский
Название основной публикацииMetropolitan areas: past, present and future perspectives
РедакторыMãrgãrit-Mircea Nistor
ИздательNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Глава1
Число страниц30
ISBN (печатное издание)978-1-53618-720-5
СостояниеОпубликовано - дек 2020

Серия публикаций

НазваниеAmerican History, Culture and Literature

    Области исследований

  • St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire, Peter I, the Gulf of Finland, Neva River

ID: 71182759