Peter the Great

Historiography has invariably placed significant emphasis on the distinctiveness of St. Petersburg as a city of a new type, which subsequently became synonymous with imperial Russia. Numerous scholars posit that the city had historical antecedents in the same geographical region. In recent years, however, a tendency has emerged to consider Taganrog, on the site of which the fortified town Troitsky (Holy Trinity’s Town) was founded in 1699, to be the elder brother of St. Petersburg. On initial consideration, there is ample evidence to support this assertion. Troitsky’s stablishment as the inaugural port city during the reign of Peter the Great, situated on a seashore and following a structured plan for a naval base, substantiates this assertion. Both cities’ origins as border outposts, as well as the location of their construction, being chosen by the Tsar himself, are further similarities. Nevertheless, the historical trajectories of the two cities diverge radically, and the circumstances surrounding their establishment are shrouded in mystery. In 1711, Peter the Great had to sacrifice the elder brother for the sake of the younger brother’s prosperity, since by that time the Baltic plans had become more important for the Tsar than the Black Sea ones. The fortress on Cape Tagan (Tagan Rog), which was revived by Catherine II in 1769, subsequently lost its former military-strategic significance and was transformed into a trading city. Consequently, Taganrog became one of the elements of the anti-Petersburg myth.