ST. PETERSBURG IN FACTS AND FIGURES
Founding & Names
Founded on May 16 (27) 1703 by Peter the Great.
The city has been known by several names throughout its history:
- St. Petersburg: 1703-1914
- Petrograd: 1914-1924
- Leningrad: 1924-1991
- St. Petersburg: again since September 6, 1991
Area & Location
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia after Moscow, with a total area of 1439 square kilometers. St. Petersburg is situated on the Eastern shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. It is located on 59 degrees 57’ north latitude and 30 degrees 19’ east longitude.
Population
St. Petersburg is the most Northern city in the world with a population over 1 million. It is among five most populated cities of Europe. As of 2011, there are almost 4 million 600 thousand people residing in the city of St. Petersburg.
Climate
St. Petersburg lies in the maritime zone. The climate is moderately warm in summer and moderately cool in winter. July is the warmest month averaging in 18,1 degrees C, and in January the average temperature is -6,1 degrees C.
Interesting Facts
- St. Petersburg is interlaced with about 100 rivers, streams and canals, totalling in about 300 km. Water makes up a tenth of St. Petersburg’s total area.
- For 300 years St. Petersburg witnessed 324 floods. The most catastrophic flood occurred on November 7, 1824, when the water had risen by 4,1 meters above the normal water level.
- The “White Nights” about the summer solstice (from June 11th to July 2nd) is a curious phenomenon of the northerly latitude on which the city lies. At this time of the year the sun does not descend below the horizon, enough for the sky to grow dark.
Nicknames
- “The Venice of the North”
- “The Palmyra of the North”
- “The Northern Capital of Russia”
- “Window to Europe”
- “Cultural Capital”
- “Piter”
World Famous Attractions
- The Hermitage Museum, The Russian Museum, The Mariinskiy Theater of Opera and Ballet, The Mikhaylovskiy Theater of Opera and Ballet, The Imperial Palace and Park Ensembles of Peterhof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk.
- The historic center of St. Petersburg and related groups of monuments are included in UNESCO World Heritage List.
Local Government
The Governor and the Governor’s Office, The Legislative Assembly
Time Difference
GMT+3, Eastern+8
