This lavishly illustrated book tells the epic 300-year story of St Petersburg through its architecture, landscapes, literature and art, from the city's origins and its earliest buildings through to the present day. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic centre of St Petersburg is being restored with the help of the World Monuments Fund. The book showcases the surviving monuments of St Petersburg while examining what has been lost and what is being lost. Written by two experts on architecture and historic conservation, it includes before-and-after images to evaluate the effect of postwar restoration work and also includes over 100 commissioned photographs.