St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest city and largest seaport. Known as the city of islands, there are 68 rivers, canals, and streams that run through St. Petersburg. Just 300 years old, St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Emperor Peter the Great as his "Window on the West." Over the years, St. Petersburg has been the center of many political struggles that have changed Russia's history. (WIN INITIATIVE—GETTY IMAGES)