The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul

On top of the cathedrals’ gilded spire stands a golden angel holding a cross. This weathervane makes it one of the most prominent symbols of St Petersburg and the highest building in the city – or until Gazprom builds its skyscraper on the banks of the Neva.

Built on Sayachii Ostrov inside the Fortress of the same name which was the first thing Peter the Great built in St. Petersburg. For many years it served as a high security political prison - Dostoyevsky, Gorky and Trotsky were all inmates at one time or the other.

The cathedral is also the last resting place for the Romanov family. They are all there including Nicholas II and his family who were killed in 1918 by the Bolsheviks and then buried in various locations. There is a special room – shown above - reserved for them. You are not allowed to go inside but our guide thought it appropriate to tell us that ‘It took a hell of a long time to sort out all their bones!’

Moving on she added, ‘If you believe in science and DNA identification they are all there. However if you don’t it becomes quite interesting especially in the case of Anastasia . . . ‘