1. Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral: The royal burial vault and the city's talisman
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Founded in 1703, Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is St. Petersburg's oldest church – and it’s the tallest church in the historic part of the town as well, with its gilded spire reaching a height of 122.5 meters. At present, construction of taller buildings in the city center is forbidden by law.
Peter the Great, the first Russian emperor and the founder of St. Petersburg, wanted the main cathedral of the new Russian capital to be taller than the Belfry of Ivan the Great in the Kremlin – the tallest landmark of the old capital. Even before the cathedral was completed, he ordered that the new royal burial vault be established within its walls, not in Moscow. Almost all the Russian emperors are buried in the cathedral, starting from Peter the Great himself to Nicholas II, who was brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
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The gilded angel that crowns the spire of the cathedral is one of the most recognizable symbols of St. Petersburg. It’s also the city’s talisman. The industrial climbers who renovated the cathedral in 1997 discovered a note inside the angel from their predecessors, the 1960s renovation team. In the note, the former team of workers complained of pressing deadlines and low wages. This discovery started a new tradition: Every time a team of renovators climbs the spire, they leave a message to their future colleagues - 122 meters off the ground.
Tip: At midnight and at noon, the carillon on the cathedral belfry chimes the national hymn, and in the summer, carillon concerts are held in the square in front of the cathedral.