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    Awaiting Your Return From Shore |  Founded by Peter I in 1703, this 
              beautiful city became the designated capital of Imperial Russia 
              from 1712 to 1914. The Tsar’s brainchild was built according to 
              his plans after draining swampland on the Gulf of Finland. His 
              friends were required to construct their palaces along these newly 
              created canals. The result was a gateway to the West and a 
              distinctly European metropolis with Baroque and neo-classical 
              mansions. St. Petersburg’s new cultural life attracted such great 
              figures as Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky and Tolstoy. 
 At the start of World War I, the city’s name was changed to 
              Petrograd; in 1924, it was renamed Leningrad in honor of the 
              USSR’s first premier, Vladimir Lenin. During World War II, 
              Leningrad heroically endured a siege by the Nazis for 900 days and 
              lost nearly one million people. The brave but battered population 
              did not fully recover until the 1960s.
 
 Following 75 years of communist rule, the political upheaval and 
              subsequent changes in 1991 truly astonished the world and brought 
              a new outlook to this city. In the wake of the ensuing events, 
              Leningrad reclaimed its original name, St. Petersburg; it is being 
              restored to its former glory.
 
 The second-largest city in Russia and the country’s principal 
              seaport, St. Petersburg boasts some of the world’s finest art 
              museums, opulent palaces and one of the world’s most talented 
              ballet companies. Many monuments and palaces in and around St. 
              Petersburg are being carefully restored; they represent an 
              important facet of the country’s rich historical and cultural 
              heritage. Some of the world’s most magnificent art treasures are 
              housed in the famous Hermitage; several other museums boast fine 
              collections by Russian and international artists.
 
 Strolling down Nevsky Prospect, you will realize the pride of St. 
              Petersburg’s stoic citizens as the former glamour and opulence of 
              its stately buildings begin to emerge once again.
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    Awaiting Your Return 
    From Shore | 
  
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    Complimentary 
    Spirits Await | 
    
    Return to Your 
    Suite and Sail Away to The Next Adventure | 
    
    Entertainment 
    and Dancing Await You |