The Romanovs' Obsession: Building St. Petersburg on Bones

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the brutal foundation of St. Petersburg, Peter the Great's 'window to the West.' From the marshy delta of the Neva River to the tens of thousands of serfs who died building the city, they uncover the human cost behind the baroque facades. Lucas details how Peter forced nobles to relocate, banned stone construction elsewhere, and even imposed a 'beard tax' to modernize Russia. They discuss the first structures—the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Summer Palace—and the staggering mortality rates. Luna asks about the legend of the city being built on bones, and Lucas confirms that contemporary accounts suggest up to 100,000 laborers perished. They also touch on the city's symbolic significance as a challenge to Sweden and the old Muscovite order. A stark look at imperial ambition and suffering. #SaintPetersburg #PeterTheGreat #RussianHistory #RomanovDynasty #NevaRiver #PeterAndPaulFortress #WindowToTheWest #SwedishEmpire #GreatNorthernWar #Serfdom #BeardTax #SummerPalace #Menshikov #Domostroy #History #FexingoHistory #ImperialRussia #UrbanPlanning #TsarNicholasII #CatherineTheGreat Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo