20 | Er Srbija » Air Serbia after the apostle Saint Peter, the city’s patron saint. It was renamed after Lenin upon his death, in honour of the October Revolution, the most important trace of which is still preserved as a treasure of the city. The famous cruiser Aurora, from which the first shot was fired in 1917 marking the call to attack the Winter Palace and change the world, is still in its home city more than 120 years on, and is still capable of transporting itself for repairs. A 1991 referendum resulted in residents deciding to restore the city’s original name of St. Petersburg. Peter the Great was enthralled by Amsterdam, which is why he chose a site on the river Neva and built what some have dubbed the world’s only planned city, which has architecture that’s strongly reminiscent of Amsterdam. The fact that it sprawls over 42 islands along the delta of the river Neva, and boasts hundreds of bridges, has led to St. Petersburg being called the Venice of the North… This metropolis preserves over 200 museums, including the Hermitage, which is one of the world’s oldest museums and its second largest. It has over three million exhibits, while cats are its sacred protectors, “employed” to protect it against mice and rats. There is also the Winter Palace, once the official residence of Russian emperors, built in the Rococo spirit. Whilst you’re in this city you certainly won’t neglect the chance to visit Peter and Paul Fortress, which is surrounded by the Neva and was built at the beginning of the 18th century, though it never played a defensive role. It housed a military garrison, but also served as a prison for political prisoners, including famous ones like Dostoevsky and Tito. The Peter and Paul Cathedral is the oldest church in St. Petersburg, while it is also houses the tombs of all Russian emperors. Of course, you’ll take a stroll along the city’s main artery, Nevsky Prospect, which is five kilometres long and hosts celebrations of all important events, while it is also the epicentre of good nightlife and the home of the city’s most luxurious hotels. The street is named after Russian national hero and Orthodox saint Alexander Nevsky, whose lavra, or monastery, is located in the street itself, while his mortal remains are kept in a silver sarcophagus exhibited in the State Hermitage Museum. You are awaited slightly more than 20 kilometres away by the Russian Versailles, the park and castles of the Peterhof Palace complex, a former summer imperial residence that has been a museum since 1918. Peterhof represents a reflection and example of the former imperial splendour, while it is also dubbed the “Russian capital of magnificent fountains”, with the largest fountain in the world located here. There is no end to the beauty of St. Petersburg, and no article is good enough to portray that, nor are the pages of magazines long enough. Head to one of the world’s most beautiful cities and see it all for yourself. Ako želite da ostanete budni u belim noćima, jun je najbolje vreme da se uputite u carski grad / If you want to stay awake duringWhite Nights, June is the best time to head to this imperial city
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExMjc5