Page 26 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - St. Petersburg

24 ❯❯ Top 10 St Petersburg Highlights

Peter and Paul Fortress

First built in wood, and later in stone, the Peter and Paul Fortress
dates from the founding of St Petersburg in 1703. During its
construction, hundreds of serfs and Swedish prisoners of war
perished in the murderous swamps that surrounded it. Containing
a magni ficent cathedral, dark, damp cells, a popular beach
and fine examples of Baroque architecture, it is a
contradictory wonder that at times exhila rates
and, at times, chills the bones.

The Mint
1 Cathedral of SS 3
Established in the Peter and Paul
early 18th century by The Baroque cathe dral
Peter the Great, the (right) was a deliberate
mint (above) remains attempt by Peter the
in use today, one of only Great to commission
two places in Russia buildings based on
(the other being in designs that rejected
Moscow) where coins, traditional Russian
along with medals and church architecture.
badges, are minted.
Neva Gate
4
Built in 1784–7,
the Neva Gate was
referred to as
“Death Gate”
during the years
it was used to
transport prisoners
to their execution in
the neighbouring
Schlusselburg Fortress.
The archway contains
plaques that commemor -
ate record flood levels.
St Peter’s Gate
2 Trubetskoy Engineer’s
The gate (1718)
House
Bastion
depicts St Peter’s 5 6
banishment of the The dark cells of the This building (1749)
winged mystic, Simon Trubetskoy Bastion was once used as
Magus. This Baroque served as a prison. The living quarters for the
construction with first prisoner here was engineers of the city’s
scrolled wings (above) Aleksey, who was accused garrison. It now houses
allegorizes Peter the of plotting treason by his exhibi tions dedi cated
Great’s victory at the father, Peter the Great, to St Petersburg’s pre-
Battle of Poltava in 1709. and exec uted in 1718. revolutionary days.

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