The World and Its People

"St. Petersburg"

Introduction
In this chapter, you learned about St. Petersburg, an important northwestern port in Russia. During the 1700s, Czars Peter I and Catherine II tried to modernize Russia and make it more like Europe. Peter built a new capital of Russia at St. Petersburg in the early 1700s. Saint Petersburg was designed like a European city with its elegant palaces, public squares, and canals. In this activity, you will learn more about the founding of St. Petersburg and its advancements under the leadership of Russia's czars.

Destination Title: Saint Petersburg

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Directions
Start at the Saint Petersburg Web site.

• Click on History on the left side of the page.
• Explore the first six topics listed: Introduction, The pre-history of St. Petersburg, When and how was St. Petersburg founded?, The St. Petersburg of Peter the Great, Elizabethan St. Petersburg: a city of Baroque grandeur and The "Grand City" of Catherine the Great.
• You will need to use the "Back" arrow to return to the main menu after reading each topic, or click where it says "Next" at the end of each page.
• Use the information presented to answer the following questions.

1			Why did Peter the Great start the Northern War with Sweden in the early 1700s?
2			Why is St. Petersburg called the "Venice of the North"?
3			Describe St. Petersburg during the reign of Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great.
4			How did Catherine the Great come to power in Russia?
5			There are many famous museums, palaces, churches, and monuments in St. Petersburg. Choose one of St. Petersburg's famous sites, and create a two-minute speech to present to your class. Detail the history of the site and its attractions for sightseers, and use pictures or other media to strengthen your presentation.