Saint Petersburg. The northern capital of Russia
Saint Petersburg is located in northwestern Russia on the shores of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. For this reason, the city is called Russia's northern capital. Saint Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great over 300 years ago. Today, it is the second-largest city in the country. Saint Petersburg is also called the cultural capital of Russia, a status it confirmed in 2020 by winning the World Travel Awards' "Global Leading Cultural Destination" award, beating out cities such as Paris, London, Rome, Venice, New York, and others.