Saint Petersburg in facts and figures

  • Location: Eastern Europe, the Eastern shore of the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland)
  • Latitude: 59 degrees 57' North
  • Longitude: 30 degrees 19' East
  • Time Zone: GMT +3, Eastern +8
  • Founded: 16 (27) May, 1703
  • City's birthday: celebrated each year on May 27
  • Population: 4 661 219 (2002 census)
  • City Area: 1 439 sq. km. / 556 sq. mi.
  • Main river: Neva. The city is located in the delta of the Neva River on numerous islands, a fact which prompted some observers to call it "The City on 101 Islands"
  • Main natural phenomena: White Nights, Floods
  • Origin of the name: Named in honor of St. Peter and not Peter the Great, the founder of the city. The name can be translated as "The City of St. Peter". St. Petersburg, FL was named in honor of St. Petersburg, Russia by Russian-born railroad builder Piotr Dementyev (Peter Demens)
  • Name changes:
    May, 1703 - August, 1914 - St. Petersburg
    August, 1914 - February, 1924 - Petrograd
    February, 1924 - July, 1991 - Leningrad
    July, 1991 - Present - St. Petersburg
  • Nicknames:
    "The Venice of the North"(referring to St. Petersburg's many rivers and canals)
    "The Palmyra of the North"
    "The Northern Capital of Russia" (referring to the centuries-old rivalry between St. Petersburg and Moscow)
  • Symbols:
    the Angel with a Cross (weather-vane on top of the Peter and Paul Cathedral)
    the Little Ship - Korablik (weather-vane on top of the Admiralty tower)
  • The Seal: A sea anchor and a river anchor with a scepter - a symbol of royal power - on a red field.
  • Local government: The Governor and the Governor's Office, The Legislative Assembly
  • Zoning: 20 administrative districts, including satellite towns under St. Petersburg's jurisdiction
  • Main cultural attractions:
    The Hermitage Museum
    The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater
    The Imperial palace and park ensemble at Peterhof
  • Airports:
    Pulkovo-2 International
    Pulkovo-1 Domestic
    Sea port: Passenger terminal on Vasilievsky Island
    River port: River terminal near the Volodarskiy bridge
  • Distance to:
    Helsinki, Finland - 300km / 186mi
    Kiev, Ukraine - 1056km / 657mi
    Los Angeles, CA, USA - 9181km / 5706mi
    London, United Kingdom - 2101km / 1306mi
    Melbourne, Australia - 14926km / 9276mi
    Moscow, Russia - 635km / 395mi
    New York, NY, USA - 6895km / 4285mi
    Singapore, Singapore - 8984km / 5584mi
    Tokyo, Japan - 7604km / 4726mi
    Toronto, Canada - 6858km / 4262mi