Peter and Paul fortress, Saint Petersburg, Russia VR 360

Comparing to Moscow and many other Russian cities, Saint-Petersburg is rather young. At the time when either Yaroslavl or Vladimir, either Moscow or Suzdal were in the centre of the Russian history, the area of present-day Petersburg was occupied by settlements of hunters, fishermen and farmers. But the territory itself (the mouth of the Neva River and the shore of the Neva Bay) was rather convenient from any point of view. In the 8th-13th centuries the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, connecting Scandinavia and the Byzantine Empire, ran through the Neva River. So it was rather profitable to have fortified constructions right in this place. That was why the Swedes, our closest neighbours, were engaged in long lasting wars for the ownership of these lands.Saint Petersburg became the capital of that Empire. The city was built around the fortress named after Saint Apostle Peter. The construction was carried out along the Neva River by draining swamps in its delta. The buildings were made of both stone and wood. Although the city was not terrified by Swedens anymore, the life was not that quiet. The buildings suffered continuous fires and floods. At some point of time the water reached more than 3 meters above the level of the river, causing irreparable damage to the city and its inhabitants.