The Peter and Paul Fortress was established by Peter the Great in 1703 on the Neva River. From around 1720 the fort served as a base for the city garnison and also as a prison for high ranking or political prisoners. The fortress contains a number of buildings including the Peter and Paul Cathedral, where all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III are interred. The remains of the Imperial martyrs, Nicholas II and his family were also interred there, in the side St.Catherine´s Chapel, on the 80th anniversary of their deaths, July 17, 1998.
