LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Saint Petersburg: Numerous Russian
built 289 days ago
Saint Petersburg, the imperial residence and second capital of Russia, lies at the mouth of the Neva on the Gulf of Finland. In 1899, including the suburbs, it had 1,439,600 inhabitants; of these 81.8 per cent belonged to the Orthodox Greek Church, 4.8 per cent were Catholics, 7.03 per cent were Protestants, and 1.4 per cent were Jews. As regards nationality 87.5 per cent were Russians, 3.3 per cent were German, 3.1 per cent were Poles, 1.03 per cent were Finns, and 1.03 per cent were Esthonians. In 1910 the population was estimated at over 1,900,000 persons. The district of Ingermannland, that is, the territory between Lake Peipus, the Narova River, and Lake Ladoga, in which St. Petersburg is situated, belonged in the Middle Ages to the Grand Duchy of Novgorod, and later to Moscow. In 1617 the district was given by the Treaty of Stolbovo to Sweden; in 1702 it was rewon by Peter the Great.
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In 1703, Czar Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg, which soon became known as "Paris of the East". The Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and many other buildings even today beckon visitors from all over the world. But Saint Petersburg was only a part of his numerous activities. Peter reformed the whole of the Russian Empire and brought it from the Middle Ages to a par with Europe of that time. To accomplish this, he needed a new administration and brought the aristocrats under his control. This was ... a golden time for the workers as their skills were much needed to reform and build the new Russia.
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Saint Petersburg has a relatively big problem with street children and Gypsys. They make their living out of stealing. They could be a hassle and can beg you aggresively. Act like any other Russian would. Being polite is not necessary. Just tell them to get away with a strong voice.
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Officials expect to launch the Saint Petersburg, the first Project 677 Lada-class diesel-electric submarine for the Russian Federation Navy, in November of this year. Construction began in 1996 at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg; the boat is now 85% complete, but its equipment acceptance program has slipped. If further delays are encountered the launch may be delayed until after the Russian winter. The boat is characterized as a 'fourth-generation' diesel-electric submarine, with key improvements over the earlier Project 636 Kilo-class design. See "Russian submarine sea trials set for 2004," Richard Scott, excerpted from Jane's Naval Forces (subscription required for complete access), 7/11/03.
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Saint Petersburg has daily international railway connections to Helsinki, Finland via Vyborg (on the Russian side) and Kouvola and Lahti (on the Finnish side). Two Russian trains - the Repin and the Tolstoi - as well as the Finnish Sibelius operate exclusively on this route (although Tolstoi continues to Moscow). The journey to Helsinki takes just over 5 hours including the time used for border control and customs.
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Saint Petersburg must always act in the best interest of advancing Russian culture worldwide. It must not fear innovation in technology or the arts. Decisions are always made with the future in mind.
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