St. Petersburg is one of the top tourist destinations in Russia, visited by millions of tourists every year. St. Petersburg is known as the cultural capital of Russia. Many of St. Petersburg's tourist attractions and places of interest are also related to cultural and artistic matters. Of course, to know the history of Russia, there are many places of interest and museums in St. Petersburg that attract a lot of tourists. One thing to keep in mind when visiting St. Petersburg is the many tourist attractions in the city. St. Petersburg has enough tourist attractions, places of interest, cultural centers, and entertainment and tourism programs to offer visitors that you have to spend weeks seeing them all and visiting all the places of interest and using all its entertainment programs. That is why consulting with Russian tour operators such as Star Travel Group and searching for tourist attractions that you plan to visit during the St. Petersburg tour programs are some of the things that can help the quality of your trip to Russia. As the tourist attractions and entertainment programs of the St. Petersburg tour are very diverse and varied, the purpose of your trip to St. Petersburg will determine your tour program in Russia. Many tourists travel to this city to get acquainted with Russian culture and art, and many museums and places of interest in St. Petersburg are ready to provide services to these tourists. Some tourists are also interested in learning about the history of Russia, especially during the Russian Empire, when St. Petersburg was the capital of the empire. Suppose any of these or both of these are your reasons for traveling to St. Petersburg. In that case, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the history of St. Petersburg during the Russian Empire before starting your trip.
To get acquainted with the history of the Russian Empire, we must study the historical events, cultural and political milestones, traditional ceremonies, the presence of world-famous figures in St. Petersburg, and many other details from the reign of its founder Peter the Great to the last Russian emperor Nicholas II. We have already explained the details of each of the reigns of the Russian emperors and rulers in the Star Travel Company blog, which you can check out later. In general, the Russian Empire was formed during the reign of Peter the Great and the rise to power of the Romanov dynasty in Russia. In his first move, Peter the Great, who wanted to unite the Russian tsars and form a mighty empire, changed the Russian capital from Moscow, an important city with a rich historical background, to the north of the country near the Finnish border. To begin his glorious reign and form a powerful Russian empire, Peter the Great founded the beautiful and modern city of St. Petersburg with the help of Italian, French, and German architects and designers who had traveled to Russia at his invitation. From the beginning of the Russian Empire in 1721 until its end by the Bolsheviks in 1917, 14 rulers had reigned over the Russian Empire. Among the rulers of the Russian Empire during these years, there are four women as the empresses of the Russian Empire. Each of them has made a significant impact on the history of Russia and the development of St. Petersburg as one of the largest and most significant capitals in Europe. Suppose your purpose of travel to St. Petersburg is to get acquainted with the history and culture of Russia during the Russian Empire, to understand this better. In that case, you should be aware of the history, influence, and remaining monuments of these four empresses during their reign.
Catherine I
Although the names of the four great empresses are always mentioned when we study the history of the Russian Empire, Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, has not made a significant impact on the history of St. Petersburg. At the same time, there is no unique monument left from her reign for tourists on the Russia tour. Catherine I became the empress of the Russian Empire after the death of Peter the Great, and only because Peter the Great did not nominate a successor. The reign of Catherine I was also very short, as only two years after Peter the Great, she also bid farewell to the mortal to be replaced by Peter II under pressure from the nobility and the majority of the court. Although Catherine I had two daughters who could succeed her, Peter II became the only male successor of the Romanov family who had a direct blood relationship with Peter the Great.
Anna of Russia
Although Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the Great stand out among the four empresses of the Russian Empire, perhaps without the reign of Empress Anna, St. Petersburg, which has become one of Russia's most significant tourist destinations today, would not have existed. After the death of Catherine I and the accession of Peter II to the throne, the capital of the Russian Empire was temporarily relocated to Moscow, which led to the emigration of large numbers of aristocrats and the cessation of many construction projects at the beginning of the formation of St. Petersburg. If the reign of Peter II lasted more than two years, the newly established St. Petersburg might have been destroyed. However, after taking power, Empress Anna re-implemented the plans that her uncle, Peter the Great, had in mind for St. Petersburg. Many historians refer to the reign of Empress Anna as a period of continued transition of government from the traditional Muscovy to the European court that Peter the Great imagined. During the ten years of Empress Anna's reign, she formed the Cadet Corps, responsible for training commanders and future officials of the Russian Empire from an early age. Extensive construction continued in St. Petersburg, the Academy of Sciences built by Peter the Great, gained more support from the court, and Western culture, as Peter the Great intended, gained more influence in the Russian Empire. Although many constructions took place during the reign of Empress Anna in St. Petersburg, one of the few structures left from her reign that tourists can visit during a tour to St. Petersburg is the Church of St. Simon and St. Anna.
Elizabeth of Russia
Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, who took over the throne after a coup in the court with the help of the military, is one of the most popular rulers of the Russian Empire. During her reign, known as the Age of Enlightenment, St. Petersburg and the Russian Empire, in general, went through a glorious period. Empress Elizabeth inherited many of her father's advantages in the monarchy. She set foot on her father's path to lead the Russian Empire to one of the greatest empires in the world. During her reign, Empress Elizabeth completely banned executions. Many constructions were carried out in St. Petersburg and other important cities of the Russian Empire, and the lives of the people were significantly improved. One of Empress Elizabeth's most essential services to the Russian Empire was reforming and improving the educational system. Achieving domestic peace is also one of the matters that historians pay special attention to when pointing out Empress Elizabeth's most significant impact on Russian history. The most famous surviving structure from the reign of Empress Elizabeth is the Winter Palace, which today has become one of the most important tourist attractions on the St. Petersburg tour, which houses the Hermitage Museum is the second-largest art museum in the world. Imperial estates on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, such as Peterhof and the Tsarist Village in Pushkin, also developed in particular. Empress Elizabeth ruled the Russian Empire for 21 years, from 1741 to 1762, until her grandson, Peter III, succeeded her.
Catherine the Great
The reign of Peter III was very short and lasted only six months. His successor was his wife, the last empress of the Russian Empire, Catherine II or Catherine the Great. Although there are many things to talk about the coup of Catherine the Great and the assassination of Peter III, the interesting fact about Catherine the Great is that although she was of German descent, Catherine the Great is referred to as one of the most patriotic Russians in history. During the reign of Catherine the Great, Russia's culture, art, and education significantly improved. The reign of Catherine the Great is referred to as the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. During the reign of Catherine the Great over Russia, which is considered the longest reign among other empresses in the Russian Empire, the territory of the Russian Empire increased. Many new cities were established in different parts of the country, Russian culture was revived and improved, and the Russian Empire was recognized as one of the world's major powers. Perhaps the most important monument left by her that tourists can visit during their tour to Russia is the Hermitage Museum, as the main elements of the Hermitage Museum belonged to Catherine the Great's personal gallery, and only during the reign of her successors, the museum was established in the Winter Palace. The Academy of Arts building, one of the architectural attractions of the St. Petersburg tour, was built on her orders, along with several aristocratic palaces in the city and suburbs of St. Petersburg. You can visit our blog to learn more about other significant historical periods in the Russian Empire.
