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Petersburg: Peter and Paul Fortress, Stories and Legends

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The Peter and Paul Fortress (official name — Saint Petersburg Fortress, from 1914 to 1917 — Petrograd Fortress) is the oldest architectural monument in Saint Petersburg, a first-class fortress (according to the classification of fortresses of the Russian Empire). It is located on Hare Island, in Saint Petersburg, the historical core of the city. The fortress was founded on May 16 (27), 1703, which is considered the founding date of Saint Petersburg. Jump to section «#History» It was never used in any battle. From the first quarter of the 18th century until the early 1920s, it served as a prison. Since 1924, it has been a state museum. The Peter and Paul Fortress is a monument of Russian architecture, worked on by various architects. The modern fortress houses numerous architectural monuments and museums: the Peter and Paul Cathedral (the burial place of the Russian Imperial House of Romanov), the Grand Ducal Burial Vault, the Boat House, the Commandant’s House, the Engineer’s House, the Mint, the Museum of the History of Saint Petersburg, the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, and the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology. The fortress is part of the historical section of Saint Petersburg and, together with the complex of monuments located here, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list; it is one of the main tourist attractions. The silhouette of the Peter and Paul Fortress has become a symbol of the city and occupies a key place in its panorama. Since 1873, an artillery signal shot has been fired daily at noon from the Naryshkin Bastion of the fortress (this was not carried out from 1934 to 1953). It is a historical symbol of the city. According to the charter of Saint Petersburg, the historical symbols of the city are the angel on the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the ship on the spire of the Admiralty, and the monument known as the "Bronze Horseman."

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