Saint Petersburg
One of the largest cities in Russia by population is Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and Leningrad (1924–1991). With a population of about 5.4 million, it is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. With almost a million inhabitants, Saint Petersburg is the world's most northern metropolis, the most populous city on the Baltic Sea, and the fourth most populous city in all of Europe. It is managed as a federal city and served as the Imperial Capital of Russia as well as a historically significant port.
In honor of the apostle Saint Peter, the city was established by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703, on the site of a Swedish fortification that had been seized. Saint Petersburg in Russia is historically and culturally linked to the founding of the Russian Empire and the country's emergence as a major player in modern history. From 1713 to 1918, it served as the seat of the Russian Tsardom and the ensuing Russian Empire (being replaced by Moscow for a short period of time between 1728 and 1730). The Bolsheviks relocated to Moscow after the 1917 October Revolution.
It is regarded as a significant center for Russia and Europe's economies, sciences, and tourism. The city is known as "the Northern Capital of Russia" in contemporary times and is the location of illustrious federal government institutions like the Russian Constitutional Court and the Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation. The Russian Navy's headquarters and the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces are also located there, along with the National Library of Russia and a future site for the Supreme Court of Russia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of the Historic Center of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments. The Hermitage, one of the biggest art museums in the world, and the Lakhta Center, the tallest building in Europe, are located in Saint Petersburg, which also served as one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2020.
Population - 2021: 5,384,342
