I had the pleasure of briefly meeting the tsar, Peter, during part of his tour of Europe. Truly, the stories about the life of this man, and his many accomplishments, will pass into legend as surely as those of Heraclese and Achilles. A giant of a man, Peter commands respect everywhere he goes, and he never fails to meet the expectations he creates. The man himself is a genious. From sailing and farming to war, the tsar has made himself an authority on everything he can get his hands upon. This is an amazing time of prosperity. However, there is one accomplishment of his that I believe will survive long past the others. The new jewel of Russia, St. Petersburg.
Peter, in a show of iron will, has raised a great city from the marshes near the Neva river. Notably, a city of stone, built to survive the elements and stand as a testament to the accomplishments of this great people. Peter has since moved his entire court to the city, seeking to strengthen the cultural ties to the other European countries. It seems, Peter hopes to establish this nation as the greatest in the civilized world.
The problem lies in the hearts of the people. It seems they do not care for this city Peter has forced them to build out of harsh rock in this forsaken part of the land. They whisper things about it, calling it bad luck or even as much as cursed. Part of that resentment probably comes as a remembrance of those died during its construction. The swamp, and the disease that came with it, cost the lives of thousands during the building of the city. It may well be said that the foundation of this city was laid with Russian bones.
The city itself lends to this bleak picture, with its dark shadows.
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