History of Saint Petersburg
Founded by Tsar Peter the Great on 27 May 1703. It became capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1712–1728, 1732–1918). St. Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Bolshoy Zayatsky Island
While Peter was on the Solovetsky islands thousands of peasants were building a road through Karelian forest. When the road was finished Peter the Great lead his troops to Onega and then Ladoga lake. In 1702 and 1703 he captured two important Swedish fortresses of Neva River (Nöteborg and Nyenskans) and founded Peter and Paul fortress that gave birth to the city of St. Petersburg.