Italian architects gave St Petersburg its distinctive look, but its flavour is distinctly Russian.
In later years Moscow became their secondary base, after Peter the Great founded his new capital St Petersburg.
He comes from Mr Putin's native St Petersburg and studied law at the same university.
In St Petersburg on Wednesday President Putin handed out the first batch of golden medals.
Eclipsed by the economic powerhouse of Moscow, St Petersburg feels a bit like a large museum.
So consider this our back to the future guide to St Petersburg, past to present.
But you have to experience St Petersburg's past to be able to appreciate its present.
The economic crisis in Russia has implications reaching far beyond Moscow, St Petersburg and Novgorod.
The race will be run over 37, 000 miles and ends in St Petersburg next June.
In 1917, when Natalie was 16, the Russian revolution was ignited in nearby St Petersburg.
From 1990 he worked in the St Petersburg administration before moving to Moscow in 1996.
According to Pushkin himself, life began when he joined the Lyceum school in St Petersburg.
Fellow English team Liverpool almost staged a memorable comeback to beat Zenit St Petersburg .
He will also hold a meeting with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, in St Petersburg.
Back in St Petersburg, clean young Mr Datsuk says he has never heard of Mr Gulen.
G8 summit in St Petersburg in July, or obstructing Russian membership of the World Trade Organisation?
ECONOMIST: Russia and the West: In search of a Putin policy | The
Unlike its parvenu neighbour, St Petersburg, Novgorod city is of manageable size, and tightly run.
He worked alongside Mr Putin in St Petersburg's mayoral office and has not left his side since.
Unless time is an issue, any trip between Moscow and St Petersburg should be done via train.
Opening 20 April, the W St Petersburg is the first for the chain in Eastern Europe.
St Petersburg is the first leg of Mr Koizumi's seven-day trip to Europe which started on Thursday.
Born in St Petersburg in 1952, Vladimir Putin began his career in the KGB, the secret police.
The Berlins later moved to Russia and were living in St Petersburg when Lenin staged his revolution.
The best thing they can do in St Petersburg is to say as much loudly and clearly.
ECONOMIST: A few things the West should tell Mr Putin, when it has his ear
Most of them, including Mr Navalny, were released unharmed (the police were more brutal in St Petersburg).
One bank, Menatep, closed, only to reopen as a new, debt-free, legal entity based in St Petersburg.
The artefacts are now spread across the world, in major museums in Beijing, London, Paris and St Petersburg.
The question for western leaders at the St Petersburg summit is: what can we do about all this?
ECONOMIST: A few things the West should tell Mr Putin, when it has his ear
"Ruthless", "devastating" and the "saviour of boxing" were some of the milder plaudits lauded on the St Petersburg man.
The train from Moscow to St Petersburg may have been just another victim.
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