Conclusion of The Making of a Capital

St.Petersburg's first decade was marked by astounding growth.  There were reportedly some 34,500 buildings within the city by 1714!  Construction of palaces and huge buildings continued unabated. The powerful influence of religion in Russia's history is evidenced by many of the city's buildings.  

For example, there is Kazan Cathedral, with its semicircle shape and frontal colonnade. Its striking appearance on the city's  foremost street, Nevsky Prospekt, played a role in the street's being called one of the world's great thoroughfares. Later, construction  began on St.Isaac's Cathedral. Some 24,000 piles were driving into the underlying marshy ground to support the structure, and 220 pounds of pure gold were  used to gild its massive cupola.

Building in the outlying areas of St. Petersburg was also dramatic. Work on the Great Palace, a residence for Peter, was begun in 1714 in Peterhof, now Petrodvorets. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Tsarskoe Selo, now called Pushkin, the lavish Catherine Palace for Peter's wife was built. In the latter part of the same, two grand palaces were constructed in the two southern suburbs, Pavlovsk and Gatchina. 

The beauty of this newly developed city was largely amplified by the hundreds of bridges constructed over its many river channels and canals. Thus, St.Petersburg has often been described as  the "Venice of the North."  French, German, and Italian architects worked along with talented Russian counterparts to produce what The Encyclopedia Britannica states is "one of the most splendid and harmonious cities of Europe."

Next time: ST. PETERSBURG RUSSIA'S "WINDOW ON EUROPE" BY AWAKE! WRITER IN RUSSIA

From the jw.org publication