Standing on an island in the Neva, Peter and Paul Fortress was designed to protect the entrance to the delta against the Swedes. Its inauguration on 16 May 1703 marked the birth of Russia’s new capital, St. Petersburg. Alas, it was never used to defend the city, but was turned into a “Bastille” where opponents of the regime were imprisoned. Today it houses a number of museums and contains the tombs of the tars in its cathedral.