Peterhof is one of St. Petersburg's most famous attractions, known as the "Russian Versailles". It has a grand palace and extensive gardens and fountains. Pavlovsk was given as a gift to Emperor Paul and features many beautiful pavilions and landscapes. St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and features colorful onion domes commemorating military victories.

1. Russia

2. Architecture in Russia

3. Peterhof One of St. Petersburg's most famous and popular visitor attractions. The palace and park at Peterhof (also known as Petrodvorets) are often referred to as "the Russian Versaille“. The Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade. Like almost all St. Petersburg's suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers and over 1,000 volunteers.

4. Pavlovsk In 1777 the Empress Catherine II gave this land as a gift to her son Paul the future emperor of Russia. In 1780 the creation of Pavlovsk Grounds started with putting the park and the pavilions. The Three Graces pavilion, the Enclosure, the Apollo Collonade, the Big Cascade and many other masterpieces were built there. The Italian Staircase, the Piel Tower, the Amphitheatre, the Ruins Cascad were also created at the time. In the beginning of the XIXth century the Air Theatre, the Viskontiev and Piel Tower Bridges, The Pink Pavilion and the Gates, the Farm, the Mausoleum of Peter III, the Mourning Gates appeared.

5. St. Basil’s Cathedral The famous St. Basil's Cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and built on the edge of Red Square between 1555 and 1561. Legend has it that on completion of the church the Tsar ordered the architect, Postnik Yakovlev, to be blinded to prevent him from ever creating anything to rival its beauty again. The cathedral was built to commemorate Ivan the Terrible's successful military campaign against the Tartar Mongols St. Basil's is a delightful array of swirling colors and redbrick towers. Its design comprises nine individual chapels, each topped with a unique onion dome and each commemorating a victorious assault on the city of Kazan.

6. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior The enormous gleaming golden dome and gigantic structure of the newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior is visible from all over central Moscow. The original Cathedral was built by the architect Konstantin Ton. Commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars. The church was later demolished in 1933 on Stalin's orders, but was built anew in the 1990s. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior was originally commissioned by Emperor Alexander I

7. Kazan Cathedral Built in 1636 in honor of the Kazanskaya Icon and to commemorate Tsar Mikhail Romanov's victory over the Poles and Lithuanians. The Kazanskaya Icon is one of the city's most precious icons and was discovered by a 9-year-old girl. During the Time of Troubles Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharin carried the icon from Yaroslavl on a liberation march to Moscow. After a 5-day siege of the Kitai Gorod area of the city, the Poles were defeated and Russia spared.

8. Conclusion Russia is a very intricate country with many beautiful sights to see.