St. Petersburg
Saint-Petersburg, is the second largest city in Russia, politically incorporated as a federal subject (a federal city). It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. In 1914 the name of the city was changed from Saint-Petersburg to Petrograd, in 1924 to Leningrad, and in 1991, back to Saint-Petersburg. In Russian literature, informal documents, and discourse, the word "Saint" is usually omitted, leaving "Petersburg". In casual conversation Russians may drop the "burg" as well, referring to it as "Piter". Saint-Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27 1703. Between 1713-1728 and 1732-1918, Saint-Petersburg was the imperial capital of Russia. In 1918 the central government bodies moved from Saint-Petersburg (then named Petrograd) to Moscow. It is Russia's 2nd largest city after Moscow with 5 million inhabitants (2012) and the fourth most populated federal subject...