PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the historical nucleus of the city on the Neva river as well as one of the most interesting and beautiful architectural landmarks. Designed to protect newly acquired lands the hexagonal-shaped Peter and Paul Fortress lost its military significance before it was completed. Its guns never saw any action and were put to use as a flood-warning signal, and the fortress housed a political prison for two hundred years.
From as far away as the Gulf of Finland one can see the distant gilded spire of the fortress cathedral which is the main feature of the city skyline. The St. Peter and Paul Cathedral is the burial place of all Russian Emperors from Peter the Great to the last of the Romanovs - Nicholas II.
In the gardens there is an interesting and controversial monument to Peter the Great by the famous artist Shemyakin. Unveiled in May 1991, the monument stirred controversy because it portrays Peter not as a majestic giant on horseback, as is the norm, but as an old man with a remarkably tiny head.
Open 11:00 - 18:00, closed Wednesdays and the last Tuesday of every month
