The United States is the homeland of migrants. Leaving their homes for the illusory prospects of the New World, they took with them all the best that was somehow connected with their home. A vivid example is the names of settlements. Just think, in America there are several dozen Paris, Manchester and Dublin. There are as many as seventeen cities, proudly called Moscow.
St. Peter
Not without its own St. Petersberg. It does not rise on the granite banks of the river. St. Petersburg in America does not breathe in the chilly Baltic air. But at its disposal are the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. And it is located in the state of Florida. On the territory of the southern "twin" registered about 245 thousand inhabitants. His age is one and a half centuries less than that of the Russian twin. The founding fathers of both Peters were called Peters. On this, perhaps, the similarities end, and striking contrasts begin again.
There are no drawbridges in St. Petersburg in America. But there is one single crossing. She connects the city with the pier. And also the cable-stayed colossus, which meets and escorts travelers. The monument to Peter I, not familiar to us from childhood, rises in the central square, but the figure of Christopher Columbus. However, the man who gave the name to this cozy American town was still called Peter by the name of Dementiev.
In the annals of St. Petersburg in America, he appears as Peter Demens. His origin was admirable, and he himself was a brave and ambitious officer. A brilliant military career was prophesied to him, but early marriage brought about its own corrections. Leaving North Palmyra, he settled with his family in central Russia. After a while, civil life bored him, and he went on a pilgrimage.
How it all began
During his wanderings, he visited the most secluded corners of the planet, but only Florida liked him. At that time, the state had not yet been populated, and land allotments were given for cheap. The enterprising landowner was not at a loss and acquired about 30 hectares for his sole use. Possessing a business vein, he immediately overgrown with farming and began to lead a prosperous, by local standards, life. His settlement grew and developed, and once Peter Demens became mayor.
Among the benefits that he presented to the townspeople was a separate railway line. Its length exceeded three miles. But the aspirations of Peter drew him further south, to the snow-white coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In 1888, he landed in Tampa Bay, establishing a tiny settlement and giving it the name St. Petersburg. This is the story of the birth of this unusual and distant twin city of the Northern capital.
Life and Life of North American Peter
The modern city of St. Petersburg in America has almost completely lost its historical heritage, which testified to its European origin. Today it is a typical southern town, surrounded by greenery and flower beds. Its center is strewn with wide automobile arteries.
On the pedestrian sidewalks there are street cafes and restaurant verandas. Everywhere there are souvenir shops, the assortment of which echoes the arsenal of merchants on Palace Square. Many stores in St. Petersburg in America belong to immigrants from already present Russia. They regularly visit the city on the Neva to replenish supplies.
Spa traditions
Thanks to the mild and warm climate, open terraces operate year-round. Since the town is not so popular with stars and world celebrities, the most ordinary Americans from the north of the USA come to rest on the local coast. Housing and entertainment prices in these parts are one third lower than in nearby Miami. St. Petersburg in America is included in the federal program aimed at the development of local tourism. "Get America moving!" - her official slogan.
The settlement is served by a large port capable of receiving multi-story yachts and liners. At its moorings, private sailboats crowd out into the open water only on weekends. The most common inhabitant of the depths in the water area is by no means a small fish, but manatees.
There is a historical museum, and almost hand-made squirrels frolic in parks and squares. In St. Petersburg in America there is a whole high-rise quarter. The balconies of the houses offer a picturesque view of the bay. In addition to local residents, pelicans rule the city. These birds are so spoiled that they are not afraid of anyone!
In the footsteps of Tom Sawyer
Everyone who read the books of the writer Mark Twain probably wondered more than once about where exactly St. Petersburg is located in America. On which river, in which part? Contrary to the famous song, it does not extend along the shores of the Mississippi. The city that appeared in the stories of the adventures of a barefoot boy, alas, is fictional.
The real Peter is not shrouded in the damp mist of the Missouri forests. He is caressed by the warm waves of Tampa. Here, the prolonged beeps of the steamers are not heard. The silence of these places is broken by the sharp cries of pelicans, fiery Latin rhythms and the hubbub of tourists.