Countries maintain diplomatic relations with each other. But what about cities? They, it turns out, also have a certain analogue, although their relationship is mainly related to culture. This phenomenon became known as "twin cities". Petersburg is rightfully considered the cultural capital of the Russian Federation. He also has serious economic and political potential, continuing to argue with Moscow for supremacy. Does it look like Antwerp - a city in Belgium? Or what does it have in common with Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay?
Twin Cities
In difficult times, people come together and seek solace from each other. The Second World War gave rise to the emergence of the so-called sister cities, which maintain friendly and cultural ties with each other. The first such pair was Stalingrad and Coventry, destroyed almost to the ground during the fighting. They exchanged symbolic gifts in the hope of supporting the residents and signed a special agreement. Already in 1957, an international organization was established to deal with the affairs of the sister cities. Today it unites about 3500 settlements in more than 160 countries.
St. Petersburg - Russia's "window to Europe" - has many cultural ties, as well as an impressive list of sister cities: it has almost a hundred of them. There is an amazing variety among them: magnificent Barcelona and Paris, and relatively small Tallinn, Krakow, Aqaba, exotic and mysterious Bangkok and Osaka, as well as many others. You can talk about each of these hundreds of cities for a long time, because they are all interesting and remarkable in their own way and have their own reasons for being on this list.
For example, the strong relationship between St. Petersburg and Hamburg has not weakened, but only strengthened for more than 50 years. Dresden, which houses dozens of art museums, is also connected to the Russian city. Antwerp is also twinned with the northern capital - a city of extraordinary beauty, in which on one of the central squares there is a monument to Peter the Great. Stunning mysterious Edinburgh with its mountains and castles - all of them are worthy of attention. But still, today I would like to tell you about some other sister cities of St. Petersburg.
Warsaw
The appearance of the first settlements on the site of this city dates back to the 10th century. And already in the XVI, Warsaw became the capital of Poland, maintaining this status to this day. The city received a strong connection with St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 19th century, when a postal route was laid, which later became an important transport route. Like Leningrad, Warsaw was seriously damaged during the Second World War, its center was almost completely destroyed.
TodayPoland's capital has been restored and its historic center, like the heart of St. Petersburg, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city received the status of sister cities in 1997, after the collapse of the USSR. Perhaps, first of all, the official consolidation reflects the warming in relations between countries. Perhaps the connection between St. Petersburg and Warsaw is not too strong yet, but the cities have room to strive.
Venice
St. Petersburg has many unofficial names. One of them - Northern Venice - he received for a large number of canals and bridges. Well, what can you say about the original? The first settlements on the local islands appeared in the 6th century, and the city has experienced a lot in its history. It was part of various states, at one time it was independent, it was and remains an important trade and cultural center. The world-famous carnival and film festival are held here, and it is a unique architectural monument in the open air. The beauty of this city is undeniable and recognized by UNESCO. But what else is the St. Petersburg-Venice connection?
Officially cooperation began in 2006 with the signing of the contract. And already in 2013, Venice officially entered the category of "sister cities of St. Petersburg". During the ceremony, the mayors exchanged symbolic gifts and briefly spoke about plans for developing relations. A branch of the Hermitage is expected to open in Venice.
Los Angeles
It would seem that this sunny cityon the Pacific coast has little in common with rainy St. Petersburg. However, they have been twinned since 1990, apparently as part of improved U. S.-Russian relations.
Los Angeles is an important cultural, economic, scientific, educational center of global importance. In addition, one of the largest Russian-speaking communities in the United States lives here, the press is published, shops and restaurants are located. The world-famous Hollywood with its film studios is located in the same city. In a word, the tourist will have something to do here and where to go. And what about other sister cities of St. Petersburg?
Odessa
Perhaps, this is the most colorful and in its own way native city among all those listed today. A major port on the Black Sea, which traces its history back to ancient settlements in the 5th century BC, Odessa, like St. Petersburg, was part of the USSR during the Second World War and was almost completely destroyed during the fighting. Today, the restored center is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the city itself annually receives tens and hundreds of thousands of guests hurrying to its resorts and hospitals.
Odessites are the heroes of folk jokes, and the local language is an explosive mixture of Russian, Moldavian, Ukrainian, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Yiddish. The cultural significance of this city is undeniable and definitely worth a visit.
Odessa is not just included in the category of "sister cities of St. Petersburg", it is its partner, which is not surprising, givenshared past.
Shanghai
For Europeans, this city is a native island in the mysterious east. It seems that it just came from nowhere, although the modern name was mentioned as early as the 9th century. Literally over the past hundred years, this city has developed into the largest seaport and an important financial and cultural center.
At the same time, Shanghai is closely connected with Russia. The first Russian emigrants arrived here in the 19th century, the flow increased after the revolution, when many fled here who became objectionable to the new government. Today, the community consists of several hundred people permanently residing in the city - this is a relatively small number. Nevertheless, they try to preserve their culture and pass it on to their descendants. Sister-city relations with St. Petersburg began in 1988 and were stimulated by reforms that attracted foreign investors to Russia, including from China. Large centers of the Chinese language and culture operate in the northern capital today. Well, the two cities have good prospects in terms of common economic and cultural development.
