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St. Petersburg (13)
The Fourth biggest city in Europe with 5,5 million inhabitants but also the historical and cultural city of Russia. The city was founded 1703 by Peter the Great celebrated its 300 years anniversary during 2003. The foundation and European influence made it famous as the cultural center of Russia and the Capital during nearly 200 years during the Romanov dynasty prior to the revolution. The city has been called the Venice of the North due to all canals and bridges along the Neva River and canals as well as the Window to the West, the gateway to the East and many more. The city is created by five major Islands and the centre is rather small around all main attractions, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Palace Square, Peter & Paul Fortress, St. Isaac’s Cathedral which all surrounds the Neva River and the main street Nevsky Prospect as well as the major Hotels which all are on walking distance. The development since the name change from Leningrad to St. Petersburg is amazing and still continues rapidly to change with an active reconstructions and refreshing of buildings and facades which adds the feeling of "Energy & Development" into the fastest growing economy in Europe. Around the city cottages and summer resorts are developing quickly especially around the beaches and the costs. The closeness to Europe but with its distinctive difference makes the city exotic also compared with other European cities and within a short reach from all European travel hubs. A city for shopping & entertainment! The majority of shops and stores are opened during weekends and late evenings (7-9pm) with a lot of 24 hours food convenient stores. In addition to souvenir shops there are plenty of fashion and design stores and Russian Fur fashion). The cities’ many restaurants, bars, lounges and night spots offers a wide variety of entertainment with wine and dined opportunities, theme bars jazz lounges and maybe even some of the best European restaurants? The night life starts after midnight and keeps going until early morning. The interest in St. Petersburg has not only attracted investments such as Car companies, breweries and deluxe products lines but also the economical life with G8 meetings 2003 & 2006 again focused on the importance to the Baltic Sea Gate as well as new built hotels not only catering for the deluxe segment with many new project planned to expand for visitors. The most exciting project confirmed are the creation of a second stage for Marinsky theatre and the development of the nearby New Holland to become a cultural, congress and entertainment centre.
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Moscow (10)
A city in Change! Moscow is the biggest city in Europe and the Capital of Russian Federation founded in 1147. The official birthday is celebrated the first weekend of September (September 4th) with fireworks and manifestation in the centre and Tverskaya Street. The population has grown from a million people in the beginning of 1900 to 11,5 million people. The city covers an area of 1,100 km2 (683 miles2) with a city border of 109 km (67 miles). There are 3.500 streets covering a total of 4.535 km (2817 miles) and with a walking speed of 5km (3.1 miles) / hour it will take 6 weeks of non-stop walking. The longest street is Warshavskoe Prospect and the shortest Lazy Street. There are 1.290 traffic lights and 424 underground passages. In 2005 there were more then 3 million vehicles registered and Russia is generally considered to be the fastest growing car market in the world.. The Moscow Metro is the 5th largest regarding amount of stations and covers 292 km (181 miles) of lines and more then 150 stations and transports more the 9.5 million passengers yearly. 5 airports (Shermemetievo 1 & 2, Vnukovo and Domodedovo 1 & 2 handing more then 13 million passengers with direct flights connecting Moscow to 112 countries. There are 9 railroad stations handling 45 million passengers yearly. The city has 32.000 dwelling houses and 39.000 other buildings. The tallest building is Ostankino TV tower – 539 meters (1768 ft) (51.400 tons). The plans to build Russia Tower 648 m (2126 ft) in central Moscow becoming Highest building in the world has been replaced by Moscow City Tower 600 meter (1968 ft) – to be the highest building in Europe by far (2011) replacing the present 264 meters (866 ft) high Triumph Palace in Sokol district of Moscow (2003) and the present construction of the 274 m (899 ft) Capital Tower (ready 2008). But also many buildings from the Soviet Area is demolished such as the Swimming Pool where it was rebuilt the Cathedral of Christ of Savior t in 2 years on the original place. The Intoruist Hotel (replace by Ritz Carlton Hotel, The Moskva Hotel (replaced by Four Season Hotel, Sport Hotel and now Rossija Hotel and other not attractive buldings are going to be demolished according to plans. The city is centered on the Kremlin, the Red square and the famous Cathedrals at the Moskva River connecting the city with the Baltic Sea with an actual sea or river port at the city boarder. There are 5 Ring roads around the Kremlin (The inner Ring -one way street -, the second ring, the garden ring and MKAD as well as the project with a outer ring road catering for the more then 3 million vehicles registered in Moscow. Crossing the city is the Leningradskoe Prospect arriving to the city centre under the name Tveskaya Ulitza leading the way to the Kremlin from the North East. In the city surroundings; Tolstoy's country home, the cities on the Golden Ring (Sergiev Possad, Rostov Veliki, Jaroslav, Kostroma).There are 159 bridges over 200 Theatres and more then 150 museums holding more then 13 million exhibits and visited by more then 14 million people yearly. Moscow has one of the fastest growing economical centers in the world with an active business life with an enormous changing profile / skyline. Investments in making the city looking more and more beautiful with green areas building, facade lightning, demolishing of Soviet Style buildings, water fountains in the River and building on a new skyline in Moscow and many new restaurants, deluxe hotels and night spot.
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Sochi (9)
Sochi is a multicultural city of 400,000 inhabitants representing more than 100 nationalities. Often referred to as the «Russian Riviera», Sochi has a rich heritage as the nation’s major Black Sea port city, resort destination and a prominent cultural centre.Set between the golden shores of the Black Sea and the soaring snow-capped Caucasus mountains, Sochi offers visitors a unique taste of coastal and mountain living, all with a distinct Russian flavor. Sochi is a treasure among winter sport enthusiasts, who return every year to explore its pristine alpine valleys and skiing trails. Beautiful weather and an abundance of powdery snow are not the only reason to visit Sochi. The area’s endless beaches, national parks, imposing architecture, mineral baths, arts festivals and lively café culture have made the city an elegant haven for artists, executives, families and athletes alike. Located on the coast of the Black Sea, Sochi is in close proximity to both the European and Asian continents and is a convenient gateway to Eurasia. As such, Sochi has hosted a number of regional and European meetings, including the Russia-EU Summit last year. Today, with passion and commitment, Sochi is seeking the opportunity to host the biggest event in its history, the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will transform the city into a world-class destination and Russia’s first-ever winter sport capital.
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