St. Petersburg It is widely known that the year Peter the great spent in Western Europe left

him with a fondness of the way of life that was taking place in the west. This along with his desire to modernize Russia led Peter into beginning construction on a city that was to become the center of Russian life. With construction beginning in 1703, the next several decades saw a number of great architects and artists being invited into St. Petersburg in order to help construct a city that would hold buildings that would help Peter get his dream of a modern city within Russia. Peter would incorporate elaborate styles of buildings and art with the new styles of dress and new style of life in general in St. Petersburg that allows it to strive still some 300 years later.

Summer Palace

•Was built by Domenico Trezzini between 1710-1712

•One of the few buildings that is still preserved in its original state

from the time of Peter.

•This building served as a prototype for future residential

buildings in St. Petersburg.

Menshikov Palace•Served as the palace of the first governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Menshikov.

•Construction began in 1711 by Giovanni Maria Fontana, and was one of the first palaces in the city.

•When Menshikov fell from power the building was used as elite school for the city.

Marble Place

Built by Catherine II for her lover Grigori Orlov who did not live to see its completion.

Architect was Antonio Rinaldi who had over 30 different types of marble and granite imported into St. Petersburg.

Cabin of Peter the Great

•One of the oldest preserved buildings of Peter the Great.

•Built in 1703 in the structure of a traditional farmhouse.

•Resembles some form of Dutch architecture which Peter admired so much.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral

•Designed by Auguste de Montferrand, construction began in 1817.

•One of the largest religious domed buildings in the world, was not completed until 1858.

Conclusion The various of buildings seen in St. Petersburg shows the

great variety that was presented by all those involved in the city. Peter the Great had the goal of creating a city in the image of Western Europe, not just in the sense of the way people dressed and behaved, but in the style of buildings seen in the city as well. Many of these buildings that still stand in great condition show that in many ways Peter was successful in laying out the outline that future tsars were able to follow; making St. Petersburg a great city of Russia, and more importantly a great city of the world.