St. Petersburg is the world's largest city north of Moscow, it is 300 years old with a rich and exciting history. St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is called the Venice of the North or the Paris of the East. St. Petersburg was started by Peter the Great in 1703 to be the Window on Europe, combined its fascinating Russian heritage with a distinctly European outlook. Saint Petersburg is the cultural heart of modern day Russia and one of the Great Cities of Europe. Saint Petersburg is built on more than 100 islands created by rivers, creeks, canals, gulfs, lakes and there are more than 300 bridges of different sizes, styles and constructions. Every night during the navigation period 22 bridges across Neva and main canals are drawn to pass ships in and out of the Baltic Sea.