History of the city of St. Petersburg. Interesting facts about St. Petersburg

Many old-timers like to say that the city is not the same today, people have changed too. However, like any generation that has reached adulthood and has observed changes. All the changes reflect the history of the city. St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful, rich in various events, amazing and even mystical settlements. Having survived the destruction, revolution, war, handsome Petrograd (Peter and Leningrad) today attracts tourists not only the country, but the whole world.

What a walk along the streets where Brodsky once walked, clumsily confessed to love Ace Dovlatov. They say that even homeless people here act like true lords.

How the city was built

The first thing to know is how St. Petersburg came about. The history of the city (a summary is presented in the article) begins in the 17th century. It was 1703. Peter I won Ingermland and hastily decided to build on these lands a fortress, originally called St Peter-Burkh. So the king called her, but not in his honor, but out of respect and admiration for the apostle Peter. According to another version, this name refers to the whole earth and it remained from the times of ancient antiquity, when the Teutonic knights ruled here.

The history of the city is amazing. St. Petersburg began its existence at a time when the Northern War was still going on, so first of all it was intended to serve as a defensive fortress. It is rumored that the king himself laid the first stone, and when this happened, an eagle flew in the sky.

However, this is more like a legend, because in this locality such birds were never found, and Peter himself was at the construction site of ships far from Peter.

Over a total of about three hundred thousand people worked on the creation of the city. They were regularly hired in two or three shifts, which lasted from March to October.

It is considered a bloody history of the city. St. Petersburg, it is often said, stands on the bones, as many builders perished during the works. This is not quite true. Masters were given rations and money for work, which is confirmed by documents. Although it did not do without excesses. For every shift, men were summoned from all over the country, but not all came. Those who came, sometimes tried to escape. To find the fugitive, the king ordered to imprison his family and keep him there until he disappeared about himself.

And what was before that?

But not always existed St. Petersburg.

A brief history of the city for children will be especially interesting. About a million years ago in the territory of the modern polis grew large deciduous forests, the rivers were deep-watered. When the authorities took into their hands fierce frost, most of the land was covered by continental ice. Who would have thought that the place for Peter was guarded by a layer of frozen water almost 1 km thick. That is, a glacier appeared today, he would have hidden the city "with the crown".

The history of the city is connected with the river. St. Petersburg stands on the Neva River, which in sight did not exist for 4-5 thousand years before construction. The current course of this reservoir was determined only 2500 years ago. Prior to this, Tosna and Mga peacefully proceeded in its place.

After the ice came down, people began to come to this territory - the ancient European tribes. According to the researchers, the name of the main river was given by Indo-Europeans. For a thousand years BC the progenitors of the Baltic and Finns came here.

The East Slavic tribes came to the Neva River only in the 9th century AD, they formed Novgorod Rus. Land began to actively colonize, farms grew, crafts and trade developed.

As St. Petersburg became the capital

Since 1712, St. Petersburg has been proclaimed the capital of the Russian Empire.

The history of the city begins immediately with glory and recognition. All important objects were immediately transferred to this place, but there was one snag. In fact, the city was in Sweden. This is the only case in history when the capital of one state was within another.

A little more than a century the city retained its status and lost it for the reign of Peter II, and then returned it back.

The reason for the transfer of the capital is explained by the pro-European orientation of the tsar. St. Petersburg became the embodiment of a new, modern, Western, while Moscow was considered a relic, an old, an eastern one. Such a confrontation and explained the frequent change of status of the White-stone and Petrov city.

Until now, Peter is called the northern, cultural, intellectual capital of Russia.

The city in the XIX century

The XIX century brought the city a little trouble. The war of 1812 required money all the time. Therefore, the development of St. Petersburg somewhat slowed down, as all the funds went to support the troops. But along with this, there was an increase in the importance of Peter as an administrative center.

