Leningrad was founded as St. Petersburg by Tsar Peter the Great. The city was intended to be Russia's seaport to the rest of Europe, and today contains major merchant and naval dockyards.

The Stats:

Average Temperatures
-30°C to 30°C
Population
over five million
Tourist Attractions
Several world-class museums.
The former capital of Tsarist Russia
War memorials (attracts more Russians than Westerners)