2-588-410 - The Photo Collector/Heritage Images

Tourist boats on the River Neva in front of the Peter and Paul Fortress, St Petersburg, Russia, 2011. The Peter and Paul Fortress was built in 1703 during the Northern War fought between Russia and her allies and Sweden. The fortress was never actually required during the war and from 1720 onwards served as the St Petersburg garrison and as a prison for high-ranking and political prisoners. The fortress contains the Peter and Paul Cathedral, built between 1712 and 1733, which has a 123 metre high bell tower (pictured). The cathedral is the burial place of all the Russian Tsars from Peter I to Alexander III, and the remains of the murdered Nicholas II and his family were interred in the Romanov family crypt in 1998.