The emphasis was placed on science, the establishment of educational institutions. Printing houses were also built. One of the legendary achievements is the discovery of the Pulkovo Observatory and the Russian Geographical Society, which for a long time remained the scientific centers of the country.

In the first half of the 19th century, the North-Dvinsky Canal opens, which brings St. Petersburg to the next level. The history of the city (the photos of this period are almost not preserved) makes a sharp turn - industry and trade are beginning to develop due to new transportation hubs. The architectural design of the city is also gaining momentum. Above the facades of Peter the best foreign and domestic masters work.

Lullaby of revolution

Excursion to the cruiser "Aurora" (St. Petersburg) - the history of the city for children in the form of an adventure. And during the walk you can tell about those events.

Even before the revolution, when the anti-German mood was raging because of World War I, it was decided to rename the city to Petrograd. The growth of industry led to the emergence of a large number of workers who organized many socialist groups and organizations. It was here that the revolution of 1905-07 began.

It is worth remembering that before this, it was here that the Decembrist uprising of 1825 took place.

The cruiser Aurora (St. Petersburg), sights, the history of the city, street names make such a feeling that these events occurred not a century ago, but more recently.

In 1924, the settlement was renamed Leningrad, three days after the death of the leader of the proletariat.

The Soviet period

The revolution led to a sharp decline in the city's population and 20 million people left less than a million. Petrograd was able to return to life with the start of the NEP. Printing houses, publishing houses, and theaters were reopened.

The center of cultural life is St. Petersburg. The history of the city for children and adults acquires new bright shades.

Also here a new stream of Russian art begins to bubble: avant-garde.

Houses of culture existed in every district, and the abundance of museums and exhibitions was surprising.

Many churches, in connection with reigning communist convictions, were given to the needs of the economy, turned into museums.

St. Petersburg became very different. The history of the city, a brief summary of the events were now available to everyone.

Terrible events begin after the death of Kirov in 1934. Many residents were victims of the Great Terror. After this series of days marked with black, for Leningraders does not end. The second world checked the citizens for their stamina - and they passed this very difficult test. Almost 900 days the blockade of Leningrad continued. For this feat and other achievements the town received the title "Hero City".

These events should be included in the curriculum of extra-curricular activities in schools and tell how the history of the city of St. Petersburg (class 2 and older) is glorious.

Revival after the war

The post-war years were marked by a course of recovery. The field of shelling and bombing barely left at least one building on which there was no mark of the terrible events of the war. But the rapid mobilization of citizens and authorities allowed the former person to return to Leningrad in the shortest possible time.

In addition, not only was St. Petersburg practically destroyed, but also plundered. A brief history of the city for children is, first of all, stories about the amber room, which, after the war, disappeared and has not been found so far.

In 1955, the subway was built, electricity transmission lines, water supply and other benefits of civilization were restored.

For the first time in history in the late 80's, the population of Leningrad is breaking a record - it was then 5 million.

Post-Soviet time

After the collapse of the USSR, the city is returned its historic name - St. Petersburg. The history of the city for children and adults alters the course of the current. The 90th rebellious years lead to a decrease in the number of people.

Having recovered a little from stress, the city does everything to strengthen the title of intellectual and cultural capital. Monuments are being put up, buildings are being restored, squares are being rebuilt.

In the 2000s, a small resident is finally born, which becomes 5 million.

This city has its own atmosphere

On one only literature, you can build more than one lesson on "The history of the city of St. Petersburg" (2nd grade, local history studies in high school).

All in St. Petersburg: humor, sadness, people make up a special color. Legends such as Joseph Brodsky, Sergei Dovlatov, Alexander Bashlachev, Boris Grebenshchikov and other idols of many generations admired the city, lived it.

For those who want to try to live in the past era, in times of balls and quiet secular conversations with refined speech, it is worth to come to St. Petersburg. The history of the city is reflected in buildings, streets, the spirit of past centuries seems to be in the air.

But in order to really love Peter, you need to come to him.