1617 |
Sweden
occupies the banks of the River Neva, setting up the Nyenschantz
Fortress and cutting Russia off from the Baltic. |
1700 |
Beginning
of the Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden. Russia aims
to regain its access to the Baltic. |
1702 |
The
Swedish Noteborg Fortress on the River Neva is captured. This will
be the basis for the future St Petersburg. |
1703 |
Nyenschantz
Fortress falls to the Russians. Foundation stone lain by Peter I
(the Great) for the Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachi Ostrov (Hare
Island) downstream from Nyenschantz. City of St Petersburg founded
at same time. Conceived as an architecturally splendid centre of
culture and learning. Built by Swedish prisoners of war, Finns and
Russian serfs. |
1704 |
Foundation
stone for Admiralty building lain. |
1712 |
Decree
issued ordering people to move to St Petersburg from across Russia.
Other decrees include the banning of any building in stone elsewhere
in Russia to overcome a shortage of masons, and every citizen owning
more than 500 serfs being ordered to build a two-storey stone building
in the new city. |
1715 |
Military
academy opens. |
1719 |
First
St Petersburg museum opens. |
1721 |
Russia
wins Great Northern War. |
1724 |
Peter
I moves state institutions to St Petersburg and it becomes official
capital of Russia. |
1725 |
Science
academy opens. Peter I dies. Heirs spend lavishly on the city, summoning
the best Russian and foreign architects. |
1741 |
Beginning
of the reign of Elisabeth Petrovna. During her reign construction
starts on Winter Palace (architect Bartolomo Rastrelli), Smolny
Cathedral and Catherine Palace. |
1762 |
Catherine
II (the Great)’s reign begins having desposed of her husband,
Peter III. Move from baroque to Classical style architecture in
new building projects. Construction of Marble Palace (Rinaldi),
Pavlovsk Palace (Cameron) and Academy of Fine Arts (Vallin de la
Mothe) during her reign. Neva Islands remodelled with wide avenues,
parks and series of palaces. Winter Palace completed. Small Hermitage
built and Old Hermitage begun. Catherine dies 1796. Subsequent tsars
commission further grand buildings but lack unity and accomplishment
of early designs. |
1812 |
Large
memorials erected to mark victory over Napoleon. |
1824 |
City
seriously damaged in floods (city built upon 44 islands and a marshy
plain so flooding was a regular hazard). |
1825 |
Decembrist
Uprising. Failed attempt to force
Nicholas I to abdicate. |
1835 |
First
Russian railway links St Petersburg to
Tsarskoe Selo. |
1851 |
Regular
train services to and from Moscow. |
1879 |
Founding
of the revolutionary Narodnaya Volya (People’s Will) group
in St Petersburg. |
1881 |
Narodnaya
Volya organises assassination of Alexander II. |
1890 |
Lenin
visits St Petersburg for first time to
complete legal studies. |
1893 |
Lenin
and his party begin political education of the St Petersburg factory
workers. |
1895 |
Lenin
sets up Union for the Struggle for the
Liberation of the Working Class in St Petersburg. |
1905 |
140,000
workers march on the Winter Palace calling for reforms. 100 killed.
Some concessions made after sections of army and navy join revolt.
Duma (Russian Parliament) established. |
1914 |
Beginning
of World War One. St Petersburg’s name changed to the more
Russian sounding Petrograd. |
1917 |
Nicholas
II abdicates following the February Revolution. Kerensky heads provisional
government. Lenin returns from exile in Switzerland to St Petersburg
but fails to set off a proletarian revolution. Goes into hiding
in July. 10 October – Bolshevik Central Committee decides
on an armed revolt. 26 October – Committee gains control of
the city. |
1918 |
Bolshevik
government moves to Moscow. |
1924 |
Death
of Lenin. Petrograd renamed Leningrad in his honour. |
1941-44 |
Siege
of Leningrad. |
1950 |
Kirov
Stadium built. |
1965 |
Leningrad
named City of Valour. |
1991 |
Attempted
coup against Mikhail Gorbachev hastens end of USSR. Leningrad renamed
St Petersburg after referendum. |
1998 |
Remains
of Nicholas II and his family buried in the Cathedral of St Petersburg’s
Peter and Paul Fortress. |
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