The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, constructed in 1703. Its gilded, angel-topped cupola stretches high into the sky to symbolize Russia's aspiration to become a European power.

The Fortress was constructed during the Northern War, but it has never seen a real battle. Destiny had a different design for it. Instead, The Cathedral of Peter and Paul's Fortress was used as a burial place for Russian tsars. The Fortress itself was used as a prison for high-ranking political prisoners under the tsars. The Bolsheviks used it to prepare an attack on the Winter Palace in 1917, which resulted in 70 years of communist rule.

Discover the Peter and Paul Fortress on one of our tours to St. Petersburg