Erected on the grounds of the eponymous fortress, the magnificent Peter and Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg marks the 300th anniversary today.

      Designed by Domenico Trezzini and built between 1712 and 1723, in Peter the Great's lifetime, the cathedral is an elegant Baroque building in yellow and white colours. It was the first stone church in Petersburg and is considered the world's tallest Orthodox cathedral. The impressive bell-tower is decorated with an angel holding the cross, an important St. Petersburg symbol.

      Since 18th c. nearly all Russian emperors and tsarinas had been buried in the cathedral. The remains of Nicholas II family were interrred there in 2000; and in 2006 the Empress of Russia was reinterred in the cathedral, 28 years after her death in the exile.

      Since 1924 the cathedral has been a museum; religious services were partly resumed in 2000. St. Petersburg City government dedicated a special events programme to celebrate the anniversary of one of the city's principal landmarks. One of the exhibition trails the stately visits to the cathedral and the fortress by the foreign rulers and ministers.

      Source: RoadPlanet, Wikipedia.