This publication seeks to acquaint the reader not only with St Petersburg, but its environs too. Surrounding the northern capital are a number of former imperial country estates, strung out like jewels on an exquisite necklace. These are Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, Pavlovsk, Gatchina and Oranienbaum. Each has its own inimitable charm. Many of the palace and park ensembles came into being at the same time as St Petersburg itself. Although all of these magnificent country residences reflect the aesthetic tastes of a variety of historical eras, each one is stamped with the personality of its imperial owners. Not far from St Petersburg, on the island of Kotlin in the Gulf of Finland, lies the city