Into
St. Petersburg was founded on May 27, 1703, on the lands which had historically
belonged to Novgorod the Great. Peter I, the founder of St. Petersburg, intended to
reform the economy of Russia and establish close economic, cultural and technical
cooperation with more developed European countries. The capital of the Russian State
since 1712, St. Petersburg was meant to play a special role of the country’s centre of
science, culture, industry and transportation.
St. Petersburg is the second (after Moscow) largest city of the Russian Federation
and the administrative center of the Northwest Federal District, the only Russian
region, having a lengthy border with the EU countries.
The area of the city is 606 km2, totaling 1439 km2 with the nearest suburbs,
located on the low-lands, lying along the River Neva and the Gulf of Finland. The
length from the North to the South is 44 km, from the West to the East – 25 km. The
population of the city is 5.123 million people (3,2% of the total population of Russia),
In 2013 according to the Finance Act (everything specified) the revenues of the city
amounted to RUR 380.8 billion (US$11.64 billion, 8.48 billion Euros), expenses amounted
to RUR 405.8 billion. (US$ 12.4 billion, EUR 9.03 billion). The actual figures on the
reporting date (December 1, 2013) are as follows: revenues – RUR 391.1 billion
(around US$ 11.96 billion, EUR 8.71 billion), expenses – RUR 426.6 billion. (around
US$ 13.04 billion, EUR 9.5 billion.). The budget deficit contracted to RUR 35.4 billion.
The city has a well-developed infrastructure, uniting public and business sectors
in economy, scientific and social spheres. In 2013 according to early outlook the inner
industrial growth (IIG) amounted to RUR 2 599.7 billion, (US$ 79.5 billion, EUR 57.8
billion). The organizations’ turnover in all types of economic activities was equal to
RUR 6 505 billion (US$ 198.9 billion, EUR 144.8 billion). In 2013 industrial growth
rates were higher than average within Russia. The Industrial Production Index was
89.7% (versus 2012), reaching 98,4% in processing industry. The processing industry
supplied products being RUR 2 133 billion worth (98,1% to the level of 2012).
The city is involved in extensive foreign economic activities: in 2013 it traded
with 193 countries. In January-December 2013 St. Petersburg foreign trade
amounted to US$ 54 billion (nonregistering turnover with Customs Union’s countries).
St. Petersburg companies exported goods being US$ 19.1 billion worth
ST. PETERSBURG
Reference Information4 5
to 167 countries (in comparison with 2012 the export volume decreased by 7,4%).
The import volume also decreased 3%, totaling US$ 34.9 billion. The major trade
partners of St. Petersburg in 2013 were: China, Germany, Finland, Netherlands,
Japan, Korea, and Great Britain. The major trade partners of St. Petersburg among CIS
countries were: Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. In 2013 St. Petersburg
also traded with the Customs Union’s countries: Belarus and Kazakhstan.
In 2013 1217 large and medium-sized companies involving foreign capital
operated in the city.
St. Petersburg pays much attention to its cooperation with partner-cities and
regions of the foreign countries. Nowadays 91 foreign cities and 27 foreign regions
have bilateral agreements on cooperation with St. Petersburg.
The city has 64 foreign Consulates, the offices of 24 regions and 2 cities of Russian
Federation.
The following international organizations are represented in St. Petersburg:
the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly, the Information Bureau of the Nordic Council
of Ministers, offices of international funds and unions and UN organizations.
The city hosts branches of international institutes of culture, such as the German
Goethe Institute, the French Institute, the Institute of Finland, the Dutch Institute,
the Danish Cultural Institute, the Israeli Cultural center, the Italian Cultural Institute.
St. Petersburg also hosts the Polish House and the House of Finland, representative
offices of Stockholm and Helsinki. The expansion of economic cooperation is boosted
by the foreign Chambers of Commerce and Business centers.
Story
An efficient way of developing international and foreign trade relations
of St. Petersburg is participation of its representatives in the work of international
regional organizations. St. Petersburg is a member of the Union of Baltic Cities, the
Baltic Metropolis Network, Organization for Sub-Regional Cooperation of the Baltic Sea
States, the Baltic Sea Tourism Commission. The city cooperates with such inter-state
organizations as: the Council of the Baltic States and Nordic Council of Ministers as well
as the Forum of the Coastal Regions of Europe, the Baltic Development Forum, and the
Baltic Sea Chambers of Commerce Association. Since 1998, St. Petersburg has been
an associated member of the International Association of Congress Centers. In 2009,
St. Petersburg joined the European Coalition of Cities against Racism.
The St. Petersburg hotel complex consists of 687 venues (including mini-hotels
and hostels) providing 28,0 rooms. In 2013 St. Petersburg was visited by 6,2 million
Russian tourists (1% growth as compared to 2012).
St. Petersburg has one airport and five railway stations. On December 4, 2013
the new Terminal 1 at Pulkovo Airport began operations. The first flight was carried
to Dusseldorf by Rossiya Airlines at 10:30 am. The total area of the terminal exceeds
110,000 sq. m and it has a maximum capacity of 17 million passengers per year.
