St. Petersburg was founded at the estuary of the small Zayachy Island on May 27,1703. Russian Tzar Peter the Great personally supervised the construction and named the city after his patron saint. In 1712-1713 the Tzar's Court and government offices moved there from Moscow and made St. Petersburg the capital of the Russian Empire. In 1918 the capital was moved back to Moscow. Today St. Petersburg is a city of major industrial enterprises, scientific centers, higher educational establishments, theater and world-renowned museums. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
