On the 27^th of May 1703 the first Russian Emperor Peter the Great founded a new capital of a new Empire. This city was supposed to inherit the rights of destroyed Eastern Roman Empire. Saint Petersburg was supposed to become the Fourth Rome. Even in the time of Peter's ÌGreat Embassy» along Europe in 1697-1698 Russia started rapprochement to the Western world. Roman-Catholics and Protestants received a right to enter Russia and to build their churches at its territory. A lot of Dutch, German, English French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese people were invited by the legendary Tzar Peter the First to the newly born capital of Russia. They started building churches, and along Nevsky Avenue, the main street of the city you can see now churches of all Christian Confessions. Our Lady of Kazan Russian Orthodox cathedral, St.Catherine of Alexandria Roman-Catholic cathedral, Dutch Reformed church, St.Catherine Armenian church, St.Catherine Swedish Lutheran church, German Lutheran-Evangelical church.

After October 1917 Revolution most of the churches were either closed or destroyed. Broken icons and Church utilities were thrown at the Churchyards, rare icons with golden cases, decorated with precious stones were sold abroad or simply taken away by the new authorities. Priests were either killed without taking into court or sent in twenty four hours to Siberia.

During the Second World War Saint-Petersburg suffered greatly. 900 days and nights the city was besieged by Nazi troops. No food, no running water, no central heating was in the city. For more than three years people were dying out. More than 3 millions of people died during the blockade. All the Churches except Saint Nicholas Navy cathedral were closed. In Saint Nicholas Cathedral there were held liturgies daily and processions around the cathedral with the icon.

In 1945 the War was over, and the city started to rise from ruins. For less than a decade Russian Church felt relative freedom. In the sixties purses intensified and only in the end of eighties after the celebration of the Millennium of the Russian Christianity Christians in the Soviet Union received real religious freedom. Churches, cathedrals, monasteries and convents get their second birth. Together with parochial Renaissance radio TEOS takes an active part in the Renaissance of the Christian life of the Northern Venice, Saint Petersburg.

Currently Saint Petersburg is a city of about 5 million inhabitants, recognized as a cultural centre of the Russian Federation. Saint Petersburg is a city of famous museums and churches. Among them are the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, Saint-Isaac's cathedral, Resurrection Church on the Spilled Blood and Saint-Nicholas Cathedral. Suburbs of Saint Petersburg, such as Peterhof, Tzarskoje Selo, Gatchina and Pavlovsk are also famous all over the world. In Saint Petersburg there are several institutes and the State University that makes the city scientific centre of the country.

Saint Petersburg is a city of the highly developed economy. There is a big seaport, lots of factories and enterprises. On the 17^th of August 1998 financial crisis occurred in Russia. So many factories were closed and a lot of people lost their jobs. National currency fell down. Retired persons, children, big families became unprotected in facing the crisis. Russian social structures are not well- developed enough to help the poor, so the Church plays a very important role in charity work.