Abstract: The textbook briefly outlines the main historical milestones in the history of St. Petersburg. Separately, the settlement of the Neva Delta is considered as the prehistory of the city. The characteristic of the architectural styles of the city, its cultural life, as well as the reforms and transformations of the St. Petersburg period in the history of Russia is given. Also, an attempt was made to generalize the series of events, comparing the periods in the history of the city with the pan-European trends in culture. For students of higher education institutions.