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Saint Petersburg

Background: Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1928-53) strengthened Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period. While some progress has been made on the economic front, recent years have seen a recentralization of power under Vladimir PUTIN and an erosion in nascent democratic institutions. A determined guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya.




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The Hermitage - First Floor - Room 26
November 14th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
The Hermitage is why I came to StPB and I will concentrate on just that. Anything else will be gilding the Lily. Have now been to the Hermitage three times and have successfully covered the first f ... 18 photos [full story]

Санкт-Петербург
5 days ago: ZachInDenmark published a blog
Санкт-Петербург
November 15th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
Every trip has a distinctive beginnning, and what better way to start Russia than with a bureaucratic entry form that, if lost, could cause an indefinite barrier to exiting Russia. This is a very sim ... 73 photos [full story]

7 days ago: RPR published a blog
St Petersburg
November 13th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
to come ... [full story]

18 days ago: JorinandSylvia published a blog
Russia!
November 2nd 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
Hello! So we are in St.Petersburg! Fantastic and beautiful city! We can recommend it to you all! Gorgeous buildings everywhere, clean, nice places to eat, drink and/or dance and probably very good for ... [full story]

♫ Have you heard there
October 14th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
I only have 1 single regret regarding my entire trip so far, and that is choosing to leave Russia the day my tour ended. My visa expired on the 13th, and I had booked a flight to Helsinki on the 10th, ... 16 photos [full story]

33 days ago: saorrento published a blog
Broken Ring
October 13th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
The capture of Leningrad was one of three strategic goals in Hitlers initial plan, codenamed Operation Barbarossa, for invading and conquering the Soviet Union. Hitlers strategy was motivated by Lenin ... [full story]

October 16th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
A six hour train ride to Moscow is what the day had in store for me. The wind in St Petersburg that blew straight through you, threatening to take your umbrella with it, quickly put an end to any idea ... [full story]

38 days ago: ChellesFootsteps published a blog
Mother Russia
October 13th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
I arrived in St Petes almost expecting the worse, slow and rude bureaucracy, little English and police officers wanting bribes and pickpockets as far as the eye could see. I must say so far, there has ... [full story]

38 days ago: saorrento published a blog
Back in the USSR
October 13th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
<i>On 1 May, 1703 (Russian calendar), during the Great Northern War, Peter the Great captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenskans on the Neva river in Ingria. A few weeks later, on 27 May, 1703 (M ... [full story]

St Petersburg
57 days ago: Layla and Ste published a blog
St Petersburg
September 24th 2009  Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg
Hello again!!! So we arrived in St Petersburg after our overnight train from Lithuania, train was quite an experience. Basically there is 1st Class not sure what its like, then 2nd class which is ... 12 photos [full story]


Saint Petersburg Blog Entries

Hermitage - Winter Palace
sky
Hall
See what I mean about the granduer?
Tsarskoe Selo
Tsarskoe Selo
ST.PETE
The Hermitage Collection
The Hermitage
Christ the Saviour Church, St Petersburg
St Petersburg
Red Square
Moscow
Alexander Column
Marlinsky Palace
Statue of Peter the Great

Russia

Russia Location



Hostels in Russia
Hotels in Saint Petersburg
Latest Saint Petersburg Blog Entries
Saint Petersburg Photos


Blogging Saint Petersburg




Russia Travel Forum
Blog about Russia (Trans-Siberia), China, and Mongolia
To St. Petersburg, Russia in august or september
TRANS SIBERIAN/MONGOLIAN RAILWAY
Eastern Siberia and Kamchatka
Any worthwhile places in Saint-Petersburg?
Moscow and Europe
Trans-Siberian Railway packages/tours
Renting a flat in St Petersburg
russian visa outside your home country
TravelBlog a big hit in Russia!
Flights to Moscow and Hostels
Russia-spring or fall?
living in russia for a year- a bad move??
Who has visited St.-Petersburg?
To Russia alone?






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