From its 1703 foundation by Peter the Great in a swampy war zone to its leading role in overthrowing Soviet power and bringing Russia into the twenty-first century, St Petersburg has undergone several transformations.

Virtually commanded into existence by Peter the Great, the inherent artifice of St Petersburg has made it one of the world's most storied cities - the stage for political and artistic dreamers. As such, it had a leading role in nineteenth-century cultural life, but with the Russian Revolution of 1917 its glorious history descended into violence and bloodshed. During the Second World War, Leningrad suffered further atrocities in the form of a horrific Nazi siege. Yet it has remained rich in cultural, intellectual and architectural history. It has been home to greats such as Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and Nijinsky - figures who were gifted with great creativity and passion, and who were often dissatisfied with Russian traditions.

These characters are explored by the author, together with the beguiling physical appearance of the city - canals, bridges, promenades and palaces - but the most lively writing hones in on the interplay between power and intellect, reaction and reform. Arthur George brings to life a St Petersburg steeped in a tumult of war, revolution and aesthetics, and shows it rising from the ashes to help lead Russia on the path to modernisation.

A history of St. Petersburg

Reviews

'Arthur George's book is an outstanding accomplishment, in the best tradition of grand history. He has succeeded marvelously in capturing what this complex city is all about. Both well researched and entertaining, this is the best book about St. Petersburg that I have read in a long time.' - Blair Ruble, Director, Kennan Institute of Advanced Russian Studies at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington DC

'Arthur George does a remarkable job of weaving together a wide range of sources to tell the multifaceted story of the city engagingly and in a way that has never been done before. He conjures up the city's past in all its diversity, illuminating the many ways that the past lives on in the present. If I were traveling to St. Petersburg for the first time, this is the book I would want to read.' - Barbara Alpern Engel, Chair, Department of History, University of Colorado

'In chronicling St. Petersburg's first three centuries, Arthur George confidently anchors the city's vibrant story within the larger narrative of Russian and Soviet history. This sweeping account represents an accomplished labor of love that will engage, enlighten, entertain - and provoke, in the very best sense of the word.' - Donald J. Raleigh, Professor of Russian History, University of North Carolina

'Arthur George captures the exciting events, passions and brilliance of the Northern Capital's history with the dispassionate, yet interested, hand of a true historian, in a style that his readers will find stimulating and fascinating.' - Irwin Weil, Professor of Russian and Russian Literature, Northwestern University

'An astonishing accomplishment satisfying on many levels, this book is shaped by a unifying vision and rests on a broad knowledge of Russian history, written sources, and intimate personal familiarity with St. Petersburg as a living organism. Its judicious use of entertaining detail vividly recreates specific times, events, places, and personalities, while its historical analysis linking past and present is thought-provoking yet balanced, and refreshingly free of emotional ballast or visionary agendas.' - C. Nicholas Lee, Professor Emeritus, Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Colorado

'Reading the last chapters was like reliving my youth!' - Boris Andreyev, Honoured Statesman of the Arts of Russia, Assistant Professor, St Petersburg University of Cinematography and Television

Awards
Winner of Antsiferov Prize winner 2005 (Russian Federation).



Book Information
ISBN 9781803997988
Author Arthur George
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd