Page 90 - A History of the World in 25 Cities
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On the bitterly cold night of 7 November 1917, events occurred in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg (then called Petrograd) that changed the world forever. After decades of wars, famine and bad treatment
by the ruling tsar, or emperor, thousands of unhappy workers had risen up in revolution. Following months of violent protests, a small political party called the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace, the seat of the Russian national government. They easily
overpowered the few guards in the building, and the world saw the birth of what would become the Soviet Union.
1917
Founded by Peter the
Great and built between 1805 and 1810.
An island on which many of Saint Petersburg’s most historic buildings stand. The eastern section is built in a grid pattern.
A group of stunning palaces and gardens in Peterhof, on the Gulf of Finland near Saint Petersburg. It was built by Peter the Great as Russia’s answer to the Palace of Versailles in Paris.
A huge metal-working factory. In 1904, four ironworkers lost their jobs. Early the next year, their fellow workers decided to strike. This was one of the first events that led to the larger protests in the city.
The third largest synagogue in Europe.
