Author: said alnoumani

Built to secure Russia’s hold on the Neva delta, Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost) is where it all started for St Petersburg. During 1703, forced laborers toiled from dawn to dusk, and died in the thousands, completing the initial construction in only seven months. …

One of the most popular tourist destinations in St Petersburg, Catherine Palace was originally constructed by the German architect Johann-Friedrich Braunstein for Catherine I in 1718. The original 2-story building had 16 rooms and the original staircase is still visible today inside the palace. After …

As the first of the great imperial palatial ensembles to be established outside St Petersburg, Peterhof embodies nearly 300 years of Tsarist rule and self-aggrandizement. As the name suggests (meaning “Peter’s Court in German, and pronounced “Petergof” in Russian), it’s founder was Peter the Great, …