Although just 300 years old, St. Petersburg has a rich and exciting history, full of dramatic events and major historical figures. Founded in 1703 by Emperor Peter the Great as his "window on the West", St. Petersburg enjoys a vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere and some of the most beautiful architecture in Europe. For those interested in culture and history, St. Petersburg is the perfect holiday destination.

• Introduction
• The pre-history of St. Petersburg
• When and how was St. Petersburg founded?
• The St. Petersburg of Peter the Great
• Elizabethan St. Petersburg: a city of Baroque grandeur
• The "Grand City" of Catherine the Great
• The "City of Order" (1800-1855)
• St. Petersburg on the road to capitalism (1840s -1895)
• The "Silver Age" city (turn-of-the-century St. Petersburg)
• Petrograd during WWI and the Revolution (1914-1924)
• A socialist city: Leningrad (1924-1941)
• The 900-day Siege of Leningrad (Blokada)
• Post-war reconstruction
• St. Petersburg today