31.05.03 19:00   “St. Petersburg is one of the world’s cultural capitals and an important center of Russia’s European life,” stated President Vladimir Putin in opening the river festival on the Greater Neva.

When founding the city, Peter the Great dreamed of a powerful, dynamic and open city to the world. Putin stressed that St. Petersburg has become a symbol of the country’s future, as well as a symbol of the country’s definitive renewal.
Ships symbolizing three centuries of St. Petersburg’s history sailed past the approximate 5,000 spectators gathered on Palace Embankment.