IV
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 201
Congratulating the Russian Federation and the citizens of St. Petersburg
on the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 22, 2003
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. WILSON of South Caro-
lina) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Congratulating the Russian Federation and the citizens of
St. Petersburg on the 300th anniversary of the founding
of the city.
Whereas on May 27, 1703, Peter the Great founded St. Pe-
tersburg;
Whereas May 27, 2003, is the 300th anniversary of the
founding of St. Petersburg;
Whereas during the course of the Northern War with Sweden
in 1700, Russian forces gradually moved from the Lake
Ladoga region down the Neva River to the Swedish fort
of Nienchanz;
Whereas the Russians successfully gained control over the
Neva river and on May 27, 1703, the St. Petersburg for-
•HCON 201 IH
tress was founded, officially founding the city of St. Pe-
tersburg;
Whereas in 1712 the Russian capital was moved from Mos-
cow to St. Petersburg;
Whereas in 1762 Catherine the Great assumed power after
a coup d’etat and transformed St. Petersburg into one of
the cultural capitals of Europe;
Whereas under the patronage of Catherine the Great, the
arts, science, trade, and educational institutions flour-
ished, and the Hermitage Museum was created, the larg-
est art gallery in Russia and among the largest and most
respected art museums in the world;
Whereas in 1914, during World War I, St. Petersburg was
renamed to Petrograd, and the city suffered through
famine, frigid temperatures, and social unrest only to
emerge with a newfound patriotism and citywide pride;
Whereas in November 1917, Vladimir Lenin headed the Bol-
shevik revolution, captured political power, and estab-
lished a 73-year Communist regime, later depriving the
city of its status as the capital of Russia;
Whereas after the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924 the name
of the city was changed to Leningrad representing the
change to a Communist regime;
Whereas after emerging from years of bloody revolutions and
a dramatic population decrease, the once majestic city
began a slow economic and cultural recovery only to suf-
fer under Joseph Stalin’s regime;
Whereas on September 8, 1941, with the German army fully
encircling Leningrad, the 900-day Siege of Leningrad
began and 2,887,000 heroic citizens of the city suffered
•HCON 201 IH
through a winter with no heating, no water supply, al-
most no electricity, and very little food;
Whereas the 900-day siege ended after the death of more
than 600,000 Russian citizens; and
Whereas after decades of Communist rule, in the midst of the
turmoil of perestroika, the city was once again renamed
St. Petersburg and began a period of rebuilding, revital-
ization, and regrowth: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress—
(1) congratulates St. Petersburg on the 300th
anniversary of the city’s founding;
(2) recognizes the cultural and historical impor-
tance of the city of St. Petersburg and expresses its
gratitude toward the city and its people;
(3) expresses the deepest sympathy for the
hardships that the people of St. Petersburg have en-
dured throughout its 300 years, and especially dur-
ing the period of Communist dictatorship; and
(4) joins the citizens of St. Petersburg in com-
memorating this important moment in history.
Æ