A Short Overview of a Magnificent City


by John Creech - Date: 2006-12-07 - Word Count: 409 Share This!

The full name of the St. Petersburg apparently combines words from three European languages: Catholic Latin, Orthodox Greek and Reformist German. I decided to further educate myself in the city's unparalleled history, so I followed an itinerary proposed by the city government's tourist office, a list that includes the city's proud equestrian monuments.

These monuments are integral parts of the city's magic and embody much of its historical power. In fact, the historical horses in the statues look very fierce and hardly tamed by their very powerful masters. The expressions on the riders faces are slightly more difficult to interpret and more subtle. Nonetheless, the exacting detail and fine craftsmanship let the audience know clearly that these are triumphant leaders.

Great people everywhere seem to be obsessed with their legacy and commission portraits, sculptures, and busts to capture them at their finest hour; such displays of vanity in men does not really surprise me now as the whole city is the magnificent, final proof of what men can accomplish in their limited lifetimes. I suppose that even among the most humble folks, this feeling is the same; before they bid their final adieu, everyone tries to leave a memorable and inspiring legacy to their children, relatives, and everyone else who knew them.

Upon closer inspection with the help of a map, this grand historical city looks very much like a mosaic of little islands; some of these islands are very big while others are so small that we even doubt if they really exist. The islands form a lace of canals connected by dated bridges, which in turn are witnesses to dazed romantic lovers strolling from one island to another.

Constructed at the far edge of the Gulf of Finland, at the mouth of Neva, the city is besieged with the challenges posed by living alongside many bodies of water; flooding and preserving the natural topography are perennial concerns. However, the resulting way of life for its people is undoubtedly part of its allure.

So is St. Petersburg more like its model, Amsterdam, or more like Venice? We can't really compare these cities since the charms, geography, and history of St. Petersburg give it a unique personality. Being an old and powerful imperial capital, its most charming sights are the numerous palaces strategically located beside the rivers. The sights quietly impose their authority over the serene waters and picturesque landscape, where the various residences of the czars battle each other in opulence and magnificence.


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