Peter and Paul Fortress is the oldest building in St. Petersburg. Peter the Great decided to build a fort to protect the lands along the Neva River from a possible attack by the Swedish military (Russia was at war with the Swedes at that time). The fortress was founded on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703, and this date is officially recognized as the "birthday" of the city of St. Petersburg.
The Swedes were defeated before construction of the fortress was completed. The fortress was thereafter used as a political prison for the Tsar's enemies (Peter the Great watched as his guards tortured to death his own son, Alexii, in a cell at Peter & Paul...what a nice guy!) and later for the Communists' enemies. The list of famous inmates included Dostoyevsky, Gorkiy, Trotsky, Alexander Ulyanov (Lenin's older brother), and members of the Provisional Government.
On the grounds of the fortress is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a church where most of the Russian Emperors and Empresses are buried.
I don't have many pictures from Peter & Paul because there's really not much to take pictures of...it's basically just stone buildings...and the stuff that is photographable was under scaffolding.
The amusing sign that informs visitors of the rules.
A picture from the P&P "beach". Across the Neva is the Winter Palace.
Another shot of the beach...and a Russian submarine?