History of St. Petersburg - Petrograd 1703-1918

Like all the exhibitions at the Peter and Paul Fortress, this 28-hall display is notable for its modern, hands-on approach to museum work, with a variety of interactive exhibits, by no means all of which are of interest to Russian-speakers only.

Located in the Commandant's House, the History of Petrograd-St. Petersburg begins with a hall dedicated to the pre-Petrine era of the region, with models of fortresses of north-west Russia at the time of the founding of St. Petersburg and various finds from archaeological digs along the Neva River basin. From thereon in, each hall is devoted more or less chronologically to a specific aspect of life in St. Petersburg, including the history of Nevsky Prospekt, the development of eating habits in the city, the workings of a 19th century tenement building, the founding of municipal transport, changes in clothing and personal hygiene, and much more.