Countries maintain diplomatic ties among themselves. But what about the cities? It turns out that they also have a certain analogue, although their relations mainly concern 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 leadership. Does it look like Antwerp - a city in Belgium? Or what does he have in common with the capital of Uruguay Montevideo?
Twin cities
In difficult periods, people come together and seek solace from each other. The Second World War gave rise to the emergence of the so-called twin cities, which maintain friendly and cultural ties. The first such pair were 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 twin cities. Today it unites about 3,500 settlements in more than 160 countries.
St. Petersburg - the Russian "window to Europe" - has many cultural ties, as well as an impressive list of twin cities: it has almost a hundred of them. Among them there is an amazing variety: these are 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 all of them are interesting and remarkable in their own way and have their own reasons to be on this list.
For example, the strong relations of St. Petersburg - Hamburg are not weakening, but have only been growing stronger for more than 50 years. Dresden, which houses dozens of art museums, is also connected to the Russian city. Also the twin city of the Northern capital is Antwerp - a city of extraordinary beauty, in which on one of the central squares there is a monument to Peter the Great. The stunning mysterious Edinburgh with its mountains and castles - all of them are worthy of attention. But still, today I would like to talk about some other twin cities of St. Petersburg.
Warsaw
The appearance of the first settlements on the site of this city dates back to the X century. And already in XVI Warsaw became the capital of Poland, maintaining this status to this day. The city got a strong connection with 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.
Today, the capital of Poland has been restored, and its historical center, like the heart of St. Petersburg, is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city received twinning status in 1997, after the collapse of the USSR. Perhaps, in the first place, official consolidation reflects a warming in relations between countries. Perhaps the connection St. Petersburg - Warsaw is not too strong, but the cities have much to strive for.
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 tell about the original? The first settlements on the local islands appeared in the VI century, and the city has experienced a lot in its history. It was part of different states, at one time it was independent, it was and remains an important commercial and cultural center. It hosts the world-famous carnival and film festival, and it is a unique architectural monument in the open. The beauty of this city is undeniable and recognized by UNESCO. But what else is the connection between St. Petersburg and Venice?
Officially, cooperation began in 2006 with the signing of the contract. And already in 2013, Venice officially entered the category of "twin cities of St. Petersburg." During the ceremony, the mayors exchanged symbolic gifts and briefly talked about plans for the development of relations. A branch of the Hermitage is expected to open in Venice.
Los Angeles
It would seem that this sunny city on the Pacific coast has little in common with rainy Petersburg. Nevertheless, since 1990 they have been twin cities, obviously, in the framework of improving relations between the United States and Russia.
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. In the same city is the world famous Hollywood with its film studios. In a word, a tourist will have something to do here and where to go. And what about the other twin cities of St. Petersburg?
Odessa
Perhaps this is the most colorful and in its own way hometown among all those listed today. A large port on the Black Sea, which dates back to ancient settlements in the 5th century BC, Odessa, like St. Petersburg, entered 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.
Odessans 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 it is definitely worth a visit.
Odessa is not just included in the category of "twin cities of St. Petersburg", it is its partner, which is not surprising, given the joint past.
Shanghai
For Europeans, this city is a native island among the mysterious east. It seems that he just came from nowhere, although references to the modern name were found in the 9th century. Literally in the last hundred years, this city has developed to 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 who fled to the new government fled here. Today, the community is several hundred people permanently residing in the city - this is relatively few. Nevertheless, they try to preserve their culture and pass it on to their descendants. The twin relations with Petersburg began in 1988 and were stimulated by reforms that attracted foreign investors to Russia, including from China. In the Northern capital today, there are large centers of the Chinese language and culture. Well, the two cities have good prospects in terms of overall economic and cultural development.