The regional airline routes go from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans and cover more
than 150 cities of the world. The «Rossiya airlines» OJSC, registered in St. Petersburg,
has its offices in dozens of foreign cities. There are sea trade and passenger ports as well
as a river port, operating in the city. St. Petersburg sea port is one of the largest ports
in Russia being a world-wide dynamic, modern and multifunctional center, the largest
transportation hub in the North-West of Russia. The port has a favorable geographical
location, being situated on the islands of the Neva river delta, in the eastern part
of the Baltic Sea, which allows to substantially decrease transportation, transit and
other costs. The port is connected with the Sea by the Marine Channel, stretching for
27 sea miles, providing a year-round navigation. The city has connections with the
other world ports through 18 regular lines. St. Petersburg is a major transit center with
two Euro-Asian transport corridors going through it – “North-South” and “Transsib”,
a pan-European transport corridor № 9, and the European highway E-18, spanning
Scandinavia with the center of Russia.
St. Petersburg is a major center of the world and the Russian culture. It has
accumulated a unique cultural and historic heritage, more than 80% of the landmarks
of the XVIII-XIX centuries. According to UNESCO, St. Petersburg ranks 8th in the list
of the most popular and attractive world cities, and it is no wonder because it was
created by the genius of the best architects and builders from Russia, Italy, France, 6 7
Germany, Holland, Sweden. It is hard to name a European country, architects and
builders of which have not been working in St. Petersburg. 36 complexes, uniting about
4000 outstanding landmarks of architecture, history and culture on St. Petersburg
territory, are included into the UNESCO World Heritage List.
There are 693 public educational institutions, bringing together 389 thousand
children.
St. Petersburg is a major Russian centre of science and education, accumulating
more than 10% of its scientific capacity. It hosts more than 320 science and research
organizations, including more than 65 research institutions of the Russian Academy
of Sciences and other state academies, more than 250 state institutions, involved
in research and development, 10 state research centers. More than 186thousand
specialists work in scientific and higher educational institutions, including 8 thousand
Doctors of Sciences and 28 thousand Candidates of Sciences.
The system of higher and secondary vocational education includes 40 public
civil universities, 44 private universities, 29 public and 5 private vocational colleges
(including structural divisions of universities, providing vocational training). The total
number of students involved in all kinds of education types is 345 thousand people.
|
INFO DATA
St. Petersburg is located at the eastern tip of the Gulf of Finland. Geographical coordinates of
the city center are 59° 57' North latitude and 30° 19' East longitude. St. Petersburg, situated at the
junction of sea, river and land routes, is the Russia’s gateway to Europe, its strategic center and the
closest city to the European Union countries. Inland waters cover about 10% of the city.
Area (with administratively subordinated territories) covers 1439 km?.
Population is 5 million and 123,6 thousand people (as of 1 December 2013 according to
Petrostat data). St. Petersburg is the second (after Moscow) largest city of the Russian Federation and
the third largest city (after Moscow and London) in Europe.
St. Petersfurg is the administrative center of the North-West Federal District, which has
significant natural resource potential, highly developed industry and dense transportation network,
providing links of the Russian Federation with the outside world through sea ports in the Baltic and the
Arctic Ocean.
The city hosts the following institutions:
• The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation;
• regional offices of federal ministries and departments;
• representation of 24 entities and 2 cities in the Russian Federation;
• 64 consular offices of foreign countries;
• offices of international organizations: CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Inter-Parliamentary
Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community, the Information Office of the Nordic Council of
Ministers, representatives of international organizations, funds and associations, UN agencies and
representative offices and branches of international banks.
• offices of international cultural institutions: the Goethe German Cultural Center, the French Institute,
the Finnish Institute, the Dutch Institute, the Danish Cultural Institute, the Israeli Cultural Center and the
Italian Cultural Institute.
• Poland’s House and Finnish House, representative of Stockholm and Helsinki;
• Representatives of chambers of commerce and business centers of foreign countries. |
Culture
St. Petersburg has significant historical and cultural heritage that ensures social stability and
harmonization of interethnic and interfaith relations, promotes the creative potential and spiritual
development of the individual and society as a whole.
Culture makes an important contribution to the city economic revitalization, creating jobs,
attracting investments and developing new sectors - cultural tourism and creative industries.
St. Petersburg is the cultural center of global importance, wherein are housed 8,464 objects of
cultural heritage (historical and cultural monuments), including the 4,213 objects of cultural heritage of
federal importance, comprising nearly 10% of all the State-protected monuments within the Russian
Federation. The city has a strong network of cultural institutions: museums, theaters, libraries, art
galleries and concert halls. Namely, thanks to the Hermitage, the Marinsky Theatre, National Library of
Russia, the Russian Museum, Peter and Paul Fortress, the Maly Drama Theatre and St. Isaac's Cathedral
St. Petersburg is among ten the most attractive cities to visit in the world. The historic center of St.
Petersburg is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Culture is the strategic potential of St. Petersburg as multifunctional city of European standards
integrated into Russian and world economy. |
|
Innovation area
Today, St. Petersburg is not only a scientific and educational center of Russia, but also one of the
leading innovation-active regions of the country.
Number of organizations involved in research and development, as well as the number of
researchers is growing every year. In 2011, according to statistics, there were about 350 such
organizations and more than 80 thousand researchers. Furthermore, in 2012 in St. Petersburg were founded 190 advanced manufacturing technologies. At all St. Petersburg enterprises are used more than
5,000 previously founded advanced manufacturing technologies, the majority (45.6%) of them at
processing enterprises.
According to the innovative development rates made by National Research University “Higher School
of Economy” St. Petersburg is in the 2nd place and Moscow is in the 1st
. |
|
|
|
|
