Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-29
LEGEND OF ST. PETERSBURG.
FaneifuI Story Of the Founding OF
Russian Capital.

U
Russian Capital.
According to legendary history, a
romantic story encircles the origin OF
the Russian capital
AS this tale runs, II was a glorious
spring morning, two hundred years
ago, when division of fleet, man
ned by fierce-looking, oddly dressed
warriors, sailed up a smooth. broad
river Of Russia. Woodland, water and
sky combined to form a picturesque
but incongruous setting for this war
bedecked squadron as 1t glided peace
fully up the blue Neva, and gentle
breeze famed wrinkles upon the sur
face of the stream as it lost itself In
the Finnish gulf.
Standing proudly in the PROV OF
one of the ships was the imposing fig
ure of the captain, who commanded
the famous regiment of the "Bombar-
diers," which recently had achieved
renowned victories during a battle
with the Swedes. He stood there
with his back to the sea, gazing at
the smiling islands whose expanse OF
dense forest spread out picturesquely
before him. The whole district, In
Guiding these beautiful islands. had
belonged to the Swedes only two
weeks before, and the captain looked
with satisfaction upon the new, rich
possessions of his country.
He now landed on the most attrac-
tive island Of the group. and as ne
was making his way toward the CEN
ter of the forest with a few Of his
officers a curious sound In the air
above him arrested his attention.
Looking up. he beheld great eagle
i1apping his wings noisily and soar
ing up to dizzy heights. Then, swiftly
and suddenly. the bird descended al
most to the feet Of the company or
officers. They were not aware that
this eagle had been tanned by the men
who loaded boats with timber at this
point Of the island but looked upon
its appearance as a good omen for
their undertaking.
Seizing a bayonet, therefore, the
captain cut two strips Of sod and
placed them one upon the other in i'm
itation of the beams Of a cross.
Pressing them firmly into the turf, he
exclaimed:
Let there be church on this spot,
and let its name DE Peter and Paul,
those of the chief apostles!"
And II came to pass as he had said.
The church with its gilded spire rose
on the forest isle, and now sur
mounts the terrible fortress in which
many political prisoners have perish
ed miserably. The city that grew
around the fortress and church Is st.
Petersburg, for the captain Of the
"Bombardiers" was no other than
Peter the Great, and the city was
named in his honor.
Such Is the legendary tale Of the
northern Palmyra, which is said to
have been jotted down by an officer
of the corps and to have been laid In
a golden casket that still lies among
the foundations of the fortress.
But unembellished history gives
more prosaic account Of the origin OF
this great city. The chronicler OF
Russian annals relates that st. Pc
tersburg was built on the site Of the
rising town Of Novgorod on the Neva,
a commercial waterway Of great i'm
portance. Realizing the enormous
value of this point as a trade center,
the Swedes had taken possession OF
It in 1917 and built a fortress on the
Okhta stream, on whose banks town
soon sprang up, inhabited by mer-
chants owning hundred ships.
BY means Of these vessels. commerce
was carried on between Russia and
the outside world. and so rapidly did
the traders advance to wealth and
position that in 100. when Peter the
Great began his war with the Swedes,
many Of the houses Of the fourishing
city were built Of stone. In another
generation It would have been a for
midable stronghold Of Swedish power,
but on the last day Of April. 1903, Pc
ter bombarded the fortress, and en-
tered 1t the following day.-Caroline
VentOn Henry. ..
-o>S