KUSSIA. 



801 



containing 3 governments, and the province of Bessarabia ; Western Russia, composed of 7 

 governments and 1 province ; and J'^astern Russia, comprising 8 governments.* 



14. Toicns. St. Petersburg., the metropolis of the Russian empire, is situated at the east- 

 ern extremity of the Gulf of Finland, and is built partly upon the mainland, and partly upon 

 some small islands near the mouth of the Neva ; one of its entrances is adorned with a mag- 

 nificent triumphal arch. The foundation of the city is extremely marshy, and so low as to 



Vie20 of the Palace. 



Entrance to one of the Palaces. 



subject the 

 by Peter th 

 of the city 



city 



e G 

 are 



to frequent inundations from the waters of the gulf.f It was founded in 1703, 

 reat, the spot being then occupied only by a few fishermen's huts. The streets 

 from 70 to 150 feet wide, and are mostly intersected by spacious canals, em- 

 banked by parapets of hewn stone, and 

 spanned at convenient distances by arched 

 bridges of magnificent construction. The 

 quays along the Neva are remarkably magnifi- 

 cent. The Englisli Quay is nearly 3 miles in 

 length. The city is one of the most beau- 

 tiful and magnificent in the world. The im- 

 perial residence ; the Hermitage, another 

 imperial palace, of a beautiful construction, 

 containing a gallery of paintings, and a cabi- 

 net of gems, ranking among the richest 

 known ; the numerous sumptuous palaces of 

 the imperial family ; the magnificent hotels 

 of the nobles, and the great number of pub- 

 lic edifices, built on a large scale, of rich 

 The English quay. materials, and in a style of great elegance, 



' Governments : — 

 Baltic Provinces. 

 St. Petersburg 

 Esthonin, 

 {.i vonia, 

 Courland. 



Oreiit Russia. 

 Moscow, 

 Smolenskn, 

 PsUof, 

 Oloney., 

 J\ovotjorad, 

 Archangel, 

 Vologda, 

 Kostroma, 



1 The most remarkable of these inundations occurred 

 in November, ]8"24. The Neva rose to an unusual height, 

 overflowed the city and swept away houses, furniture, and 

 good?, doiuc immense dnmn"''^. The destnirfion of life 



101 



Nixni-Novogorod, 



Vladimir, 



Tula, 



Kaluga, 



Tver, 



Jaroslaw, 



Kursk, 



Orel, 



Riasan, 



Tambof, 



Voronelz. 



Little Russia. 

 Kiev, 



Slobodsk-Ukraine, 



TschernigofT, 

 Pullowa. 



Southern Russia. 

 Cherson, 

 Catherinoslav, 

 Taurida, 



Bessarabia, Province. 



Western Riissia. 

 Wilna, 

 Grodno, 

 Witepsk, 

 Mohilev, 

 Minsk, 



Volhynia, 

 I'odolia, 



Bialystok, Province. 



Eastern Rtissia. 

 Kazan, 

 Viatka, 

 Perm, 

 Simbirsk, 

 Penza, 

 Astrachan, 

 Saratov, 

 Oremburg. 



was enormous, and whole villages near the city were to- 

 tally submerged. At Cronstadt, the imperial fleet suffered 

 great injury, and a ship of 100 guns was left in the middl 

 of one of the principal streets. 



