Praskovya Sheremeteva was the subject of a famous portrait painted by Nikolai Argunov, the serf-turned-painter who was the first Russian artist of serf origin to be elected to the Imperial Academy of the Arts. Born a serf around 1770, she caught the eye of her owner, Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, at the age of 16.
Author: bmtyle
The founding of Peter and Paul Fortress on May 27, 1703 also commemorates the founding of St. Petersburg. Despite the unfavorable marsh conditions, it took only four months for 20,000 conscripts to build the fortress. Originally built with wood, it was later redone in stone under the influence of Domenico Trezzini.