Peter-and-Paul Fortress

Peter-and-Paul Fortress

The Peter-and-Paul Fortress is the first building of St. Petersburg. It was built here under the order of Peter the Great to protect these lands form Sweden during the war that lasted for 21 years and became known as the Northern War. The foundation day of the fortress, which is May 27, 1703, became the Birthday of the whole city. The architect of the fortress was Domenico Trezini who was the first architect of the city. For a long time the fortress was used as a political prison. The architectural centre of the ensemble of the Fortress is the Peter-and-Paul Cathedral. This Cathedral is the place of burial of Russian Emperors from the times of Peter the Great. In 1998, remains of the last Russian Emperor, Nicolas II, and his family were buried in the Cathedral.